Cleaning your mixer tap and sink: achieve optimal kitchen hygiene
Preventing limescale marks
If you want to save yourself a lot of work while cleaning, dry your sink with a microfibre cloth after each use. This will prevent water droplets from evaporating on the sink and causing unsightly limescale marks. Particularly on dark surface, such stains can taint the overall appearance of your sink. Drying with a microfibre cloth is effective at preventing this problem.
Household remedies against limescale
If you do get limescale marks, tried and tested home remedies such as vinegar or lemon cleaning agents can help. These substances remove limescale reliably, are easy on your sink when used correctly, and are naturally biodegradable. Simply put some cleaning agent on the soft side of a sponge and wipe it over the surface of your sink and mixer tap. Avoid length scrubbing with the rough side of your sponge. At the end, rinse your sink down with clean water and rub it dry with a microfibre cloth.
Cleaning the basket strainer
While the sink and mixer tap are easy to reach, cleaning the basket strainer on the outflow and the odour trap are somewhat trickier. But you simply need the right technology!
To clean your basket strainer, heat 250 ml water in a kettle. While it is boiling, add a teaspoon of dishwashing powder to the closed outlet with the strainer insert. When the water has cooled slightly, pour it onto the powder and leave the mixture to reach for approx. 30 seconds. Now clean the strainer insert and the rim of the drain with a dish-washing brush. Only now should you open the outflow and let the cleaning agent drain off. Remove the strainer insert and use the dish-washing brush to clean the hole opening of the outflow too. Finally, replace the strainer and rinse with plenty of clean water.
One more tip: If you have sensitive skin, wear rubber gloves to protect them while cleaning the strainer.
Questions about stainless steel sinks
Stainless steel stays just as it is: resistant and rustproof. This is due to its passive coating, which is constantly regenerating itself. You should clean your stainless steel sink thoroughly in order to ensure that it stays shining for years to come. It is particularly important to remove all dirt and limescale deposits. However, your sink will not respond well to cleaning agents containing chlorine or hydrochloric acid. Strong sodium chloride solutions that take too long to work are also a no-go.
But what if you’ve spotted a couple of tiny reddish-orange marks on your stainless steel sink? If stainless steel comes into contact with rusty objects, such as cheap, unprotected steel, the rust can transfer onto your sink. This is nothing to worry about. You can wipe the rust away in one swipe using a damp sponge and a special stainless steel cleaning agent, and your sink will be spotlessly clean once again.
Even showpieces like our stainless steel sinks sometimes get little marks on their surface. This is usually due to limescale deposits caused by water. These limescale deposits like to gather dirt particles, so you’ll notice small marks on your otherwise sparkling sink. Another origin is small iron and rust particles from the water pipes. These appear to leave traces of rust on your stainless steel sink.
However, you can get all this under control in no time. Impurities and traces of limescale can be removed in a trice with a damp cloth. If you’re struggling to remove any stubborn limescale, it’s time to try a special cleaning agent. Once that’s done, your stainless steel sink will look the way you remember once again: sparkling clean.
Such radiant shine requires a little care. It doesn’t take much effort, but it needs to be done frequently. So if you want to avoid little marks on your stainless steel sink, rub it dry after each use. You don’t need to scrub it vigorously. After rinsing, simply wipe it with a soft cloth and a mild cleaner, then dry it – all done!
If you do spot an unwanted mark, use a descaling cleaning agent specially designed for stainless steel. Together with a suitable stainless steel cleaning sponge, the surface will be so spotlessly clean that you’ll wonder where those marks went so quickly.
Brand new but a few little scratches already: your stainless steel sink will be a little susceptible to this at first. However, there’s no need to worry. This is completely normal, even with our top quality stainless steel. Just wait and see: after a few days, many of the little scratches will appear to have vanished again. What’s happened? The scratches haven’t vanished into thin air; instead, they close over slowly, thanks to the effect of oxygen. This is constantly renewing the passive coating. As such, the stainless steel sink in your kitchen heals itself.
