BunsenBurner38589 replies465 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
My lab coworkers dumped so much nasties down those Elkay sinks in the good old days when no one gave a hoot about salmons and whatnot... and the sinks still looked awesome. I think my next sink will be an Elkay.
There are two differences between honed and leathered granite: leathered finish adds texture to the surface, and it closes the pores making it more stain-resistant. Additionally, the color of the leathered finish looks darker and richer (though this may depend on the granite type)
HImom34100 replies389 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
We have stainless sink and drain boards on either side of the sink, as well as stainless deep laundry sink. We also have a white fridge and dishwasher and black and stainless oven, microwave and cooktop. The counters are off white coriander with subtle swirl pattern. We think everything looks great together. The walls and cabinets are white.
We love stainless sinks and drain boards. They still look great after decades of use and abuse by us.
MotherOfDragons3934 replies25 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
I don't know if I believe the marketing on the leathered finish having fewer pores. It's got more surface area per square inch, due to the texturing, so how could it possibly be less porous? I'm not buyin' it...
^^
I am not an expert, but it looks like epoxy resin is used to fill in the pores. You can always google for more info. Btw, resin is also the reason why the colors become deeper and more vibrant. My counter looks and feels "waxed" to the touch, and it's very dark. I saw the same granite when it was honed, and it looked much paler and I did not like the look at all. Big difference!
Either way, everyone should use what they like and what fits their budget.
nottelling4269 replies60 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
@Consolation and @BunsenBurner -- What's the best way to clean a stainless sink on a day-to-day basis? I've always had porcelain sinks that were easy to keep sparkling ckean but my new place has a deep stainless sink and I haven't quite figured out how to care for it. I have some stainless steel cleaner but it smells terrible and doesn't really seem appropriate for daily use. Any good tips for keeping it nice and clean and free of water spots?
thumper173802 replies3218 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
I really like using baking soda to clean anything stainless steel. I use it on all of my pots. I used to use it on my old stainless sink. It's very much like Bon Ami but far less expensive.
dragonmom5871 replies154 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
edited January 2016
My cup, you are quite right
^^
I am not an expert, but it looks like epoxy resin is used to fill in the pores. You can always google for more info. Btw, resin is also the reason why the colors become deeper and more vibrant. My counter looks and feels "waxed" to the touch, and it's very dark. I saw the same granite when it was honed, and it looked much paler and I did not like the look at all. Big difference!
Either way, everyone should use what they like and what fits their budget.
Many stones are impregnated with resin, especially light colored ones and those with special surfaces. Mine were, even though they are no special finish. Fancy stones are more likely to have/need this support. It was easy to see, look at the edge of the slab in the stone-yard.
fretfulmother1948 replies46 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
@nottelling - For anything that is sticking to the sink, I use some comet on a paper towel. Then rinsing, and if you feel motivated, rinsing with hot water (Second that vote for the instant-hot water!) and drying with a towel. Don't use a knife edge to get off dried pasta, I learned the hard way (made a scratch). BTW this advice is only necessary if you share your sink with someone who doesn't rinse it out after use. (Sigh)
FlyMeToTheMoon2936 replies45 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
Frankly, I am not concerned with keeping my sink free of water spots.
This seems to differentiate the fans of stainless steel sinks from me. I have stainless steel and hate it because it always looks like someone just brushed their teeth in the sink. Yuck! It's easy to clean and shine, but only lasts until the next person needs to run water, which is about 2 seconds.
lookingforward33110 replies358 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
edited January 2016
^ Yeah, so I clean it and appreciate the moment. In one of the depts where I work, there are SS sinks that always look beautiful, even after use. I sometimes think I'll sneak a look in the cleaning person's cart. But these are sinks that are only used for rinsing hands. The shine is probably like that new car smell.
I have another refrigerator question. Went looking and some bottom freezers have a door, rather than a pull out drawer. Anyone have feelings about those?
MotherOfDragons3934 replies25 postsRegistered UserSenior Member
edited January 2016
I'm kind of a germaphobe, and I don't like to use chemicals when I don't have to, so I use steam to clean the counters and the sink, and plain old Mrs. Meyers dish soap (I like the one that smells like basil).
