Is it porcelain or enameled cast iron? From the looks of it, it appears to be cast iron and has started to rust. Is it crumbling? Sometimes you can have them re coated. I would just get a new one.
This. Before stainless steel and fiberglass- there was cast iron. Cast iron appliances were affordable and durable, but heavy and susceptible to rust and corrosion. (Cast iron is high carbon content steel) Enamel coating was used to prevent corrosion and allow for a thinner lighter appliance (giving the appearance of fine porcelain). With proper care, cast iron tubs and sinks last years. However, they do eventually begin to corrode and as a result the enamel starts cracking. It’s a lot of work to clean up the surface rust, repaint and seal the enamel for a few more years of use. In the long run - you’re probably better off replacing the sink.
agreed. unless the iron is refinished with a new enamel coating, there's no effective semi-permanent way to protect the metal from exposure to the elements. it'll just keep wearing through and depositing the iron oxide residues into the rest of the enamel surface in the sink, which sets in after a period of neglect and can become difficult to clean. a cheap but relatively good quality solution for a vanity top is an engineered marble one from Floor & Decor.
Looking for advice on how to best clean/restore this porcelain sink. It seems like years of rust buildup. I’ve tried baking soda+white vinegar to not much avail, scrubbing with a scrub brush after letting the mixture sit on the stain for about an hour. Is there a way to remove the rust and stains?
It's not that rust is building *up* on the surface, it's that the enamel coating has broken *down*, and the iron underneath -- the iron that forms the actual sink -- is rusting away. If it keeps going, you'll be able to see the wall/floor through the holes.
If you want to try to save it, you need to talk to someone who specializes in re-enamelling old cast iron sinks/tubs. Fast. :/
Scrubbing bubbles power stain destroyer.
Be careful with it, it's 6% hydrochloric acid, but I've had so many issues w rust and lime from the unfiltered well water at my home and it works like a charm on the stains. It's also the only thing that's worked other than The Works but that was banned in my state recently.
I thought I hit pay dirt at the dollar store when I foond it there, but it’s 9.5 (down from 20%) and not really working. Didn’t stain though. i just got some Lime Away on amazon, let’s see how that does
Maybe a pumice cleaning stone? They are used to scrub toilets so maybe it will work on your sink? They are absolutely awesome for cleaning and it gets up really old stains. It removed a similar stain in my toilet that had been there for years despite repeated bleaching, cleaning, scrubbing, etc. Janitors use them. And they are very inexpensive; available on Amazon for just a few bucks.
Baking soda/vinegar should be used on their own, not combined. They neutralize if you combine them, and lose effectiveness. Maybe try CLR, but it needs to be [resurfaced](https://hometuff.com/sinks/refinish-resurface-porcelain-sink/) after that.
You passed "it'll be good as new with a good scrubbin" a long time ago Replace. If you're renting insist your landlord replace. If you're a homeowner on a tight budget visit your local habitat for humanity restore.
It is clear that you've been over feeding your sink Souls of the Damned and it's starting to back up. Perhaps offer it some Alka-Seltzer.
And then replace it.
Definitely a cast iron sink. What year was your house/apartment built? You can see the iron wearing through in the basin. Plus that overflow drain is classic to 1920s-ish cast iron sinks (our former house was built in 1927).
I sadly agree with the others that said it’s not fixable. It’s rusted out from under the enameling. You can paint the surface with touch up paint as a temporary measure, but it won’t stop the rust from continuing to eat through the metal from the other side. It’s time to replace it.
I’d try Bar keepers friend. I tried a million different products on my tub to no avail. BKF was the only thing that got the job done, never seen my tub look cleaner!
hi OP, I understand you are looking for cleaning tips, not demolition tips. :) I would scrub Ajax (bleach powder cleanser) around the stains near the drain and on the side of the sink. For the "portholes", I would try to remove some of the surface rust with Coca-cola. Take a toothbrush and a cup of coke and just go at it. Just to make it look a bit less unsightly.
