How to Clean Acid Stain on Stainless Steel?

Recently, I removed acid stains from the stainless steel kitchen sink before shifting to my new rental house. So, I can tell you how to clean acid stain on stainless steel. To clean your stainless steel sink, all you need to have is a bucket of warm water and a mild detergent. I have shared a detailed step below, but before that, let me tell you not to ever use powerful acids and abrasive cleaners.

How to Remove Acid Stains from Stainless Steel?

Here are the steps I followed to clean my kitchen stainless steel sink.

1. I used a lot of water to cleanse the area because the acid stain was fresh. 

2. After that, I combined a few drops of liquid detergent with a bucket of warm water. 

3. I then directly applied a small amount of detergent to the stained spot and left it there for two to three minutes. 

4. I gently wiped the discolored area after dipping a soft sponge into the solution. 

5. Finally, I used a lint-free cloth to dry after rinsing with fresh water.

For stubborn stain removal, I would suggest following the steps shared by Indrani here. Try the method I shared with you, and let me know your experience here.

There are ample solutions for how to remove acid stain from steel. You can use baking soda and lemon paste, baking soda and liquid dishwasher paste, cleaning solutions or others. I used stainless steel cleaner previously but it seemed to damage my sink so I now use lemon soda paste. Both are easily available at home so let me share the sink cleaning process using these items in this comment further.

How to Remove Acid Stains from Stainless Steel?

To remove acid stains on stainless sink, follow these steps:

• Cut a lemon in half and dip one-half in baking soda.

• Thoroughly rub the lemon over the acid stains on the stainless steel sink.

• Allow the lemon and baking soda mixture to sit on the stains for at least 5-10 minutes.

• Use a soft sponge or cloth to gently scrub the stained areas, and wash the sink thoroughly with water.

• Repeat the process if necessary until the stains are removed but make sure you do not let the lemon sit for long. This will stain the sink more than removing it. 

This is perhaps the simplest way on how to remove acid stains from stainless steel sink. If you want, you can also use

• Rubbing alcohol

• Nail polish remover

• Mineral spirits

• Sink cleaning solutions or others

I hope this information has helped you understand how to remove acid stains from kitchen sink and with what items it can be done.

Read More:

It was a frustrating task to remove an acid stain from my stainless steel washbasin. It resulted from an unintentional spill, so figuring out a fix became essential. By trial and error, I discovered how to remove acid stain from stainless steel sinks.

How to Clean Acid Stain on Stainless Steel?

I am aware of 2 ways to remove acid stain from stainless steel sinks;

• Using a liquid dishwasher and baking soda:

1. Make a paste in a bowl by adding the liquid dishwasher and baking soda in equal parts.

2. After dipping the cleaning towel into the paste, apply it to the acid-stained stainless steel washbasin surface.

3. Give it a good scrub. 

This will be sufficient to remove recent acid stains from surfaces such as your stainless steel washbasin.

• Using Olive oil and vinegar:

1. Apply the damp cloth, dipped in vinegar, to the acid-stained stainless steel surface.

2. Rub the area in gentle circular motions, until the stain disappears.

3. Use olive oil and a fresh towel to clean the area. Scrub the stain until it disappears.

I was able to clean my stainless steel sink from acid stains by using a liquid dishwasher and baking soda paste. I also believe the acid should be rinsed off quickly. This would leave behind a stain that can easily be cleaned and does not cause much damage. However, deep cracks may result from corrosion caused by acid left on the surface for an extended period. 

Read More: