Cleaning a Stainless Steel Sink: The Routine, and What to Keep Off the Steel

Close view of a brushed stainless steel sink surface with fine parallel grain lines, soft window light and the curved edge of the basin at the upper right

Wash it with soap or dish detergent and water, rinse it, and dry it. That is the core of the routine in Franke's UK cleaning guide (published February 2024) and in Moen's stainless steel sink care guide (updated April 2025), two sink makers who agree on the basics and part ways on a few details. Below, the steps come in order, the white film and brown spots that send people looking for something stronger get matched to their likely causes, and there is a short list of what to keep away from the steel.

What do I need to clean a stainless steel sink?

A soft sponge or cloth, soap or dish detergent, clean water and a dry cloth. Franke's UK guide suggests a microfiber cloth for the drying (Franke UK, February 2024), and a stainless steel cleaner is optional for marks that soap does not shift.

Look closely at the steel before you start. If you can see fine lines running one way, that is the grain, and Moen says to rub a stainless steel cleaner back and forth along it, and not to use that cleaner on mirror finishes (Moen, April 2025).

How do I clean a stainless steel sink, step by step?

1. Take everything out of the basin

Clear out cloths, sponges, pads and anything else sitting in the sink. Moen advises against leaving wet sponges, cloths and cleaning pads in the sink, because food particles and deposits can cause discoloration (Moen, April 2025). Franke's Homecare Pack says to remove wet cleaning cloths and containers after use to avoid watermarks and rust spots (Franke UK Homecare Pack, 2024).

This is the one step where a sink accessory does some work. A HAPPY SiNKS® magnetic holder sits inside the sink, with its magnet fixed to the underside of the sink wall, as the installation guide describes, and the product pages for our steel sink sets say each holder lifts off when you want to wipe the sink. The Magnetic Dishcloth Holder in steel gives a cloth somewhere to hang and dry. The Magnetic Sponge Holder in steel has an open design, so air circulates around the sponge and it dries quickly instead of sitting wet. How well either one grips depends on your sink, which our guides to whether a stainless steel sink is magnetic and to the main types of kitchen sink go through.

2. Wash with soap and water, along the grain

Wash the whole sink with a soft sponge or cloth and soap or dish detergent in warm water. Franke's UK guide calls soap and warm water the most effective product for cleaning stainless steel, and says never to use scouring pads or steel wool pads. Moen lists soap or detergent and water, applied with a sponge or cloth, as the routine cleaner for every finish. Where there is visible grain, wipe along it. For the rims of the waste strainer and around the drain, Franke suggests an old toothbrush (the least glamorous tool in the kitchen, and it earns its place) (Franke UK, February 2024).

3. Rinse with clean water

Rinse until no soap is left on the steel. Moen warns that liquid soap left to dry on the surface can dull the finish or cause pitting or staining, because many detergents contain chemicals that can do that (Moen, April 2025).

4. Dry it completely

Wipe the sink dry with a soft cloth, microfiber if you have one. Franke's UK guide calls this the part that stops water drying on the sink and leaving milky limescale deposits, which matters most in a hard water area (Franke UK, February 2024). Moen recommends drying with a soft towel after each use where the water is hard, high in iron or minerals, or over softened (Moen, April 2025). It is the step that gets dropped at the end of a long evening of doing the dishes, so it is worth deciding in advance that it counts. Franke's Homecare Pack adds that the discolored patches people see on stainless steel come from water-borne deposits clinging to the surface and not from the steel itself (Franke UK Homecare Pack, 2024).

5. Put things back

With the steel dry, set the holder back against its magnet and hang the cloth up. The care instructions on the HAPPY SiNKS dishcloth holder pages say to wipe the holder with a wet cloth and let it dry thoroughly, and not to submerge it or put it in a dishwasher.

What are the white, brown or dull marks on my sink, and how do I remove them?

Franke's Homecare Pack puts the discolored patches you sometimes see down to deposits left on the steel, not to the steel itself (Franke UK Homecare Pack, 2024). The table lines up the marks people ask about with the causes the two makers give and what each suggests. Where they differ, it says so.

