How to Restore a Porcelain Kitchen Sink

Porcelain sinks need special cleaning and care to keep them looking fresh. Strong abrasive cleansers can dull the sink’s end, harm its topcoat and take years away from the life — but they could help during the restoration process. Even common household cleansers like baking soda or ammonia can damage the finish to a porcelain sink as time passes. However, not all is lost when you use a refinishing product to restore your porcelain kitchen sink into a like-new condition.

Clean the sink thoroughly with an abrasive cleanser and seams. Rinse and towel dry. This removes surface dirt and grime.

Mask off the surrounding region with painter’s tape and plastic sheeting.

Eliminate the metal drain in the sink. Detach the pipe drain first by unscrewing the large nut on the pipe only under the drain. Pull back on the pipe quietly to get rid of it in the sink.

Unscrew the large nut just beneath the sink which keeps the metal flange and metal drain set up. Turn it counterclockwise to remove it. Set the large nut apart.

Push upward from below or use a flat-head screwdriver to pry all the way around the rim of the drain flange to loosen it by the contractor’s putty which forms a seal between the drain flange and the sink. Lift the metal drain in the sink. Set a large bucket under the drain hole to catch any drips or spills while cleaning and restoring the sink.

Apply the putty knife to remove all of caulk or plumber’s putty in the sink. Hold the putty knife at about a 45-degree angle into the material requiring elimination. Scrape against it to lift it up. Discard from the trash.

Employ a hard-water deposit remover into the sink and rinse with the abrasive pad. Rinse and repeat till all hard-water deposits are gone. Wear rubber gloves and goggles for protection.

Sand the surface of the sink with wet-dry 400- to 600-grit sandpaper. Buff in small circles across the full surface of the sink. Scratching the surface of the sink with the sandpaper allows the epoxy finish paint to stick to this sink. Rinse the sink clean to remove residue.

Wipe the sink with the tack cloth to remove any excess seams or seams on the sink caused by the sandpaper before applying the epoxy finish.

Mix the two components of this refinish epoxy together after package instructions. Pour the mix into the paint tray. Don’t do this ahead of time; wait till you’re ready to coat the sink with the epoxy paint. Wear a N95 face mask to protect against breathing in potentially toxic fumes.

Apply the epoxy finish into the sink with a fine-bristle masonry brush, a short nap roller or a airless sprayer if you’ve got one. Avoid overlapping regions with an excessive amount of epoxy. Wait a minumum of one hour prior to applying a second coat. Allow the sink dry up to three days prior to reassembly and work with. Wash up with rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits.

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