Michelle asked: How do I clean the aluminum scuff marks off of my porcelain kitchen sink? These marks are the result of washing pans in my sink. They don’t come off when I scrub with Comet.
When
pots and pans leave reminders on your kitchen sink, they can be a real bear to remove. There are several natural products that work well as well as products you likely already have in your home. Here are a couple of cleaning methods that can be used to rid your sink of the ugly grey streaks and restore its beautiful shine.
Baking Soda Method
You Will Need:
- Baking soda
- Windex
- Sponge or soft cloths
Steps to Remove the Marks:
- Begin by sprinkling baking soda over the surfaces that are marked. It may help to spray the sink lightly with water first, so the baking soda will stick. Do not leave standing water in the sink.
- Spray the surface lightly with Windex.
- Scrub with a soft cloth or sponge until the stains are removed.
- Repeat as necessary.
Using Environmentally Safe Cleaners
You Will Need:
- Select one of the following cleaning products:
- Bon Ami
- Shaklee’s Scour
- Oxy-Scrub
- Water
- Soft cloths or paper towels
Steps to Remove the Marks:
- Select one of the cleaning products above.
- Sprinkle the surface of the sink with the cleaning product.
- Moisten a paper towel so that it is just barely wet. (Drying your hands on the towel will provide the right amount of moisture.)
- Scrub the surfaces with the paper towel or soft cloth.
- Repeat as necessary.
No Scrub Method
You Will Need:
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- White paper towels
- Spray bottle.
Steps to Remove the Mark:
- Plug the sink.
- Spray the sink lightly with water. You just need enough to wet the surfaces.
- Sprinkle all of the surfaces with baking soda. Don’t skimp, it’ll take plenty.
- Cover the surfaces with paper towels.
- Spray the paper towels with the peroxide.
- Allow it to set for several hours.
- Remove the paper towels and rinse the sink with water. The sink will be white again!
Additional Tips and Advice
- Do not use abrasive cleaners as they can damage the surface of the sink.
- Pumice is often suggested for removing stains, but can be difficult to use correctly to achieve the desired results.
- Check your auto department for some wheel polish. These products are designed to remove metal marks and some have found they work to remove them in the sink as well.
- One site user (Thanks!) reported having success with AutoGlym Car Paint Remover.
- Another side user (Thanks!) reported having success with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
This was a life saver! 🙂 Merci!
Not sure what you people are smoking, but that doesn’t do a thing. You may as well just use water and a wash cloth and scrub your brains out.
The baking soda method is awesome! It worked so well!
HOORAY!!! The baking soda and window cleaner worked! We used Parker & Bailey glass and multi-surface cleaner. Very little rubbing was required.
I had this issue, and the above solutions helped, but didn’t completely erase the marks.
I happened to have some silver polish hanging around, and that completely 100% did the trick with just a little elbow grease. Don’t despair! Try silver polish; it’s made to remove metal tarnish from metal without damaging it – try a bit in a hidden spot first, then move on to the marks. They’ll come out!
The baking soda was magic. Thank you. I thought my sink was ruined. Now, it is just like it was new.
Two words: Magic Eraser. 🙂 Takes them right off and I have a house full of porcelain told countertops.
I simply rub the mark with “suede/velours gum”. It requires little rubbing and no chemicals.
GOOD LUCK!
The baking soda/Windex combo did not work at all. Very disappointed.
Tried a Magic Eraser…didn’t work. Tried my ceramic stove top cleaner…worked like a charm. Needed a little extra rubbing in the bad spots, but got them all. Looks almost new.
We get marks on our porcelain sink from stainless steel Revere Wear bowls. We tried various remedies, but found Weiman Glass Cook Top cleaner to work perfectly. I imagine any brand cook top cleaner will work.
I use “Natural White” stain removing toothpaste. I rub the toothpaste over the scuff marks with a damp paper towel and they are instantly removed. And, it’s non-abrasive. I then rinse the sink with warm water.
