Anybody have Corian sinks?

[SIBERNUT]

We do, and any time we try to wash an aluminum pan or whatever, it leaves marks on the sink. Then we have to clean off the marks, etc. I'm about ready to cut the sucker off the bottom of the counter & put in stainless. Any help / tips / solutions welcome. Eating out all the time is not an option...................

[chirakawa]

Yes, I don't like Corian. You just look at it and it scratches. I think it's just to look at, not to use.

 

My counters are all scratched up. I guess if I ever sell my RV, I'll have to polish it all out first.

[nana25k]

I use a nice collapsible dish pan. The upside is that I can keep a screen on the drain so that food particle's don't get in the gray tank. Also when we dry camp I can dump the dish water in the black tank

[nana25k]

Also depending on your rig it made " solid surface" that looks like Corian but really isn't. Our is 16 years old and all of our surfaces are still very nice. To get rid of coffee and tea stain I just fill it with water and dump in a big glug of peroxide and let it sit over night.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

We replaced a stainless sink with a Corian one. We didn't like the stainless sink because of the work to keep it presentable. We do have plastic protector grids at the bottoms and we have no issue with any marks.

 

The thing with stainless is that there is stainless and there is stainless. Working in designer hardware store (high end door a handle, faucets and sinks for example) I learned that low end stainless sinks are some of the cheapest style of sink you can purchase. That is why they are so prevalent in RVs. They are hard to keep the shine and are subject to scratching. The high end stainless sink is costs a whole lot more and is more scratch resistant and doesn't require as much maintenance to keep the shine.

 

The thing is that most RVs use a mobile home sized sink, they are a couple of inches shallower front to back. High end stainless sinks are seldom available in mobile home sizes.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Deleted duped post from a really crummy network

[docj]

You can remove scratches from solid surface counters using this inexpensive set of polishing pads: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033REUBC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They work well and can be used either dry or wet. You can remove some pretty serious scratches with this set if you need to.

 

As for stains, my wife fills the sink with a mild bleach solution when she cleans the kitchen and that removes all the stains without effort.

[SIBERNUT]

Tks for the replies! Any more?

[TreyandSusan]

We have a white Corian sink. Dale (from Mark and Dale) told me about Clorox kitchen counter cleaner with bleach. Give the sink a quick spray and wait a few minutes, then rinse. I do this several times a week and our sink looks great. Does magic on food stains. We don't really have issues with marks from pots and pans. We also have a plastic sink protector mat in the bottom of the sink. ~ Susan

[LFDR3116]

I have stainless and do not have any problem with them being presentable. Mine is not the highly polished , it is the matte finish instead. That may make a difference.

[Chalkie]

We have a black sink, some kind of substance similar to Corian, in our S&B and do at times get marks from pot and pans in it. We use Bar Keepers Friend and the marks come right off with hardly any scrubbing. We also use it in the RV for the stainless sink. I makes it look like new!

[rdickinson]

I used to fabricate Corian and other solid surface materials. A palm sander with holes in the pad hooked up to a shop vac on flat surfaces. The dust is bad stuff to inhale. Use progressively finer grits getting down to 1000 grit.

1000 grit dry will leave a more dull or matt finish than same grit with water.

A power polisher would work in the radiused corners if it will fit in the sink at all.

 

It is the same substance all the way thru not like the cultured marble material years ago. So you won't sand thru the top layer and run into a porous substrate below.

 

If you have chips that need filling the code # and name of the color or pattern are on the underside.

 

The great thing about redoing the tops are if you make it too shiny, back up one step. Not shiny enough, go to next grit up or use water.

 

I would say it is a 1 out of 5 on the Binford difficulty level.

[WeBeFulltimers]

We have the authentic Corian in our Montana 5th wheel and don't have the problems you describe.

[Truckman]

We have white Corian sink and keep a plastic sink mat from Walmart in it.

[rdickinson]

Corian is made by Dupont, all of these similar products have the same issues and can be dealt with in the same fashion. All scratch and chip and all can be repaired if the epoxy is available. Some go out of date and epoxy and sheet material or edging is no longer available.

 

Most people on this forum have tool skills and probably job sense so there would be a transfer of those skills to do repairs to solid surface tops.

[ncrowley]

I had a white Corian sink at my house and it was a real pain to keep clean. I found that using a green scratchy pad with a cleanser with bleach kept it looking good.

[ccsimpson]

We, too, have the Corian sink and whiten it with Clorox as suggested above. For any marks from pan, etc., I use Bon Ami cleanser because it does not scratch surfaces. You have to get it at Target. Works great and is good for other delicate surfaces as well.

[SIBERNUT]

^{I appreciate all the cleaning tips. But the object here is to NOT HAVE the marks.}

[Pat & Pete]

^{I appreciate all the cleaning tips. But the object here is to NOT HAVE the marks.}

That's kinda like not having weeds in your garden .

[Pat & Pete]

I suppose just about the only way you'd get away from no marks would be to use a plastic dish 'tub' . They even come in a variety of colors to be more pleasing to the eye .

 

[SIBERNUT]

Stainless for the sink, napalm for the garden.

[rdickinson]

http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/construction-materials/surface-design-materials/brands/corian-solid-surfaces/products/corian-sinks.html

 

Instead of bashing a good product and asking and getting answers from some who are less than qualified to answer why not contact Dupont directly?

 

Your info says you are based out of Maryland, I googled up a number of Corian providers in your state. Call THEM, get it sorted out and post the results good or bad without embellishing either.

 

I have manufactured, used and serviced Corian and other solid surface products and have no issues with any of them. Fabrication is restricted only by ones imagination. If there is a hole or chip, fill it, if there is a scratch, sand and polish it. If there is a crack, you may be able to rout the crack out and fill then sand the void. Try that with an obsolete tile/grout, wood veneer or laminate top.

 

If you are still unsatisfied get the sink cut out and under mount or top mount a composite or SS sink. If you can get one to fit.

 

If there are things I don't like about my rig, I replace them and move on.

[SIBERNUT]

I agree 100%. But if in my stinkin' ignorance someone knows how to stop the problem, I'd rather find out than do surgery. Tried the rag in the bottom, that works. But heaven help you if you so much as touch the side with anything but glass (I guess). And I trust the answers from this group over a vendor.

[rdickinson]

Deleted, it's not worth the time.

[LHS61]

I found that the expensive cleaners designated for Corian didn't work for me. I don't know if this works for deep scratches, but it works great for removing stains in about 20 minutes. Go to Home Depot's cleaning product section and find the industrial (commercial) liquid bleach. It works great, just be careful with it to avoid getting it on anything else in the area. I use rubber gloves and a small sponge to apply it carefully. Its amazing.... and cheap.