Taking good care of your sink will start to pay off within just a few weeks, so use care products and a sponge on it regularly. The more attention you give to your sink, the more scratch-resistant it will become.
The basket strainer is the secret hero in your sink. After all, it prevents your sink from getting clogged up, thus ensuring perfect functionality. Over time, however, the basket strainer will collect some dirt, so you should give it a clean every now and then. You don’t even have to buy a special cleaner for that purpose.
Here’s our trick: put a level teaspoon of powdered dishwashing detergent onto the closed basket strainer. Pour approx. 250 ml boiling water over it and leave the solution to work. Now brush and scrub it (e.g. with a dishwashing brush) until the basket strainer and drain cup are shining once again. Finally, open up the basket strainer and take out the basket insert. Now you have room to clean the hole opening in the drain cup. Once this is squeaky clean too, reinsert the basket insert and rinse it with clean water.
We do our bit to make sure that you’re all set up, so almost all our stainless steel and ceramic sinks come with a punched-out tap hole. This means that you won’t have to do any extra work before installing it. Some Silgranit sinks are milled from the underside. You simply have to knock through the pre-milled holes.
How to do it: first place the sink in a sturdy holder. Now take a punch and place it in the middle of the mark. Use a hammer to hit the punch holes for the mixer tap, soap dispenser and drain remote control, as required, without exerting force on the punch itself. Then carefully knock the rest of the Silgranit pieces out of their marked holes. Now get a file and file the hole to the right size. You may need to do this if the hole is flush with the preliminary milling. Now there’s only one thing left to do: insert your mixer tap, and off you go.
Questions about ceramic sinks
They are the ultimate synthesis of nature and design, as we make our ceramic sinks from natural raw materials. This means that every sink is a unique piece – including yours. This is apparent from the look and feel every time you come into contact with it. Delicate forms, tasteful accents and full-bodied colours charm not only the eye, but also bring magic to the heart of your kitchen.
Above all, this is down to the expertise and care taken by our employees. They always create sinks that meet the highest standards, with patience and precision. The natural character of ceramic sinks gives them certain tolerances that we observe and check meticulously. We voluntarily submit our ceramic sinks for regular testing by the Certification Board of the Bavarian State Testing Authority (Landesgewerbeanstalt Bayern, LGA). These always come back with the same result: confirmation that you can rely unconditionally on our ceramic sinks.
Cutting, chopping and heat: things can really hot up in your kitchen. And that’s precisely when your ceramic sink shows just what it can do. Its high-quality workmanship allows it to rise to any challenge, thanks to its hard and robust surface, which makes your sink scratch- and cut-resistant. What’s more, it is shock-resistant.
However, you shouldn’t take that as an invitation to treat it roughly. Exceptionally large and heavy objects should not be dropped onto its surface from a height. This would leave a mark on even this robust sink.
When vegetables, meat and fruit have all done their worst on the ceramic sink, you’d expect to be faced with something of a disaster. But you don’t need to worry about all that with your ceramic sink. The smooth and completely unbroken surface ensures that no dirt can settle on it. What’s more, any soiling that is visible after long cooking sessions is easy to tackle. Just get a soft sponge, a little washing-up liquid and warm water, and wipe it away. A microfibre cloth is best for rubbing it dry. However, steer clear of scouring agents, steel brushes and aggressive mixer tap cleaners containing chlorine. Your ceramic sink won’t like these at all.
You won’t want to do things by halves when it comes to cleaning your house. If you want to get your space spotlessly clean, from your living room to your kitchen, then you're going to use using cleaning agents – standard household cleaners, alkaline and acid solutions. Your ceramic sink is fairly forgiving. If acids or alkalis accidentally find their way into the sink, you can simply carry on with your cleaning. After all, our sinks are resistant to these substances.
