Washbasin always in pristine condition? Here’s how.

Our tips for maintaining and cleaning your washbasin: how to care for the different materials and keep them looking beautiful.

This is another in our series of blog posts dedicated to cleaning and caring for your bathroom and the materials typically involved. Today we’ll learn how to clean washbasins without damaging their surfaces, so they’re always like new.

As we mentioned in the post regarding bathtub maintenance, maintaining a daily cleaning routine will make periodic cleaning easier and quicker.

Cleaning the washbasin: how do washbasins differ in terms of cleaning? 

Firstly, let’s identify the broad categories of washbasins:

• Sit-on, built-in or semi built-in: the edge or joint between the top and washbasin requires special attention;
• Integrated washbasin: consists of one continuous slab (i.e. made of just one material).

In the former case, top and washbasin may be in two different materials, so our advice is to check that you can treat both in the same way. As mentioned before, joints require extra care: our tip is to use a soft toothbrush every now and again to remove limescale deposit and soiled or soapy residue from those parts awkward to reach with a sponge.

Integrated washbasins are very easy to clean because there is no gap between the top and basin. Obviously, also here you need to read the maintenance instructions for the type of material (given in the instructions booklet included in the packing) to make sure you choose the right detergent.  

Here are our instructions for cleaning resin tops.

Here how to care for tops in natural materials.

Last but not least, freestanding washbasins. These are very easy to clean, being a single block, but a good tip is to periodically rinse and dry the entire washbasin surface, including the out-of-sight rear. 

How to clean washbasins? It all depends on the material! 

And so we come to the question of materials. Because we have already dealt thoroughly with the subject on our blog, here we will give cleaning instructions for each product, summarising all the information relating to washbasins in one place.

Ceramic washbasins: care and maintenance

Ceramic is one of the most practical and easiest to clean materials. It can be cleaned with any common detergent, including harsh ones, and requires little care to look as good as new. 

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water;
• Limescale deposits > use citric acid powder diluted in water (see the proportions on the product packaging), then dry;
• Deep cleaning and surface renovation(e.g. to remove cosmetics and soap residue) > use a sponge to wipe the surface with a creamy detergent (e.g. Jif Cream) and then rinse thoroughly

Mineralsolid washbasins: care and maintenance

Mineralsolid is made of recycled PET polyester resins, coated with matt gelcoat (epoxy or polyester resin finish that makes surfaces water repellent, adding attractive aesthetics or colour).

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water
• Deep cleaning and surface renovation > apply a creamy detergent (for example Cif Cream) with a Scotch Brite abrasive sponge (provided), then rinse thoroughly

Mineralux washbasins: care and maintenance

Mineralux is made of recycled PET polyester resins, coated with glossy gelcoat (the only difference from Mineralsolid).

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water
• Deep cleaning and surface brightening > using a solution of ¼ water and ¾ bleach, wipe the surface with a sponge, leave to stand for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly
• Superficial scratches and stains: use a polishing compound

Marble washbasins: care and maintenance

Marble is a natural material that is particularly elegant and always in vogue. It boasts numerous colours and patterns, and is ideal for the bathroom. Nevertheless, since it’s natural, it needs some extra care.

• Daily cleaning and care: marble is a naturally porous material that tends to absorb liquids, so it is fundamental that any spill is wiped off immediately to prevent permanent stains;
• Hard water stains: Being a calcareous stone, marble must never be cleaned with common descaling detergents, which – like all acid substances – would corrode the surface irreparably;
• Mild solutions: marble tops can be cleaned daily with Marseille soap or baking soda (or other mild, neutral soaps) diluted in water. Rub any stain with a microfibre or woollen cloth, rinse well and wipe dry immediately to prevent marks and stains;
• Professional detergents and tools for more thorough cleaning: cleaning products specifically designed for marble are on sale in shops and supermarkets. They are excellent for cleaning and protecting your marble top and preserving its natural shine;
• Superficial scratches and stains: you can restore your marble top to its original condition with the help of special polishing pads (on sale in shops). Alternatively, you can refer to a specialised stonemason.

Cristalplant washbasins: care and maintenance

Cristalplant® is a solid surface made of pure aluminium trihydrate minerals bound with Biobased® vegetal resins (corn/maize), which gives a soft touch surface with a matt stone effect. It is highly resistant, also to yellowing, and is recyclable, hygienic and repairable.  

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water
• Deep cleaning and surface renovation > apply a creamy detergent (for example Cif Cream) with a Scotch Brite abrasive sponge (provided), then rinse thoroughly
• Superficial scratches and stains > use the Scotch Brite sponge provided
• Deep scratches and stubborn stains > request the renovation kit (as the colour is applied to the material as a paste, it can be repaired with the product supplied; no need to call an expert)

Corian and Aquatek washbasins: care and maintenance

Aquatek and Corian are both manufactured with the same raw materials, particularly extremely strong acrylic resins that are easy to clean and can be repaired when damaged. Below are instructions for keeping them in perfect condition:

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water
• Deep cleaning and surface brightening > using a solution of ¼ water and ¾ bleach, wipe the surface with a sponge, leave to stand for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly
• Superficial scratches and stains > use the Scotch Brite sponge provided
• Deep scratches and stubborn stains > request the renovation kit (as the colour is applied to the material as a paste, it can be repaired with the product supplied; no need to call an expert)

How to clean washbasins: don’t forget the plughole and drain 

One of the most neglected parts of the washbasin is the joint between the bowl material and the metal on the plughole. Make sure you don’t forget to clean the under part of the drain plug regularly (now often click-clack or free drain, opened by simply clicking or twisting) to remove dirt, limescale, hair, cosmetics and soap residue.

There are special detergents available for occasional cleaning of drains to free them of any blockages and keep them smelling fresh and clean.

Did you already know all this? If you have any doubts, consult one of our retailers.