Stainless steel sink never quite clean

[Aparecium]

When the washing up is done I always give the sink, strainer and plughole a going-over with the scouring pad/steel wool and washing up liquid. The sides of the sink no longer feel like they’re clean. Drain, strainer and base of sink are clean, but there’s a vaguely gunky feel to the sides of the sink, sort of where you might expect a tide mark if I was washing up with the plug in. (Which I don’t do.) I’ve tried various stronger cleaning chemicals, but nothing seems to make a difference.

Any suggestions?

I suggest a scrub with Vim.

Barkeepers Friend and a damp cloth. Rinse then buff with a dry cloth.

You shouldn't scrub it with steel wool.

Try baking soda paste and scrubbing, then use a lemon for staining

Could even try baby oil for shine.

I would say steel wool would damage the surface of stainless steel so maybe thats what you are feeling?

I had this but on a bath. I think I had taken the surface off the bath scrubbing with abrasive products, and it was never smooth or seemed clean again. I wonder if you’ve done similar with the steel wool.

Second Barkeepers Friend.

I find the elbow grease cleaning paste in a tub brings my very old SS sink up beautifully, I use it with a plastic scourer. A Brillo pad thing wouldn't do it much good I would have thought?

Try good old Cif cream, it is pretty amazing.

It’s definitely a stickiness, rather than damaged surface. It was worse when we bought the house - the kitchen needed A LOT of elbow grease!

I use the steelwool regularly on the plughole area, and that has never developed the same gunky feel.

Off to buy some Bar Keepers’ Friend.