stained resin sink

[Tinbasher]

I have a resin (corian?) Sink deeply stained by tannin from teabags.

I have tried every potion and lotion off the shelf but it doesn't touch it.

Any ideas ?

Tom

 

[xy mosian]

Of course you've tried this amongst the "every potion and lotion off the shelf" however. The strongest cleaner found in the average household, whatever that is, is washing powder. Assuming the sink is completely duff, and you cannot make the situation worse. Try a stiff paste of this stuff spread over the sink and left for a while. Then rinse off with hot water and a nail brush. Of course the usual warnings "test it on an inconspicous area first" and don't knock on my door if it all goes horribly wrong, in fact forget I said anything.

HTH
xy

 

[MickCheese]

When we had a white composite sink we used toilet cleaner to make it white again, the one with bleach in it. It worked for me but I take no responsibility for this if it all goes wrong for you.

Mick

 

[Tinbasher]

I hadn't tried the washing powder. I had tried loo cleaner and oven cleaner.

I'm at the kill or cure stage so if it burns a hole its a new sink and if it doesn't work its a new sink.

 

[JakeS]

I hadn't tried the washing powder.

A note: biological works a lot better than non-bio for this kind of thing, in my experience. If you have any wire oven shelves, metal pans or utensils or anything like that which have got to an uncleanable state with burned-on grease or whatever, you can leave them to soak in the sink at the same time and they'll come clean much more easily.

After I found out about this myself I had to leave the resin sink in my old house to soak for about a day at a time several times before it was passable again. Bleach helps for stuff like cleaning the grout and sealant between and around tiles, but didn't do so much for the sink.

(As it goes, my understanding is that Corian is one of the resin-formed-stone-powder materials, while if your sink is more plasticky, it's probably just straight resin. Either way you should probably stay away from the usual melts-plastic suspects like acetone.)

 

[xy mosian]

Just a thought. Have you had a word with the folk who form Corian, given that's what it is? Surely there must be others with similar problems.
Do let us know how you get on.
xy

 

[Tinbasher]

Right its definately plasticy but not plastic so ill avoid solvents. It's as you describe, bleach bleached the stain but it just came back.

Can you still buy biological powder? Or have the green police banned it?

 

[jasonB]

Corians suggested cleaning methods below

http://corian.co.uk/Corian/en_GB/assets ... are_en.pdf

J

 

[JakeS]

Can you still buy biological powder? Or have the green police banned it?

I actually use the little dissolving-plastic-pillow-filled-with-liquid ones myself - but definitly bio, yes.

(To be honest, I expect powder may well be more ecologically-sound than these things, but also a lot messier and not carried so universally.)

 

[Tinbasher]

Jason this is very helpful. Thanks.

 

[Lons]

Hi Tom

If you're brave enough, you can polish the surface using very fine abrasives no coarser than 400 / 600 grit which is probably what the original was finished to. I'd use abranet or wet and dry and you can achieve a gloss finish if you go to say 1200 or 1500 grit and metal polish as Corian has an acrylic content.
I sorted a double sink for a customer last year whilst remodelling her worktops. I looked so good, she persuaded me to refinish all her worktops.

You should try under the sink or somewhere inconspicuous first or even better, get a sample from a local installer. There was a decent one near Carlisle if only I could remember who it was :?

I've probably got some scraps of white somewhere if you're stuck. (in fact my beer glass is sitting on a piece as I write ).

I suspect that your sink surface has become etched by micro sctratches and the stain is sitting in these which means difficult to remove and easily stained again. I would recommend not putting teabags in the sink though :lol:

Bob

 

[jasonB]

Just noticed that the edit I did on my post had not come out.

My fabricator always suggests "bar keepers friend" for cleaning the corian. Not as an everyday clean but say once a month.

J

 

[madmonk]

For those in despair with resin sinks ....Firstly Protective glasses a surgical mask .... Large pink marigolds (or whatever your hand size is) and a good old fashioned box of Caustic soda. The protective stuff is essential as this stuff burns you if you come in skin contact. Spread liberally in your sink with the plug in and add a small amount of water to it. I then give one mix around the sink with a nail brush then leave for half an hour then depending how stained the sink is scrub with the brush. It will take a few attempts but is worth the effort then just keep doing this once a week or 2 weeks to keep stains to a minimum. But please be careful to store your Caustic Soda carefully and away from children as this chemical can do serious harm if not handled correctly .

 

[Jacob]

Corian is designed to be rapidly obsolescent. The idea is that you buy a new kitchen after a few years.
You could try staining the whole thing an even tea bag brown but I wouldn't put money on it!
PS and if you can't put T bags in the sink it's no use as a sink.

 

[MMUK]

Corian is over-priced crap. A proper thick stainless or ceramic Belfast sink is the proper way to go.

 

[Lons]

Corian is designed to be rapidly obsolescent. The idea is that you buy a new kitchen after a few years. .

Says who Jacob?

I've fitted hundreds of kitchens over the years and refurbished even more. Whilst I've never fitted a corian worktop from new, I have altered and refinished a number of them, I've also fitted more than a dozen Mistral worktops (am in the middle of fitting one now co-incidently), which are basically the same just 25mm thick instead of 12mm.

I have one customer for example with 3 kids 2 dogs and a careless husband. She has a very large farmhouse kitchen with corian worktops and double sink. It is now 23 years old and I refinished the surface last year without difficulty. It is in fact so good that whilst I will be changing all the doors and some of the units in a few months time, the tops and sink are staying put.

IMHO corian and similar worktops are as durable as hardwoord as long as they are treated with respect and certainly have a much longer life than laminate.

My own kitchen, utility and a table all have Mistral tops which can and do get stained and scratched in use. It takes me no more than 1 hour to refurbish them to as new - and we have a lot of it!

Stick to what you know Jacob :wink: :lol:

Bob

 

[vally bar]

We also use Corian, Hi Macs and similar in many environments it is one of the most versatile and durable products available. Lon's is correct in both posts cleaning is easy a simple Brillo pad will clean the surface in seconds. If you are concerned pm me your address and I will pop a white of cut in the post to you. Expensive it is rubbish it ain't.

 

[Jacob]

Never used it myself but all I know is that a lot of people seem to complain about staining etc and cleaning/refurb has become a routine specialist job.
Stainless steel for me - lasts forever.

 

[vally bar]

We have used it in Dentists, Hospitals, Laboratories, shops and even Kitchens it is the ultimate in sterile surfaces due to it being seamless and non porous, never had a complaint about it staining as it's so simple to clean.

 

[Distinterior]

I've also been fitting Solid Surface materials for years, and it does have to be looked after to a degree.
It is not a "Fit and Forget" type product, anymore than a solid wood worktop would be.
I have been fitting kitchens for over 33 years and if I was putting in a new kitchen for myself tomorrow, I would definitely have some form of Solid surface material as my worktops, with the moulded in sink bowl.

As for a Belfast type sink,.......well, the best place for them is up the garden with a couple of plants in it. It has no place in a modern kitchen IMHO.