From the Spruce “Do Not Use Cleaners Containing Chlorine
While it may be second nature to bleach everything, stainless steel and chlorine do not mix. Stay away from the bleach when you clean stainless steel. Be aware that bleach can be included in different types of cleaners. If you accidentally get a cleaner on your stainless steel you’ll need to rinse it off and quickly.”
@marinelife D’oh. So I wasted $1.08. It says on the package good for stainless steel kitchen sinks. I might use it anyway. I used dish soap and nothing worked. I also have some Mr. clean scrubbers that might work?
Update i opened all the windows and turned on the fan. I used comet with bleach. Nothing happened. I’m still alive and the sink is still stained. Might use mr. Clean magic eraser next after a break . My landlord said to use Comet or vim.
It doesn’t “Gas you” it makes the sink rust. The more you use chlorine products, the more it rusts Stainless Steel.
It sounds like the stains you see are rust from cleaning the sink in the past with chlorine products. Use Bar Keepers Friend to clean stainless steel. I have seen it at Bed Bath & Beyond. (Take the bus don’t use a taxi to buy an under $5 item)
It contains Oxalic acid which is TOXIC so rinse the sink well and don’t get it in your mouth.
@RedDeerGuy1 I had stainless steel sinks for years. A strong solution of bleach will make your sink look brand new. BEWARE Never mix bleach (Clorox or Purex with ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE.
There are different types of stainless steel. Some contain iron and can rust and some don’t. In the non iron types that most sinks are made of bleach can still cause pitting.
@ARE_you_kidding_me All stainless steel (SS) is Iron based with Chromium smelted into it to make it “Stainless”, there is a chemical process that coats the SS to keep it from rusting. It is called passivation. Yes I have worked in manufacturing for many years and purchased SS parts at times that had to be passivated.
That’s correct yes. It’s the amount of iron vs nickel and chromium plus the molecular structure that make SS austenitic or ferritic. That does not roll of the tonge well though.
Yes you may. Directions for my SS sink say so. Just scrub in the same direction as the sink’s finish.
Stainless Steel is an alloy of steel *“with chromium and sometimes another element (as nickel or molybdenum) that is practically immune to rusting and ordinary corrosion ).
DO NOT use steel wool!
(* from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.)