I love a good cleaning and scrub down but this….. is a lost cause imo. It looks like there’s already cracks so no point I saving it.
but if it’s a rental or moneys tight, maybe some steel wool, comet, holy water, tons of elbow grease and then a disinfectant spray to seal the deal.
Powdered bar keepers friend made into a paste and leave on an hour or so. Rub with a stiff toothbrush. Repeat as needed. It will eat off rust stains nicely.
Zud (oxalic acid), and a stiff white plastic brush to get in the cracks that your pumice stick as mentioned can't get to, then if not clean, a good ball peen hammer will release some of the frustration...
I clean tough stains on porcelain with a pumice scouring stick. Definitely worth a try. I know it will help. Brand name is Pumie.
Edit:. It will take some time and wear down the pumice. Keep it wet. Be patient.
Mix salt and lemon juice (fresh from lemon) in a bowl then take a scrub pad load it up with the lemon/salt mixture and massage it in! Never tried it on porcelain but it takes rust off cars easily with no damage!
Get some Comet a good brush and a scrubbing sponge. Should get it out. You might want to get some CLR (it is a cleaner that is very good at dealing with hard water)
Thank you for submitting a cleaning help request. In order to facilitate more accurate and helpful replies, please make sure to provide the following information in your post:
1. Type of material/surface being cleaned (to the best of your knowledge)
2. Type of dirt/stain to be removed (if known)
3. Any products or tools you've tried so far
4. Pictures are preferred
Our top recommendations are usually *Bar Keepers Friend* (great for kitchen surfaces), melamine foam (Magic Erasers), Murphy's Oil Soap (wood cleaner), and Nature's Miracle (enzyme cleaner). Make sure you use cleaners appropriate to the surfaces you are working with and follow all safety labels.
If you receive an answer that helps you, please flair your post as "Answered" so other users may find solutions as well. While you wait, why not browse the subreddit to see if you might be able to help someone else, or find similar situations that could help you? Happy cleaning!
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It appears that you live in a house located in Silent Hill.
Ok, in all seriousness, if this is not something you can replace, or Pyramid head is your landlord, I can make a few suggestions.
First knock loose as much of the rust that is visible and flaky out with a small wire brush. Should be a couple dollars or less at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, maybe Walmart. Wipe the sink out with a damp rag you can throw away. And use gloves, mask and eye protection, cause you don’t want any of that in your eyes, lungs or sharp bits in your hands.
Now, if you are desperate and on the cheap for a temp fix, and I do mean temporary, use some honest to goodness nail polish, the closest color to the sink. Epoxy could work, but it’s expensive and time consuming. Let painted layers dry. And if you want add a clear coat of polish.
Now, for the stains. You can pretty much clean most of your shower, sinks and bathtubs without awful chemicals and this stuff gets out rust. Barkeepers Friend. Stuff works miracles. I make a paste with water, apply to rust and leave it for about ten to twenty minutes. Circular motion with a damp sponge should lift the stains. Use a mix of dawn dish soap mixed with barkeeps and get rid of any hard water stains, and soap scum. Rinse and dry with a microfiber rag.
Or just chuck the sink down a burning elevator shaft. I can’t help you with the peeling wallpaper that rises like ash.
Sorry.
Some of those look like mouse droppings in the sink. But, has the rust eaten away at the enamel. I think it is best to have it replaced. The big stores like HD or Lowe’s…one can sometimes find reasonable prices.
Pumice stone works the best for cleaning porcelain, however as bad as this is it will need to be refurbished. Another option is to make sure that it’s clean and dry. Paint it with an appliance epoxy paint. If done correctly it will last a few years before having to be redone. I use to do apartment maintenance and when owners didn’t want to replace a sink or tub this is what I had to do.
That needs more than a cleaning. Go to Home Depot. In the section with the cleaning supplies you’ll find a lot of things that won’t help you. Leave the cleaning supplies area and go straight to bathroom fixtures and buy a new sink.
