Discolouration and Heavy Staining Staining of stainless steel in most cases is due to something being deposited on the steel rather than an attack on the material itself. The most common cause of staining is the build up of a thin film of water borne deposits on the sink surface, often first seen as a rainbow effect. The build up of such a film can be avoided by drying the surface of the sink after use as described above. However, should such a film appear, it can be readily removed with a soft damp cloth and Cif. To remove the film, apply the Cif neat and rub vigorously with a damp cloth along the length of the sink surface. After cleaning rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry. Wire wool products and ferrous water supply pipes can leave minute ferrous particles adhered to the sink surface. Since stainless steel under normal conditions does not rust, these particles can cause the appearance of small brown rust stains. These stains can be removed using the procedure described above.

CAUTION: Certain household products contain substances which will attack the stainless steel surface, they are:-
1. Bleaches : Most common domestic bleaches contain Chlorine in the form of a hypochlorite. Chlorine attacks the microscopic Chromium Oxide film on the surface and can cause pitting of the surface. Bleaches should always be used in the prescribed strength specified by the manufacturers. Undiluted bleaches can cause pitting and staining of the surface and should be immediately rinsed off with plenty of clean water. All cleaning agents containing hypochlorites are unsuitable for use with stainless steel and, even highly diluted, can cause pitting under certain conditions. For this reason it is strongly recommended that the sink is not used for soaking clothes or cleaning clothes in hypochlorite solutions for long periods.

2. Silver Dip Cleaners : These are particularly harmful since they contain strong acids which can cause discolouration and pitting. The first sign of this is an iridescent rainbow stain which turns an etched dull grey colour. Should any Silver Dip Cleaner come into contact with the surface of the sink it should be immediately rinsed off with plenty of clean water.

3. Corrosive Foodstuffs : Fruit juices, damp salt, vinegar, readymade mustards, pickle and mayonnaise can cause pitting and corrosion if left in contact with the stainless steel surface for long periods.

4. Acids : Sulphuric, Hydrochloric and other strong acids will cause pitting corrosion, as will photographic developing liquids. All should be immediately washed off with plenty of clean water if contact occurs.

Cleaning:
Always use a soft cloth. The use of coarse grit scouring powders or soap filled wire wool cleaning pads is not recommended, since both will mark the surface of the sink. Wire wool pads can leave tiny fragments of wire embedded in the surface and these can rust and leave small brown rust stains. Vigorous rubbing with a soft cloth, Cif, neat detergent, cleaning cream or liquid will remove these stains. Always remove wet cleaning aids (cloths, containers, etc.) from the sink surface after use in order to avoid the formation of water marks and rust stains.

Synthetic & Ceramic

Cleaning
For every day cleaning a damp cloth with ordinary washing up liquid will suffice. Heavier staining can be removed with a cream cleaner and damp cloth. Really stubborn stains should be treated to an overnight soaking in diluted bleach. Please do not use abrasive powders or steel scouring pads as they may affect the surface gloss. Do not attempt to remove limescale by scraping it off, an application of citric acid (lemon juice) should, with the help of a stiff brush, remove any deposits. Silver streaks on the surface of the sink are caused by aluminium utensils and are not scratches; they can be easily removed with a cream cleaner.

Heat Resistance
Velstra, Neostone and our Ceramic sinks are highly resistant to extremes of temperature and will withstand hot pans, but avoid pans containing very hot oil above 230°C.

Chemical Resistance
Velstra, Neostone and our Ceramic sinks are resistant to just about any chemical found in the home, but be careful, some waste systems are made from plastic materials which may not be. The coloured wastes supplied as standard with the sink, are made from a tough plastic material but these are not resistant to some solvents and nitro thinners.

Further Advice
Do not use the drainer as a chopping board, a hard wood chopping board or polyethylene food board is available as an optional extra. Avoid plastic washing up bowls; they pick up fine particles of grit which transforms them into very efficient grinding surfaces causing wear on your sink. We recommend a rubber mat in this case.

Clean with a mild non-abrasive liquid detergent or soap and water.  Dry with a clean soft cloth. Doing this regularly will keep the tap free from deep stains and scratches. 