If you have ever needed to take a boiling hot pot of pasta off the stove, you’re bound to have asked yourself, “Now, where can I put this?” Your ceramic sink provides plenty of space for such eventualities. After all, it is outstandingly heat-resistant, so high temperatures cannot damage it. As such, you won’t have to worry about discolouration or bleaching. Sizzling pans and hot pots at up to 280 °C can simply be taken off the stove and placed directly in the sink.
Not only are our ceramic sinks ideal for day-to-day washing up, but they also provide a space to chop up tomatoes, meat and garlic. The material makes it ideal as a place for food. The smooth, non-porous surface prevents food remains from getting stuck.
Light soiling caused by cutting, frying or cooking on nearby utensils is easily remedied. It can be eliminated even faster than it appeared with a soft sponge, a little washing-up liquid and warm water. This means no unpleasant smells or unsightly discolouration on your sink.
Our ceramic sinks are non-fade. This means that you can install your sink in a bright room or in front of a window. Direct sunlight doesn’t pose any problem, so the colour of your sink will stay just as it was when you got it, for years to come. By the same token, standard household use of your sink will not alter its colour.
If your sink sees a lot of use, light limescale deposits may form over time. When combined with foodstuffs like coffee or red wine, this can cause slight discolouration. But there’s no need to panic: you can address the problem in a matter of minutes. In this case, use vinegar concentrate or a professional biological cleaner such as our BLANCO Antikalk. Soon you’ll see that you were worrying about nothing.
PuraPlus is a special coating designed for our ceramic sinks. Not only does it have a great name, but it also makes life in the kitchen that much easier. The sealing effect gives your sink a fine-pored, unbroken surface that causes water to simply roll off it. This protects it against limescale deposits, while impurities hardly stand a chance of settling there. As far as you are concerned, this means a sink that you can clean in just a few steps every day.
If time-consuming cleaning marathons really aren’t your thing, rest easy: your ceramic sink is very low-maintenance. Just putting some warm water and washing-up liquid on a soft sponge and cleaning your kitchen sink with it every day will do the trick. Limescale is best avoided by rubbing your sink dry with a microfibre cloth afterwards.
If you find stubborn dirt on your otherwise spotlessly clean sink, it’s best to opt for a professional cleaning agent. BLANCO PuraPlus Liquid goes a good job of pre-cleaning worktops that require extra effort. This cleaner removes limescale deposits and metal abrasion, without being too taxing. Fast and straightforward In order to ensure that water continues to roll off your sink, it’s worth using a care product like BLANCO CeraCare, which both cleans and nourishes the surface. This will re-seal the surface of your sink. Avoid scouring agents, aggressive drain cleaners and scratchy brushes or steel sponges. These will damage the pristine surfaces. What’s more, they could cause the sink to lose its lovely shine.
The basket strainer is the secret hero in your sink. After all, it prevents your sink from getting clogged up, thus ensuring perfect functionality. Over time, however, the basket strainer will collect some dirt, so you should give it a clean every now and then. You don’t even have to buy a special cleaner for that purpose.
Here’s our trick: put a level teaspoon of powdered dishwashing detergent onto the closed basket strainer. Pour approx. 250 ml boiling water over it and leave the solution to work. Now brush and scrub it (e.g. with a dishwashing brush) until the basket strainer and drain cup are shining once again. Finally, open up the basket strainer and take out the basket insert. Now you have room to clean the hole opening in the drain cup. Once this is squeaky clean too, reinsert the basket insert and rinse it with clean water.
We do our bit to make sure that you’re all set up, so almost all our stainless steel and ceramic sinks come with a punched-out tap hole. This means that you won’t have to do any extra work before installing it. Some Silgranit sinks are milled from the underside. You simply have to knock through the pre-milled holes.
How to do it: first place the sink in a sturdy holder. Now take a punch and place it in the middle of the mark. Use a hammer to hit the punch holes for the mixer tap, soap dispenser and drain remote control, as required, without exerting force on the punch itself. Then carefully knock the rest of the Silgranit pieces out of their marked holes. Now get a file and file the hole to the right size. You may need to do this if the hole is flush with the preliminary milling. Now there’s only one thing left to do: insert your mixer tap, and off you go.