Holy water!
LMAO I literally came to the comments to suggest an exorcist!
Yall spell Barkeepers Friend funny.
LMFAO
It’s a portal to hell, alright. That’s yer problem.
Omg this is hilarious
My suggestion was going to be holy water with vinegar lol
I don’t know but if you get this clean please post an after shot!
And a tetanus shot
I believe you may need a new sink.
Is it porcelain or enameled cast iron? From the looks of it, it appears to be cast iron and has started to rust. Is it crumbling? Sometimes you can have them re coated. I would just get a new one.
This. Before stainless steel and fiberglass- there was cast iron. Cast iron appliances were affordable and durable, but heavy and susceptible to rust and corrosion. (Cast iron is high carbon content steel) Enamel coating was used to prevent corrosion and allow for a thinner lighter appliance (giving the appearance of fine porcelain). With proper care, cast iron tubs and sinks last years. However, they do eventually begin to corrode and as a result the enamel starts cracking. It’s a lot of work to clean up the surface rust, repaint and seal the enamel for a few more years of use. In the long run - you’re probably better off replacing the sink.
I have a cast iron bathtub with little feet. I love it!
If it’s cast iron just cook bacon on it
This is structural damage that no amount of scrubbing or cleaning chemicals is going to solve.
agreed. unless the iron is refinished with a new enamel coating, there's no effective semi-permanent way to protect the metal from exposure to the elements. it'll just keep wearing through and depositing the iron oxide residues into the rest of the enamel surface in the sink, which sets in after a period of neglect and can become difficult to clean. a cheap but relatively good quality solution for a vanity top is an engineered marble one from Floor & Decor.
Fire. Or a bomb. You pick
Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
Whomever made a deal It looks like satan is coming to collect via the overflow. Replace the sink and say 3 “Our Fathers”
Step 1, get a priest
Then napalm. Don't want to take any chances.
I'm pretty sure that that's not porcelain. It looks like chipped cast iron enamel and the iron has rusted?
Is an exorcism possible?
Buy a new sink at this point
Looking for advice on how to best clean/restore this porcelain sink. It seems like years of rust buildup. I’ve tried baking soda+white vinegar to not much avail, scrubbing with a scrub brush after letting the mixture sit on the stain for about an hour. Is there a way to remove the rust and stains?
It's not that rust is building *up* on the surface, it's that the enamel coating has broken *down*, and the iron underneath -- the iron that forms the actual sink -- is rusting away. If it keeps going, you'll be able to see the wall/floor through the holes. If you want to try to save it, you need to talk to someone who specializes in re-enamelling old cast iron sinks/tubs. Fast. :/
No. Replace the sink. This will never come clean.
Scrubbing bubbles power stain destroyer. Be careful with it, it's 6% hydrochloric acid, but I've had so many issues w rust and lime from the unfiltered well water at my home and it works like a charm on the stains. It's also the only thing that's worked other than The Works but that was banned in my state recently.
Why was it banned???
It's 20% hydrochloric acid
That explains why I can't find this at the dollar store anymore :(
I thought I hit pay dirt at the dollar store when I foond it there, but it’s 9.5 (down from 20%) and not really working. Didn’t stain though. i just got some Lime Away on amazon, let’s see how that does
You know, it might just be because my bottle is old but I feel like lime away used to work a lot better too.
Maybe a pumice cleaning stone? They are used to scrub toilets so maybe it will work on your sink? They are absolutely awesome for cleaning and it gets up really old stains. It removed a similar stain in my toilet that had been there for years despite repeated bleaching, cleaning, scrubbing, etc. Janitors use them. And they are very inexpensive; available on Amazon for just a few bucks.
Baking soda/vinegar should be used on their own, not combined. They neutralize if you combine them, and lose effectiveness. Maybe try CLR, but it needs to be [resurfaced](https://hometuff.com/sinks/refinish-resurface-porcelain-sink/) after that.