Common marks on a stainless steel sink, their likely causes and what to try
What you see What the makers say causes it What to try
A white film or milky patches Moen: water high in minerals, or over softened water. Franke UK: water drying on the sink and leaving limescale. Dry the sink after every use. For a film that stays, Moen lists full-strength vinegar for hard water spots and scale: swab it on, leave it 5 to 10 minutes, rinse with a baking soda solution, then clean water, and dry. Franke UK’s answer is the weekly polish with an acid-free cream cleaner, plus careful drying.
Brown spots that look like rust Moen: hard water, or water with a high iron content. Franke Homecare Pack: tiny iron particles from the water supply, or left by wire scouring pads or utensils. Moen: apply one of its listed cleaners with a cloth, leave it 5 minutes, rub with a nylon pad if needed, then rinse and dry. Franke: clean the particles off and dry the sink thoroughly afterwards.
Rainbow-colored or discolored patches Franke Homecare Pack: water-borne deposits clinging to the surface. Take wet cloths and containers out of the sink after use, then wash, rinse and dry.
Dull streaks or spots where soap dried Moen: liquid soap left to dry on the surface. Rinse thoroughly after washing, then wipe the sink dry.
Marks where a cloth or sponge sat Moen: food particles and deposits left by wet sponges, cloths and cleaning pads. Wash with soap and water and dry the steel. Keep wet cloths and sponges out of the basin between uses.
Fine scratches Franke Homecare Pack: normal use. Scratches rarely go deep and become less noticeable with age. Franke says there is nothing to worry about. Steel wool and scouring pads are better avoided in the first place.
Corrosion where bleach sat Moen: bleach, even diluted, left in the sink for long periods. If bleach touches the sink, rinse it thoroughly, as Moen advises. Franke UK says not to use bleach on the surface at all.

On vinegar the makers do not agree. Moen uses it for short soaks on scale, while Franke's UK guide and Homecare Pack warn that vinegar left on the surface for any length of time can cause corrosion, so spills should be wiped up quickly (Franke UK, February 2024 and Franke UK Homecare Pack, 2024). Moen also says to pick one cleaner and not combine them (Moen, April 2025). If you are unsure, start with soap and water, since both makers list it.

When brown spots keep coming back, look at the water before you blame the sink. Moen ties them to hard or iron-rich water (Moen, April 2025), and Franke's Homecare Pack to iron particles that arrive in the water supply (Franke UK Homecare Pack, 2024).

What should I keep away from a stainless steel sink?

Steel wool and scouring pads, bleach, and anything left sitting wet on the steel.

Quick answers

Can I use dish soap on a stainless steel sink?

Yes. Moen lists soap or detergent and water as the routine cleaner for all finish types, and Franke's UK guide recommends soap and warm water. Rinse it off and dry the sink so no soap is left to dry on the steel.

What should I not use on a stainless steel sink?

Steel wool, wire pads and scouring pads, and bleach. Moen says steel wool can cause rust or pitting and that bleach can cause corrosion if left in the sink, and Franke's UK guide says to avoid steel wool, scouring pads and bleach.

Why does my stainless steel sink have brown spots that look like rust?

Moen says hard water or water with a high iron content can leave a brown stain that looks like rust. Franke's Homecare Pack says tiny iron particles from the water supply, or left behind by wire scouring pads or utensils, are the culprit, and that they need cleaning off with the sink dried thoroughly afterwards.

How often should I clean a stainless steel sink?

Franke's UK guide describes a daily wipe-down and a weekly polish with a cream cleaner. Moen recommends drying the sink with a soft towel after each use where the water is hard, iron-rich or over softened.

Will a stainless steel sink get scratched anyway?

Franke's Homecare Pack calls scratches on stainless steel sinks normal, says they rarely go deep, and says they become less noticeable with age.

The short version

Wash with soap and water, rinse, dry, and keep wet cloths and sponges out of the basin. Marks that stay usually trace back to water, iron or something left on the steel, and the table above matches each one to what the makers suggest. If the cloth in your sink is the thing you keep fishing out, the Magnetic Dishcloth Holder in steel is the next thing to look at, and every option is on the magnetic dishcloth holders page.

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Written by The HAPPY SiNKS Editorial Team. Last reviewed 10.14.2026.