Milky patches can soon show up on your stylish dark sink. These are caused by limescale deposits, which can vary hugely from place to place, and depending on the state of your water pipes. Such stains also pick up deposits from substances like tea or coffee, and are thus responsible for discolouration. But all this isn’t as bad as it sounds. Luckily, BLANCO Antikalk, a little vinegar-based cleaner or diluted citric acid and hot water can come to your rescue. The limescale will dissolve if you clean your kitchen sink thoroughly with these substances.
If you don’t want to constantly have to contend with unsightly marks, be sure to dry your sink off with a microfibre cloth after every use. Doing this will prevent the limescale from occurring in the first place.
Questions about mixer taps
Generally speaking, our mixer taps are easy-care and hygienic. This is thanks to their smooth surface, which allows hardly any dirt to settle on it. However, mixer taps do benefit from regularly cleaning. It doesn’t take much effort, but it needs to be done frequently. Take a mild cleaning agent and go over the mixer taps a few times with the soft side of a sponge. Now rub them dry with a microfibre cloth, and you’ll see that your mixer taps are back to being a stand-out feature of your kitchen once again, in just a few simple steps.
If your low-pressure mixer tap is dripping slightly, there’s no need to get a plumber in right away. This is completely normal. The reason is that low-pressure mixer taps are normally connected to a boiler. If you have used some warm water, cold water will flow into the boiler to be heated up. The rise in temperature means that the water in the pipe expands. As a result, the rising water pressure causes a small amount of water to be pushed into the mixer tap, where a few drops will escape.
Most people will need a high-pressure mixer tap in their home. This is always the case if the water is heated by the central water supply. You can tell whether applies to you if your kitchen has a wall valve for both cold and warm water pipes. You will therefore need a mixer tap that can handle the high water pressure from the pipes. Sometimes, however, your flat or house many not have a central hot water supply. In this case, the water will be heated by a boiler or flow heater. If your home has a flow heater for warm water, you will also need a high pressure mixer tap. A low-pressure mixer tap is required if your warm water is supplied via a boiler. This minimises the pressure from the water pipe and conducts the water at a much lower pressure into the boiler.
Our pull-out sprays make your everyday life a little easier. They allow you to get the water to the part of the sink where it is actually needed. Flexible and effective. As such, our hoses are designed for constant movement. Just make sure that the hose does not develop any kinks. This can damage it, causing it to start dripping.
If the hose is no longer gliding smoothly back into the body of the tap, this doesn’t mean that you’ve done something wrong. Simply apply a little mixer tap lubricant as soon as the first signs start to show. That should do the trick. The hose will then glide back into place quickly and directly, just as it did before.
Imagine standing in the sunshine at the kitchen window and calmly doing the washing up. Our mixer taps make this possible. Just take a look at our detachable, lowerable or collapsible mixer taps. These three concepts allow you to open the window on the other side of your sink easily and in only a few steps.
A spraying mixer tap gets water everywhere, not just in the sink bowl. This is usually caused by limescale that has accumulated in the mixer tap. Instead of reaching straight for an aggressive cleaning agent, adding a little citric acid or vinegar to your cleaning water should solve the problem.
To clean it, wipe the fine mesh attached to the tap outlet clean. Go over it again with a soft microfibre cloth. The trick to preventing a spraying mixer tap is to clean it regularly, so limescale doesn’t get the chance to build up.
Splish, splash: a dripping tap is very annoying. However, there’s no need for agitation. This is either due to limescale deposits in the mixer tap cartridge, or the seals are no longer fit for purpose. Unless you’re very adept at DIY and have a well-equipped toolbox, it’s best to call a sanitary specialist to deal with this. If you’re up to handling it yourself, clean any calcified areas of the seals or mixer tap with citric acid or vinegar. If the seal has become porous it should be replaced using the right tool. Once that’s done, everything in your kitchen will be back in order again.