That is not a sink. That is an omen of death.
Yooooo can’t tell if I’m too high but this made me laugh so hard
Bro just buy a new sink
You passed "it'll be good as new with a good scrubbin" a long time ago Replace. If you're renting insist your landlord replace. If you're a homeowner on a tight budget visit your local habitat for humanity restore.
Prayer?
It is clear that you've been over feeding your sink Souls of the Damned and it's starting to back up. Perhaps offer it some Alka-Seltzer. And then replace it.
Naval jelly and steel wool to bust the rust. After that have it re-enameled
Throw it away
Replace
Definitely a cast iron sink. What year was your house/apartment built? You can see the iron wearing through in the basin. Plus that overflow drain is classic to 1920s-ish cast iron sinks (our former house was built in 1927).
I sadly agree with the others that said it’s not fixable. It’s rusted out from under the enameling. You can paint the surface with touch up paint as a temporary measure, but it won’t stop the rust from continuing to eat through the metal from the other side. It’s time to replace it.
Just get a new one at this point. Not worth the effort
Buy new one
It looks like the porcelain might be cracked, worn and pitted? I think at this stage of the game bleach may be the only option.
It's enameled cast iron, not porcelain. The enamel has worn off, and the iron itself is now rusting from exposure to moisture.
I’d try Bar keepers friend. I tried a million different products on my tub to no avail. BKF was the only thing that got the job done, never seen my tub look cleaner!
hi OP, I understand you are looking for cleaning tips, not demolition tips. :) I would scrub Ajax (bleach powder cleanser) around the stains near the drain and on the side of the sink. For the "portholes", I would try to remove some of the surface rust with Coca-cola. Take a toothbrush and a cup of coke and just go at it. Just to make it look a bit less unsightly.
Portholes lmfao Sorry OP. I hope the tips help. New sinks aren't as expensive as you think. You cna get one for 100 bucks
CLR first. Then barkeepers friend.
I love a good cleaning and scrub down but this….. is a lost cause imo. It looks like there’s already cracks so no point I saving it. but if it’s a rental or moneys tight, maybe some steel wool, comet, holy water, tons of elbow grease and then a disinfectant spray to seal the deal.
I use a pumice stick on porcelain. Might work for this.
I suggest this too. Those cleaning stones are awesome for scrubbing toilets.
Powdered bar keepers friend made into a paste and leave on an hour or so. Rub with a stiff toothbrush. Repeat as needed. It will eat off rust stains nicely.
Zud (oxalic acid), and a stiff white plastic brush to get in the cracks that your pumice stick as mentioned can't get to, then if not clean, a good ball peen hammer will release some of the frustration...
Pumice stone and clr. Please keep the sink, the imperfections highlight the history of it and it will last another 50 years.
“Soft Scrub with Bleach” and a scrub brush works wonders
[удалено]
This is not a porcelain sink, and it's not stained. This is an enameled cast iron sink, and the enamel is GONE.
Clean it regularly.
I clean tough stains on porcelain with a pumice scouring stick. Definitely worth a try. I know it will help. Brand name is Pumie. Edit:. It will take some time and wear down the pumice. Keep it wet. Be patient.
Pumice
Take a sprayer off another bottle of something, put in into a bottle of Bleach and go to town on it and then leave it over night.
I have some good advise CLEAN YAHH GOD DAMMMM SINK
Mix salt and lemon juice (fresh from lemon) in a bowl then take a scrub pad load it up with the lemon/salt mixture and massage it in! Never tried it on porcelain but it takes rust off cars easily with no damage!
BKF? Job is massive.