There is no comet or bon-ami in my house since it etches *everything*. And once something is etched, it increases porosity and therefore gunk can hide in there. Those awful metal scrub pads that my mother was so fond of are also nowhere to be found here. I have the green/yellow scrub pads for the dishes, but my husband's been threatened with a messy and lingering death if he uses the green side on the countertops.
I also use a shark steam cleaner on the hardwood floors in the kitchen-it works really well and it doesn't hurt the hardwood. I have a modern hardwood floor-if you have one that isn't prefinished or finished with wax (as opposed to a urethane finish) don't use steam because it'll cloud your floors. Although I can't imagine anyone would have a waxed wood floor in a kitchen-that would be so tough to keep nice.
How I clean my granite-I put down clean, dry dishcloths and slowly pour boiling water over them until they are soaked. They sit on the granite until cool, then I wipe them up and squeeze them out, and repeat. It floats all the grease and gunk from the granite into the cloths without scrubbing, and sanitizes the counter. Go very slowly or your counter will have thermal shock and crack.
I also use a hand steamer (shark again) to blast bits that get stuck on the counter (because I have two slobby teenagers).
The sink is stainless-I just use the green side of the scrubber on it and some dish soap. Stainless steel naturally repels germs and odors, so it doesn't need a lot of help.
I have another refrigerator question. Went looking and some bottom freezers have a door, rather than a pull out drawer. Anyone have feelings about those?
I'm tall, and kneeling down to look in a freezer would be sheer hell for me (and I do yoga!). My husband is 6'4", and he would hate it, as well. The idea of scrunching down every time I needed to look in the freezer would be deeply uncool. I like the ones with the pull out drawer, though, that will probably be our next fridge (the one we have now is side by side and it's never wide enough in the freezer).
Replies to: Kitchen Remodel
This is a good description:
http://graniteimports.net/blog/leathered-granite-from-granite-imports-adding-greater-dimension-to-your-granite-countertops-in-denver/
We love stainless sinks and drain boards. They still look great after decades of use and abuse by us.
I am not an expert, but it looks like epoxy resin is used to fill in the pores. You can always google for more info. Btw, resin is also the reason why the colors become deeper and more vibrant. My counter looks and feels "waxed" to the touch, and it's very dark. I saw the same granite when it was honed, and it looked much paler and I did not like the look at all. Big difference!
Either way, everyone should use what they like and what fits their budget.
Your sink will sparkle, and it will smell great!
Many stones are impregnated with resin, especially light colored ones and those with special surfaces. Mine were, even though they are no special finish. Fancy stones are more likely to have/need this support. It was easy to see, look at the edge of the slab in the stone-yard.
Can't wait to get my Silgranit sink.
I have another refrigerator question. Went looking and some bottom freezers have a door, rather than a pull out drawer. Anyone have feelings about those?
There is no comet or bon-ami in my house since it etches *everything*. And once something is etched, it increases porosity and therefore gunk can hide in there. Those awful metal scrub pads that my mother was so fond of are also nowhere to be found here. I have the green/yellow scrub pads for the dishes, but my husband's been threatened with a messy and lingering death if he uses the green side on the countertops.
I also use a shark steam cleaner on the hardwood floors in the kitchen-it works really well and it doesn't hurt the hardwood. I have a modern hardwood floor-if you have one that isn't prefinished or finished with wax (as opposed to a urethane finish) don't use steam because it'll cloud your floors. Although I can't imagine anyone would have a waxed wood floor in a kitchen-that would be so tough to keep nice.
How I clean my granite-I put down clean, dry dishcloths and slowly pour boiling water over them until they are soaked. They sit on the granite until cool, then I wipe them up and squeeze them out, and repeat. It floats all the grease and gunk from the granite into the cloths without scrubbing, and sanitizes the counter. Go very slowly or your counter will have thermal shock and crack.
I also use a hand steamer (shark again) to blast bits that get stuck on the counter (because I have two slobby teenagers).
The sink is stainless-I just use the green side of the scrubber on it and some dish soap. Stainless steel naturally repels germs and odors, so it doesn't need a lot of help.
I'm tall, and kneeling down to look in a freezer would be sheer hell for me (and I do yoga!). My husband is 6'4", and he would hate it, as well. The idea of scrunching down every time I needed to look in the freezer would be deeply uncool. I like the ones with the pull out drawer, though, that will probably be our next fridge (the one we have now is side by side and it's never wide enough in the freezer).