How to clean vitreous china sink

August 17, 2021 Kelvin

Has it ever crossed your mind that cleaning your bathroom sink can be dangerous?

Now that I have your attention, relax. Removing stains from a vitreous china sink could only be dangerous if you mix multiple cleaning products.

Keeping your sink looking shiny and spotless is easy. The only hard part is picking the right cleaning products.

How about we get into the steps and details of what actually brought you here?

To clean your vitreous china sink, you’ll need a cream-based cleaner, a soft sponge, enough water, and a soft, dry piece of cloth. For the actual cleaning, apply a small amount of the cleaner on the sponge and rub on the sink surface. After clearing the stain, rinse properly then polish the surface with the dry cloth.

Let’s dive deeper into the whole cleaning process.

How do you remove stains from vitreous china?

We’ll start with the products you need for the cleaning. Here’s the list.

Your preferred cleaning product. If you don’t have one, you can check out the Kohler Cast Iron Cleaner on Amazon.
Soft sponge that’s non-abrasive. You might need an abrasive cleaning pad if it’s a stubborn stain.
Three to five liters of water for rinsing.
Clean, dry, and a non-abrasive piece of cloth.
Pair of gloves
Eye protection while cleaning

Steps for how to clean vitreous china toilet

You always want your toilet bowl to be sparkling clean and look like new. The good thing is that you only need a few minutes to clean the bowl. Here are the straightforward steps.

Apply enough of the cleaning product onto the sponge. You can also choose to squeeze the cleaner onto the toilet bowl surface.
Rub on the inside part of the bowl to remove stains.
Use clean water to rinse the bowl as you watch it get that ‘new’ look that you want.
For a shiny and glossy look, make sure to dry it with a dry piece of cloth.

Can you clean vitreous china with bleach?

Yes, you can comfortably use bleach to clean vitreous. There’s a caveat to using bleach though. You won’t get great results if your vitreous already has stubborn mineral stains.

If you clean your vitreous surfaces on the regular, bleach will work well on those easy-to-remove stains. That’s why it’s a good idea to go for acid-based or cream-based cleaning products.

For instance, acid-based cleaners will easily dissolve virtually all mineral stains. These types of stains are common in areas with water rich in iron.

While handling acid-based cleaners like Lysol (Amazon link), you’ll need to be careful to avoid splashes to your skin. The pair of gloves and eye protection will come in handy.

Here are the steps for cleaning vitreous with bleach.

Add three quarters of a cup of bleach to the toilet bowl water.
Use the toilet brush to clean the inside of the bowl as the bleach will form a mixture with the water.
After brushing, wait for five to ten minutes.
Flush the toilet and you’ll be good to go.

Is vitreous china good for a bathroom sink?

There’s a reason why established contractors swear by vitreous china sinks and toilet bowls. Before I break it down, yes, you can use vitreous china for your bathroom sink. Here’s why. Vitreous china is a glaze that manufacturers apply on ceramic-clay products to give them a smooth and glossy look. Because of the smooth surface, it’s hard for germs to stick on the surface. In that sense, it is less likely for germs to grow on your sink surface.

Also, the amazing smooth surface of vitreous makes it very easy to clean compared to other surfaces like ceramic and porcelain.

However, that doesn’t mean that you neglect your vitreous china sinks. The type of products and chemicals you use as well as minerals in water are likely to stain your sink.

Your only way out of avoiding stubborn stains is to have a regular cleaning schedule. Two to three cleans in a week should do the trick. Afterall, the cleaning takes just a few minutes.

Vitreous china care–easy tips

It is not hearsay, taking care of vitreous china is simple and easy. One reason for that is that they can resist most types of scratches and abrasive chemicals.

I’ll share below some of the tips I use to keep my bathroom sinks looking sparkling clean. Although my sinks are made of ceramic, the tips also apply to sinks and toilet bowls glazed with vitreous china.

Clean your bowl regularly. As mentioned, you can do so two or three times in a week. Easy stains could become stubborn if left for long.
Avoid using abrasive sponge pads, wire brushes, or steel wool when cleaning.
Do not expose your vitreous to staining products or materials for long periods.
If the need arises, only use abrasive sponge pads sparingly during cleaning.

Taking good care of vitreous china can make it as durable as fireclay. You might never need to replace your sinks.

Final thoughts

Vitreous china is very easy to clean and maintain. This material can also resist most abrasive chemicals and scratches.

You can use vitreous china on your bathroom sinks and toilet bowls without worrying about germs or mold build up. It is hard for germs to stick on the smooth surfaces of vitreous.

When cleaning, make sure to use the right products, non-abrasive sponge pads, and you’ll be good to go. Your sinks will always have that shiny and glossy look all year long.