Can you use bleach on a farmhouse sink? You sure can, as long as it's well diluted with water, and it won't hurt a thing. And it's great (as we will see in a minute) for disinfecting the drain, garbage disposal, and sink grid (if you have one).
Baking soda is a great natural cleaner that is safe to use on most surfaces, including farmhouse sinks. You can also use a mild dish soap or a specialized cleaning product designed for farmhouse sinks.
Just a simple mixture of baking soda and vinegar will take away all gunk and stains that you could throw at your sink. I suggest making a paste in the sink, so you can best gauge how much you need, but just sprinkle baking soda over the entire bottom surface then drizzling a light amount of vinegar over top.
For harder-to-clean stains, we recommend using 50/50 water and bleach or vinegar solution or a non-abrasive cleaner. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning and dry with a soft dry cloth. You can also use a Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser®.
For difficult stains a 50/50 water/bleach solution or non-abrasive cleaners (follow cleaner manufacturer's instructions) can be used, rinse and towel dry the sink afterwards. DO NOT leave bleach or a bleach solution sitting in the sink. Do not set hot pans directly into sink. Though fireclay sinks are resilient.
Be sure to gently wash your fireclay sink with a wet soft cloth and dish soap. For removing any tough stains or gunk, you can use Bar Keepers Friend or a baking soda and vinegar solution with a soft cloth or sponge. Always wipe your sink dry after cleaning.
Clean the sink on a regular basis with mild cleaners and a soft cloth. Dry your sink with a soft cloth to prevent water spotting. Scrape off heavier gunk with a plastic spatula or scrub it off with a Breeze scrubber. Use baking soda (or even a mild abrasive cleaner) to clean off crusted on gunk.
The downside is that the fireclay material can show surface scratches, especially if an object creates a hard impact. Luckily, it's easy to reduce blemishes by resting a simple sink grid at the basin.
Avoid pouring boiling water into sink. Run cold water if hot liquids are poured into sink. (Green Scotch Brite, Steel Wool etc). This will help to eliminate soap scum buildup and mineral deposits.
The SECRET to cleaning a fireclay sink is to clean with a scrub sponge and Bar Keepers Friend which is a powdered cleanser and to use a Magic Eraser. The Magic Eraser is a game changer! My farmhouse sink receives a few small black marks due to metal scrapes.
If you opt for a classic white porcelain farmhouse sink, it's very likely to get stained, and it will require regular cleaning to keep it sparkling.
Compared to metal, stone, and ceramic sinks, fireclay sinks don't require special cleaners or complicated cleaning steps. Rather, all you'll need is a mixture of gentle dish soap and water, as well as a soft cloth or sponge. Scrub your sink on a daily basis and rinse it with lukewarm water.
Most farmhouse sinks are durable but they can also become chipped, scratched, or stained if not taken care of. Here are some tips we recommend. Use a sink grid to protect the bottom to prevent any scratches from heavy pots & pans. Use a non-abrasive cleaner and microfiber cloth to buff out any small nicks in the sink.
Cast iron farmhouse sinks offer a pristine glossy enamel finish, which is made by melting glass that is fused on through the process of casting iron, to prevent rusting. While that finish may look sleek and smooth, it's also incredibly durable and resistant to scratches.
A farmhouse sink makes it easy to wash larger items like pots, pans, and baking sheets. You can easily soak your cookware in a farmhouse style sink as opposed to a standard-sized sink. It's also a great option if you prefer to soak a lot of dishes at once before you wash them or pop them in the dishwasher.
BKF cleans and polishes most hard, nonporous surfaces. However, never use BKF on the following: cast iron, granite, marble, wood, fabric, leather, or painted surfaces. Although many of our fans have used BKF on mirrors, gold, and silver (sterling silver is OK), we advise against it.
Mixing cleaning products is always dangerous, and this bears repeating when discussing what not to do with Bar Keepers Friend. In particular, when Bar Keepers Friend, an acid, is mixed with bleach, toxic chlorine gas fumes are produced.
Pros: Non-porous and resistant to acid, alkali, and scratches; relatively chip-resistant; durable, especially compared to other sink materials. Cons: Limited sizes and colors; not “friendly” on dropped dishes; susceptible to stains without proper care; can crack or chip over time; expensive.
Pros and Cons of Fireclay
Just because your dishes won't likely hurt your sink doesn't mean that your fireclay sink can't hurt your dishes. Be aware that if you should drop your dishes in the sink, they may be more likely to break as a result of the sink's hard fireclay surface.
Fireclay, which is a ceramic material made by mixing clay and glaze, can crack or chip if you drop something heavy on it, but it takes more force to do damage.
Fireclay sinks can also chip or crack when struck by heavy objects, but they are more resistant to chips, cracks, scratches and stains than porcelain. Fireclay is almost synonymous with the farmhouse or apron front style, but double-bowl sinks are also available.
The Copper Color
A copper sink isn't something you see every day. This goes to show that a farmhouse sink doesn't have to be boring white colors – you can add some flair! White, off white, cream, copper, black, gray, and sometimes even light blue are the typical varieties of colors you'll see in a farmhouse sink.
Finally, there is a difference in the style of the two sinks. Farmhouse kitchen sinks are designed to add a rustic, farmhouse-style aesthetic to the kitchen, while apron sinks are more modern and sleek. Both farmhouse sinks and apron sinks are excellent choices for any kitchen.
Whether you have a shining copper sink or a gleaming fireclay basin, the most reliable solution is a sink grid placed in the bottom of your Farmhouse sink.