AVOID:
•Use of cleaners that contain bleach.  If the cloth used to clean the tap has previously been used with a cleaner that contains bleach, take special care to thoroughly rinse the cloth with clean water before use.
•Use of abrasive cleaners/polishes or abrasive cloths.
•Do not use polishing compounds such as Brasso for example, these are slightly abrasive and will damage the finish coating.

Aerators:
Taps that have aerators can become blocked at this point especially in hard water areas. If the aerator becomes blocked this will restrict the flow of water and may spray water exiting the spout at an angle.
The fine mesh that generally covers the diffuser should be cleaned every 6 months, to do this unscrew the part and place it boiling water, if necessary scrub the mesh with a soft brush.
If the part has limescale then add vinegar to the water, this will help to dissolve it.

Water marks:
Leisure taps are pressure tested with water after manufacture, although as much water as possible is emptied from the tap as possible some may remain afterwards.
This water can find its way onto the outer surfaces of the tap during transport and storage and leave water marks. These marks are easily removed with a soapy solution and a soft cloth

Single Flow
In single flow taps the hot and cold water mix within the tap body and spout, by the time the water has left the spout the water should be well mixed to the desired temperature.

Single flow taps will generally have a better flow rate than an identical dual flow tap, as the outlet diameter is greater.

Dual Flow
In dual flow taps the hot water is fed through a separate pipe within the spout, the cold water passes around the outside of this pipe.

Although the water only mixes once it has left the tap this gives the benefit the spout should never become uncomfortably hot.
As both hot and cold are kept separate the chance of backflow is minimised. 

The amount of water available to the tap is important when choosing which product to buy. The cold water supply is at mains pressure so is generally not of importance; the tap however will require the correct amount of hot water pressure to perform satisfactorily.

Water pressure can be measured in three common units, bar, psi and Head (m).
1 bar = 10 metres Head = 14.5 psi.

Hot water pressure:
Domestic hot water systems generally fall into two categories pressurised and un-pressurised.

Pressurised water heaters (instantaneous gas water heaters or modern combination boilers) deliver a continuous large volume of hot water.
For Combination boilers or instantaneous water heating systems the boiler output is typically around 20 psi = 1.8 bar = 18m head. This means most taps should give good flow rates with these types of system.Un-pressurised water heating systems found in older houses generally have a cold water storage tank in the loft and a heater tank on the first floor. The vertical distance between the header tank and the tap outlet gives an approximate calculation of the available hot water pressure.

In general terms most single storey houses or bungalows with un-pressurised systems do not suit ‘high’ pressure taps such as single lever mixers for example.
For this reason abode’s range includes several ‘low’ pressure mixertaps. Alternatively a booster pump can be fitted to increase the available water pressure, allowing a wider choice of models.

Cold water Pressure:
Cold water pressure is rarely an issue as it is normally provided from the municipal high pressure supply.

If you live in on the higher floors of a tall building or draw your cold water from a private supply you should check the available cold water pressure. Use the stated minimum water pressure in these cases for both the hot and cold supplies.

Limescale is a mixture of calcium and magnesium compounds and are naturally occurring in some parts of the country. The white chalky deposits left by this ‘hard water’ can reduce the life of ceramic valve and mark the tap and sink.

Water with limescale content when dry will have a white chalky appearance and will generally gather around the diffuser, base of the spout and body of the tap.

A simple remedy to remove limescale marks and deposits is to dilute white vinegar with water; using a soft cloth soak the effected areas then rub them with the cloth. The longer limescale has been allowed to collect the more time this will take; an old toothbrush may be helpful for tight areas. Don’t scrape the limescale off with a sharp object as the will scratch or damage the finish on the tap.

Two possible solutions might be a water softener or electrolytic inhibitor, Alternatively you might consider choosing one of our stainless steel taps, these will withstand more ‘vigorous’ cleaning.

Water softeners add salt to the water, which effectively softens the water and is installed to cover the whole house. Note this water is not considered to be drinkable due to its taste and high sodium content, drinking water should be from an unsoftened source.

Electrolytic or magnetic conditioners change the charge in the water to prevent the limescale collecting on pipes & heating elements. They do not change the water chemically so are safe to use on drinking water supplies.