
Brits urged to avoid one 59p product to clean sinks but B&M item has 'solution'
It's frustrating when you can't get your kitchen to look sparkling clean because of a build up of dirt in your white sink. These stains are glaringly obvious on white composite material. And what is worse, they're hard to avoid.
Pretty much everything ends up in the sink: food, drink, dirt and a mishmash of cleaning products. Over time, this can lead to a build-up of minerals and all kinds of discolouration. Unfortunately, while there are many tough stain-removal products out there, not all are safe to use on your sink, as they can cause surface and structural damage.
READ MORE: Banish washing machine mould and make sure it 'never' appears in 5 minutes with simple task
Sara Baker came to the 'Cleaning tips and tricks' Facebook group in search of advice. She wrote: 'Help!!! Tips to clean white composite sink?! It's driving me bananas.'
Commenters were quick to rush in with their own suggestions. One said: 'Bar Keepers with a non abrasive scrubber and some rubbing. I have this sink and ruined it by filling it with bleach and water constantly.'
They added: 'My sink gets a lot worse when cleaning certain pans I put BKF and go to town on it and it comes out shiny.' Other commenters also recommended using Bar Keepers Friend.
Bleach has traditionally been a popular cleaning agent, due to its powerful disinfecting and stain-removing properties and for it's low price point. For example, Ocado sells a bottle for just 59p.
However, consistently using too much bleach can damage white composite sinks over time. This is because it contains oxidising properties, which can cause discoloration and sometimes even cracks to appear on the sink's surface.
Meanwhile, Bar Keepers Friend is a much safer cleaning product which contains oxalic acid. This makes it effective at removing rust, mineral build up and stubborn stains.
One of its main draws is that it is suitable for use on a wide variety of surfaces. These include stainless steel, copper, brass, ceramic, glass and porcelain.
The product is also incredibly easy to work with. Simply wet the surface you want to clean, sprinkle the powder and then use a damp cloth to scrub away at the stain.
Although, make sure you rinse the surface thoroughly after cleaning and dry with a clean cloth. Otherwise, the product can leave a fine residue that will cause damage over time.
Don't worry if you don't have Bar Keepers Friend lying around at home – it's pocket-friendly, too. You can pick up a bottle from B&Q for just £3.50.

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Scotsman
2 hours ago
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Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
I transformed my kitchen for just £150 by watching TikTok tutorials, experts quoted me £3,000
A savvy dental nurse who refused to splash out thousands on a pricey renovation has revealed how she transformed her dreary kitchen for just £150. Natalie Stainthorpe, from Middlesbrough, wasn't keen on forking out the £3,000 it would've cost to rip out her old kitchen - so she got creative instead. After moving into her new home, the 34-year-old was desperate to brighten up the dark room, which barely got any natural light thanks to an extension out the back. Armed with TikTok tutorials and a vision, she set out to transform the space without breaking the bank - and managed to come in a whole £100 under her original £250 budget. 'I just couldn't stand how dark and gloomy it felt - I wanted a fresh, light space where I'd actually enjoy cooking and spending time with my family,' she said. 'The kitchen before was in good condition, but needed a little bit of TLC and I had a vision for the room. 'We did a rough estimate of how much it would cost to completely replace the kitchen from a family friend and we were looking at quite a lot of money - around £2,000 to £3,000 - which was money we didn't have. 'I decided that I was going to do a budget-friendly makeover instead.' Swapping pricey new units for a few tins of paint and rolls of vinyl, Natalie roped in her partner and sister to help freshen up the cupboards, wrap the worktops and breathe new life into the handles. She bagged cupboard paint for under £15 a tin, snapped up bargain vinyl from B&Q and picked up all her decorating bits from B&M to keep costs down. The makeover took around a month, squeezed in between shifts and weekends, but the results speak for themselves - the once gloomy kitchen now bright, airy and looking brand new. Natalie said: 'Our original budget was £250 - I didn't want to spend more than that, so to come so far under budget was amazing. 'It was quite a dark room - dark floors, worktops and cupboards and I really wanted to lighten the space up as because of the extension on the back we don't get that much natural light. 'We found the vinyl easy on the straight parts of the worktops, around the sink was a bit fiddly, we watched a few tutorials on YouTube on how to do it around the sink to try and minimise any mistakes. 'My partner Chris actually did most of the sink area as I ran out of patience with it. We repurposed the handles that were already on the units as to replace 14 handles in matte black was quite expensive. 'We gave them a light sand and then we sprayed them with Rust-Oleum black matte spray paint and then sealed with a matte sealant spray. 'We got all our painting supplies from B&M to keep the costs down and budget-friendly - they sell such an amazing range of painting and decorating tools to help with projects like this. 'I spent some time researching how to vinyl worktops watching videos on YouTube and TikTok. 'I also got lots of tips from my friend who has done lots of vinyling to change up her rental home.' Natalie, who documented her journey on TikTok, says the whole project took around three to four weeks to complete as she picked it up on days off and weekends. She said: 'It definitely wasn't a quick transformation but that was fine with us, we loved seeing it slowly come together. 'The hardest part for me was probably the vinyling, simply because it took more brain power than the rest, and a lot of patience - something I'm known to not have a lot of. 'We didn't encounter any mistakes, we just took our time with the project - apart from when I spilt paint on my hob. 'If I was to start this project again, I wouldn't change anything - I love how we took our time and worked together to get our final look in here. Rome wasn't built in a day and sometimes time and money restrict a quick transformation. 'I'm all for realistic budget makeovers and those take time. 'The difference it's made is amazing, it's now light and airy, it's really brightened up the room, I'm still obsessed with it now two months down the line. 'We've had such an amazing reaction to our makeover, my friends and family said it looks like a brand new kitchen and it's had such a good response both on my Instagram and TikTok. 'My advice would be to take your time, it's okay if you don't get a transformation like this done in a day like you can sometimes see on social media. 'My second piece of advice to make sure the longevity of your makeover is prep, prep, prep. 'Spend time prepping your units and surfaces for painting, you'll thank yourself later. 'It just goes to show, you don't always need a big budget - sometimes a bit of patience and a few clever tricks can completely change your home.'