Porcelain glaze is a hard, non-porous surface, so looking after it is simple: warm water, mild soap, and dry it. The common problem is limescale — not wear of the material.
An integral porcelain sink adds one advantage that saves most of the work: there is no silicone seam. On a sit-on or drop-in sink, the silicone line is the first place to blacken, it collects dirt and has to be cut out and replaced every year or two. On an integral unit it does not exist, and cleaning is one continuous wipe.
1. Daily cleaning
Warm water, mild dish soap and a microfibre cloth — then dry it.
Drying is the step people skip, and it is the one that matters: hard water left to evaporate leaves white limescale marks. With Israeli tap water this is the most common complaint about any sink, in any material — and it is a matter of drying, not of the quality of the sink.
Once a week: a general household cleaner, rinse and dry. The glaze resists most household cleaners, so no special product is needed.
2. Limescale
White vinegar diluted 1:1 with water, leave it for 10 minutes, rub with a soft sponge, rinse and dry.
Porcelain glaze tolerates a weak acid far better than solid-surface acrylic, so vinegar is a safe and effective answer here. If the limescale is stubborn, repeat the process rather than making it stronger: no abrasive powder and no industrial descaler are needed, and both can dull the shine over time.
3. Grey metal marks
These are not scratches — it is metal left on the glaze, and it comes off with a non-abrasive ceramic cleaner.
The grey line left after a pot or metal utensil is dragged across the bowl looks like a scratch but is not one: the glaze is harder than the metal, so it is the metal that wears off and stays on the surface. A cream cleaner (not a powder) on a soft sponge removes it. Do not use steel wool — that does dull the glaze.
4. What must never be used on porcelain glaze
- Steel wool and abrasive powders — they dull the shine permanently. This is the most common way a porcelain sink is ruined, and it is always done with good intentions.
- Strong acids and concentrated acidic drain openers — the glaze resists vinegar, but not every acid is the same. If one is spilled, rinse at once with plenty of water.
- A sudden, sharp temperature change on a single spot — porcelain tolerates heat well, but pouring boiling water into a very cold bowl is the one stress worth avoiding.
- A sharp knock. This is the material's real weak point: a chip or crack in the glaze cannot be repaired. Do not stand heavy items on the rim of the bowl, and take care when washing heavy items in it.
The practical difference from solid-surface acrylic, in one sentence: on solid-surface acrylic most damage is repaired by sanding, while on porcelain it is final — so with porcelain the focus is on prevention, not repair. Everyday care, on the other hand, is simpler with porcelain.
5. What a porcelain sink does not need
Sealing, periodic polishing and silicone.
- No sealing. The glaze is non-porous. There is nothing to seal and no need for a periodic protective treatment, unlike natural stone.
- No periodic polishing. The glaze keeps its own shine. (A matt solid-surface acrylic finish does need periodic refreshing — this does not.)
- No silicone maintenance — on an integral unit. There is no seam. It is the one maintenance job a sit-on sink needs and an integral sink removes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean an integral porcelain sink day to day?
Warm water, mild dish soap and a microfibre cloth, then dry it at the end. Drying is what prevents the white limescale marks left by hard tap water, the most common complaint. Once a week you can use a general household cleaner — the glaze resists most household cleaners.
How do I remove limescale from a porcelain sink?
White vinegar diluted 1:1 with water, left for about ten minutes, then rub with a soft sponge, rinse and dry. Porcelain glaze tolerates a weak acid well, so there is no need for an industrial descaler, and abrasive powder should not be used because it dulls the shine over time.
What must never be used on a porcelain sink?
Steel wool and abrasive powders, which dull the glaze permanently, and strong acids and concentrated drain openers. It is also worth avoiding a sudden, sharp temperature change on a single spot and a sharp knock from a heavy item on the rim of the bowl.
What are the grey marks left in my porcelain sink?
They are metal residue, not scratches: the glaze is harder than the metal, so the metal wears off and stays on the surface. A cream cleaner, not a powder, on a soft sponge removes them. Do not use steel wool, which does dull the glaze.
Can a scratch or chip in a porcelain sink be repaired?
No. Glaze that is deeply scratched, chipped or cracked cannot be repaired; the solution is replacement. That is why with porcelain the focus is on prevention — unlike solid-surface acrylic, which is uniform through its depth and can be sanded back.
Does a porcelain sink need sealing or periodic polishing?
No. The glaze is non-porous and keeps its own shine, so it needs neither sealing nor periodic polishing. An integral unit also has no silicone seam to maintain — the one maintenance job a sit-on sink needs.
See also: Porcelain or solid-surface acrylic (Corian) sink? The complete comparison · Made-to-measure integral porcelain sinks