Fantastic results!!! Thank you for sharing your idea. I had tried many other remedies prior to reading your post, with no result. This worked terrifically!
Toothpaste worked for me, thanks for tip.
Tried all methods to remove stainless steel marks from dinner knives on plates.
Ceramic stove top cleaner did not touch the marks. Baking soda either. Wrights Silver Polish and a little rubbing took off 99% of marks. Wish it could be 100%, but they look so much better; they plates are no longer slated for a garage sale.
Yay! Magic eraser didn’t touch the marks, but metal polish and a little rubbing worked perfectly. Thanks Brianna and Roz!
Just tried the first formula with baking soda and windex on my white porcelain sink that I thought was a lost cause. Before I bought the house, it had been a rental and the sink was well marked up. It worked like magic! Thanks so much. I will keep baking soda and windex available at all times 🙂
Ok, so I had a few black scuff marks in my new bathroom sink. I tried the baking soda with Windex trick and it did nothing. I tried a Magic Eraser; nothing. Peroxide with baking soda, let it sit… nothing. Vinegar and Dawn didn’t work. I did have some metal cream polish in the garage that I use to spiff up the chrome on my motorcycle and put a little of that on, a few wipes with a paper towel and BLAMO, black marks gone. Yippee!!!
I tried Comet, Bon Ami, Magic Eraser, Windex, OxiClean – nothing worked. Then I remembered I had a small sample tube of Crest 3-D White toothpaste, applied a blob on my index finger and rubbed away the stains! My husband was skeptical, but not anymore!
MEM you just saved my arse. I tried it with Colgate extra whitening toothpaste and a dry cloth, and whilst it took a wee while, it all gradually and eventually came off. Thank you so much. Great hack!
I love you! Freaking out because I just scratched
my brand new porcelain sink. Just used toothpaste and it’s saved! Thank you!
Yup, baking soda and Windex did nothing to the scratches, but my sink looks a little cleaner. On to the next remedy! Thanks for your suggestions.
Rembrandt toothpaste with only a little elbow grease worked on the aluminum pan marks in the sink. Followed up with some Lime-Away toilet bowl cleaner to remove some light rust stains that I discovered while scrubbing the pan marks.
Read the comments so went to the garage and found a old bottle of Tarn-X. Poured a small amount on soft cloth and wiped for two seconds; looked to see if it was going to work and was already gone.
I don’t wanna sound like some snob, however I had a cleaning business for 34 years and was in the sciences in college. The reason these answers are all over the place is because everyone’s marks are probably produced by different things. Therefore you cannot propose a hypothetical. Good ol’ Comet works well and can be used on glass as well too. It’s not abrasive and will not scratch, unknown to many. Bar Keepers Friend and Zud both contain oxalic acid and may work in some instances. The reason I arrived on this site is because my wife is obsessing over marks made by aluminum cookware. All our standbys as well as the aforementioned products were not successful. They worked in the past, but not on this sink. I went into my shop and grabbed a little piece of fine wet/dry sandpaper that they use in the automotive trades. Used it wet. Nailed it. Ahh…happy wife.
I had aluminum/stainless steel scuff marks in a new porcelain kitchen sink, presumably from pots and pans. I first tried baking soda and Windex, and like others said, it didn’t work, even with a lot of scrubbing (though it cleaned nicely). I then very skeptically followed others’ advice and tried some Crest Pro-Health toothpaste with “whitening power.” After a bit more scrubbing, I noticed the marks getting fainter and eventually they mostly came off! Next time I may try the silver/metal polish remedy since by all accounts that works fastest, but good to know whitening toothpaste works!
Thank you so much! I just got a new porcelain sink and it immediately started to get scratches and stains. Nothing would take them out and I was so disappointed. then I read your article and realized they were just aluminum scuff marks. The (generic) Windex and baking soda worked perfectly for me, I am so grateful!