Does your sink look bruised and battered due to prolonged use? Don't worry; I have several tricks to remove all kinds of scratches from sinks.
I often get questions related to cleaning and maintaining pans and dishes, but what about sinks? They need their fair share of maintenance too. Believe me; I have visited tons of friends and seen their sinks. I don't mean to brag, but I couldn't find a sink as old as mine which was as polished and shiny.
No, I don't spend a lot of money buying expensive detergent. Neither do I call professional cleaners to brighten up my kitchen. All I do is follow simple maintenance habits. Many people find it hard to remove scratches and gashes from the sink, resulting in more and more marks as the years go by.
So, I thought the methods I use for smoothening sinks was worth sharing with y'all. Hi! I'm Stacy Smith, and today I curated a brief guide about "How to remove scratch from stainless steel sink."
Read on for an easy guide with steps.
Step Wise Guide To Remove Scratch From Sink
Tools Required
- Sponges
- 1000 or 600 grit sandpaper
- Liquid detergent
- Clean towel/microfiber cloth
- Soft scouring pad
- Stainless sink polish
- Warm water
A. Removing Minor Scratches
For the minor marks and scratches, non-abrasive stainless steel cleaning compounds should be more than enough. There are some brands I would recommend - Weiman, Magic, and Cameo.
1. Submerge The Sink
First, you need to put the stopper to the drain and fill the sink with warm water and the liquid cleaning agent. If the sink is visibly grimy, you can rinse the sink with warm water before this step.
Now that the sink is packed to the brim with water and detergent, gently wash the sink with a soft, non-abrasive sponge. This is to completely remove dirt and build up so see all the scratches better.
2. Rinse And Wipe Sink
Now you can remove the stopper and allow all the water to drain out. Rinse thoroughly to get all the soap suds out too. At this point, I like to check for areas that I missed because the soapy water doesn't allow me to see all the corners. Now, you can wipe the sink clear of any water and identify the scratches in the sink.
3. Gently Scrub Using Liquid Cleaning Product
Next, drizzle some liquid detergent on the scouring pad and gently rub over the scratch to get some lather. Then you can scrub by increasing the pressure to allow the scratch to blend with the rest of the sink. Work in the direction of the grain and wipe to check if the scratch has blended in. Repeat this step until the surface looks evened out.
In case your scratch removal compound is in powder form, you'll need to make a paste from it by adding water. Add a few drops at a time in a separate container and mix till the consistency resembles that of toothpaste.
4. Wash With Water
Finally, give the sink one final wash using the same detergent, warm water, and a soft sponge. Also, there are stainless sink polishes available if you want additional shine. After drying the sink with a towel, you now have a scratch-free sink!
Alternate Remedy
This is one remedy that I haven't tried yet, but have heard about frequently. It involves olive oil. Yes, you heard that right. Olive oil can apparently remove minor scratches from stainless steel. You only need a few drops on a soft lint-free cloth or paper towel. Rub it on the required area a few times, and the scratches will be somewhat diminished.
B. Removing Deeper Scratches
Removing the deeper scratches can get a bit challenging but are entirely doable. I found the wet sanding technique to be the most effective way to remove more prominent scratches.
1. Rinse The Sink
The first couple of steps will remain the same for this method. Rinse the sink by submerging and cleaning, followed by wiping it clean. At this point, find out the grain of the metal, so you know which direction to rub in.
2. Scrub With Grit Pad Or Sandpaper
I often use 1000 grit sandpaper since it is abrasive enough to scrape the surface of the sink. Soak the sanding block or sandpaper in warm, clean water in a separate container. Then, evenly scrub the areas in one direction (with the grain) because scrubbing in a circular motion will leave unwanted marks.
Dip the sandpaper in the water a few more times and repeat the process. But, be careful not to scrub the surface too hard, or else it will create new marks and scratches!
- Box of 25 Dura-Gold Premium 1000 Grit 5-1/2" Wide x 9" Long Wet or Dry Sandpaper Sheets that are 1/2 of full-size 9" x 11" sanding sheets. These high-performance, durable wet or dry sanding sheets are flexible when used wet and will not fall apart, tear, or crumble while in use. Sheets are ideal for wet sanding, as wet sanding helps minimize scratches, prevents sandpaper from clogging with dust, removes loose abrasive particles, and reduces airborne dust.
- Superior quality waterproof sandpaper sheets made with premium electro-coated silicon carbide to ensure the grit is uniformly distributed, enabling you to have an exceptionally long-lasting sharp cut with a consistent scratch pattern when sanding, either wet or dry. It has maximum resistance to clogging and loading, increasing your productivity and reducing material consumption.
- These 1000 grit extra-fine-cut waterproof sandpaper sheets are ideal for use in auto body, paint, and detailing shops for extra fine color sanding of paint finishes. They are also excellent to use for woodworking, metalworking, fiberglass, plastics, or any other surface that needs sanding.
- Wide Variety of Grit - Perfect selection of different grits, Including 5 sheets of each grit: 400/ 600/ 800/ 1000/ 1200/ 1500/ 2000/ 2500/ 3000, total 45 sheets.
- Suits Your Needs Perfectly - Wet and dry sandpaper, great assortment of fine to superfine sandpaper, you can use fine grit sandpaper for fine woodworking, cleaning and polishing metal, sanding clay, wood furniture finishing, wood turning finishing, automotive jobs and more.
- Handy Sizes - Silicon carbide sandpaper size 9 x 3.6 inches, It can be easily cut and folded to fit any hand tool or work piece crevice.
3. Use A Smooth Grit Pad
After the intense scrubbing is complete, the deep scratches should be invisible by now. But what will remain is the trace of scrubbing caused by the sandpaper. Now, we can't leave it like that, so I like to use a grit pad with a smooth surface to rub all over the sink. This helps to even out the stainless steel and makes it smoother to touch.
Final Words
So, these were some of the easiest methods for removing scratches in the sink. Whenever I find such gashes, I use these simple tricks to restore my sink to its immaculate condition again.
Whether the scratches are shallow or deep, there is always a solution. And, you don’t even need to go further than this article! Be sure to come back to go through the stepwise guide whenever you need it. I’m sure if you follow all these steps carefully, it will get rid of those scratch marks. It always does for me!
I hope that this short guide helps you take care of all scratches covering your sink. Do try these methods and tell me your experiences in the comments section below.
See you next time!