Care & Maintenance

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                                           Care and Maintenance - Stainless Steel                          

Introduction

All grades of stainless steel can stain and discolour due to surface deposits and must never be accepted as completely maintenance free. In order to achieve maximum corrosion resistance the surface of the stainless steel must be kept clean.

Stainless steel is highly rust resistant and would not be expected to rust under normal conditions during the expected lifetime of the product. Marks that appear to be rust almost always turn out to be discolouration or staining arising from lack of or poor cleaning.

Provided the correct grade of stainless steel has been chosen and cleaning carried out on a regular scheduled basis, good performance and long service life are assured.

Factors Affecting Maintenance

Surface contamination and the formation of deposits must be prevented. Such deposits may be minute particles of iron or metal left over from the building work, industrial airborne contamination and even naturally occurring atmospheric conditions can produce deposits which can be equally corrosive, e.g. salt deposits from marine conditions.

Acids, bleaches and non-approved cleaners or chemicals should NOT be used on stainless steel. We only recommend a mild soap and water solution. This is all you should require under normal circumstances.

Recommended Cleaning

We recommend that after installation the whole product is thoroughly washed down with a mild soap and water solution. Washing up liquid is the best mild soap product to use. This cleaning will remove any residue left from protective coatings, fingerprints, installation dirt, and any airborne building site debris. The product should be rinsed off with clean water and dried with a soft lint free cloth.

We recommend that regular cleaning of the products should be incorporated into your normal cleaning schedule, the type of use and location of the product will dictate the frequency. Regular cleaning should be undertaken to prevent the build-up of dirt and staining.  The whole product should be washed with a mild soap and water solution, rinsing with clean water and drying with a soft cloth.

For more stubborn dirt and stains that have built up a stiff bristle brush can be used with the soapy water. If this doesn’t remove the dirt then a fine synthetic nylon kitchen pad can be used, we recommend carefully rubbing this gently along the grain of the stainless steel with neat washing up liquid to lubricate the surface. This method should remove all normal everyday dirt and debris and leave your products with a clean surface that should be easy to maintain with regular cleaning. This method will also remove the brown stains that can sometimes look like rust.

Product Specific Cleaning

Stainless steel wash troughs generally stay fairly clean within the hand wash area due to the regular running of water over the surface. The other surfaces such as the ends, tap ledge and front often get wet due to splashing but are often overlooked during the regular cleaning routine, this can potentially lead to a build-up of dirt which if left un-cleaned will discolour and go brown, often looking like rust. Ensure the whole of the washing trough is cleaned including the ends, front and underside of the sink.

Stainless steel urinals should be cleaned thoroughly and regularly to maintain the finish of the stainless steel and reduce the risk of odours. The urinals are fairly good at keeping the flushed surfaces clean but the other surface can be subject to splashing. The whole of the trough urinal should be thoroughly cleaned with warm soapy water giving special attention to the areas that are not cleaned during flushing, such as the ends, front and underside of the trough and the top edge.

Cleaning Fluids

Expensive proprietary cleaners are not required for stainless steel and should be avoided. In many cases the cleaners contain chemicals which are harmful to stainless steel and may cause irreparable damage.

Acorn Thorn does not recommend that any cleaning products are used on stainless steel except warm soapy water, a stiff bristle brush, or the careful use of a synthetic fine grade kitchen cleaning pad. Bleach, bleach based products, anti-bac cleaners and sanitizer sprays may all contain harmful chemicals.

Bleach

Bleach or bleach based products which contain sodium hypochlorite should under no circumstances be used on or left on stainless steel products. If these products are accidently used on or spilt on stainless steel they will need to be thoroughly cleaned off immediately before irreparable damage occurs.

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Care and Maintenance - Solid Surface Materials

Everyday spills can be removed using a damp cloth and a general purpose cleanser (Ajax Spray n’ Wipe).

Stubborn marks such as food, dye, tea and fruit juice may require more rigorous cleaning methods. These items can be removed using bleach diluted 1:1 (1 part water: 1 part bleach) followed by a general purpose cleanser (Ajax Spray n’ Wipe).

Bleach should only come into contact with the solid surface material for a maximum of two minutes.

Our products are tested and certified to meet applicable standards. Not all products are covered by the same standards.
Products maunfactured outside the EU may have been tested to local standards which may meet or exceed EU standards.
Acorn Thorn Limited is registered in England & Wales no. 3094490. The registered address is as shown above. VAT registration no: (GB) 656 1212 55
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