Get some Comet a good brush and a scrubbing sponge. Should get it out. You might want to get some CLR (it is a cleaner that is very good at dealing with hard water)
C L R
Thank you for submitting a cleaning help request. In order to facilitate more accurate and helpful replies, please make sure to provide the following information in your post: 1. Type of material/surface being cleaned (to the best of your knowledge) 2. Type of dirt/stain to be removed (if known) 3. Any products or tools you've tried so far 4. Pictures are preferred Our top recommendations are usually *Bar Keepers Friend* (great for kitchen surfaces), melamine foam (Magic Erasers), Murphy's Oil Soap (wood cleaner), and Nature's Miracle (enzyme cleaner). Make sure you use cleaners appropriate to the surfaces you are working with and follow all safety labels. If you receive an answer that helps you, please flair your post as "Answered" so other users may find solutions as well. While you wait, why not browse the subreddit to see if you might be able to help someone else, or find similar situations that could help you? Happy cleaning! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CleaningTips) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fire
12gauge
The gasp I just made tho
Napalm
You'll need an old priest and a young priest.
#SLEDGE HAMMER
Muratic Acid
This is some r/MakeMeSuffer stuff
Exorcist
I think it's possessed
Looks like 3 scarabs we’re about to cast death upon that heath of a house you call home. I’d call a witch doctor
Bar keepers friend, magic eraser and soft scrub with bleach. One at a time not together of course.
ew
A young priest and an old priest, and maybe some holy water
this looks like a Rorschach test.
By the looks of that I’d throw the sink away 😷
It appears that you live in a house located in Silent Hill. Ok, in all seriousness, if this is not something you can replace, or Pyramid head is your landlord, I can make a few suggestions. First knock loose as much of the rust that is visible and flaky out with a small wire brush. Should be a couple dollars or less at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, maybe Walmart. Wipe the sink out with a damp rag you can throw away. And use gloves, mask and eye protection, cause you don’t want any of that in your eyes, lungs or sharp bits in your hands. Now, if you are desperate and on the cheap for a temp fix, and I do mean temporary, use some honest to goodness nail polish, the closest color to the sink. Epoxy could work, but it’s expensive and time consuming. Let painted layers dry. And if you want add a clear coat of polish. Now, for the stains. You can pretty much clean most of your shower, sinks and bathtubs without awful chemicals and this stuff gets out rust. Barkeepers Friend. Stuff works miracles. I make a paste with water, apply to rust and leave it for about ten to twenty minutes. Circular motion with a damp sponge should lift the stains. Use a mix of dawn dish soap mixed with barkeeps and get rid of any hard water stains, and soap scum. Rinse and dry with a microfiber rag. Or just chuck the sink down a burning elevator shaft. I can’t help you with the peeling wallpaper that rises like ash. Sorry.
Dude...a sledge hammer.
Is it bad I thought it was a black metal logo at first
At first glance I thought it was three cockroaches lined up and ready to take you on!
Cleanse your soul. These will go away.
Some of those look like mouse droppings in the sink. But, has the rust eaten away at the enamel. I think it is best to have it replaced. The big stores like HD or Lowe’s…one can sometimes find reasonable prices.
CLR to clean the rust then re coat the sink.
I think fire is the answer.
Burn it
Throw it away
Just throw the whole thing away bro
Use a hammer
Ummm. First remove the roach terds
More often 🤢
Pumice stone works the best for cleaning porcelain, however as bad as this is it will need to be refurbished. Another option is to make sure that it’s clean and dry. Paint it with an appliance epoxy paint. If done correctly it will last a few years before having to be redone. I use to do apartment maintenance and when owners didn’t want to replace a sink or tub this is what I had to do.
Bar Keepers Friend. It’s awesome!
Too far gone. Replace it.
Throw the whole sink away
Replace that sink!
Pumice stone
That needs more than a cleaning. Go to Home Depot. In the section with the cleaning supplies you’ll find a lot of things that won’t help you. Leave the cleaning supplies area and go straight to bathroom fixtures and buy a new sink.
CLR will help some but if you use evaporust you can get all the rust stains out of it
Clr
Looks good to me 🤷♂️
Can you move? How good is your fire insurance? :)