Cleaning and maintenance of surfaces in stainless steel

EICO steel sinks for kitchen and bathroom are produced in 18/10 stainless steel (AISI 304 certified steel of the highest quality).
An environmentally- and cleaning-friendly material, which is well suited, where high demands are put on hygiene.

Stainless steel is characterised by an oxide layer, which protects the surface and makes the product rustproof. This layer works as a natural barrier, protecting against attacks by corroding gasses, fluids and particles.

Stainless steel, meanwhile, is not completely secured against corrosion, which can usually be a general perception. If the protecting film on the steel surface is broken, the protection can be drastically reduced, and stains of rust or sediments of different types can be formed. That is why special techniques are used when processing the steel, which secures complete protection at all normal work processes.

Primary causes of corrosion:
- Iron-containing materials (rust film), that are left on wet surfaces, typically from tools which are used for cleaning, such as scourer sponges.
- Scale. Sediments of scale can weaken the steel alloy.
- Salts and dry remnants of evaporated fluids.
- Cleaning agents containing chlorides or ammoniac, which are not completely cleaned from the steel surface.

Cleaning and maintenance:
To avoid problems with corrosion it is very important that the user cleans the steel surface in a proper way, using appropriate products to sustain the rust protection.

For daily cleaning common detergent is recommended. Use a dishwashing brush or a soft cloth. A thorough cleaning can be done with a cleaning agent for steel suitable for that purpose.

Make sure that the cleaning agent does not contain chlorides, ammonia or similar. Always rinse with clean water.

Do not use scourer sponges with metal surfaces or similar tools that can leave microscopic particles, which attaches to the stainless surface (rust film).

EICO sells well-suited products for thorough cleaning.