Bathroom sink rusty

[Larry1492]

No idea how I caused myself this problem. Put my 2019 Flying Cloud 23fb away last fall. I cleaned everything, it was dry and loaded up with mildew bags. Today I went out fo find everything in good order except the bathroom sink has a layer of rust on it. I have been cleaning all the fixtures with Kaboom. Everything else is fine only the bathroom sink rusty. Not sure if I should just scrub the rust off or look for one of better quality stainless.

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by Larry1492

No idea how I caused myself this problem. Put my 2019 Flying Cloud 23fb away last fall. I cleaned everything, it was dry and loaded up with mildew bags. Today I went out fo find everything in good order except the bathroom sink has a layer of rust on it. I have been cleaning all the fixtures with Kaboom. Everything else is fine only the bathroom sink rusty. Not sure if I should just scrub the rust off or look for one of better quality stainless.

This sounds unusual to me. Did you clean it yet? If not, take a picture and post it up on here.

I wouldn't think the rust would be that considerable. Some 0000 steel wool maybe, or try some barkeepers friend?

[thewarden]

Even SS rusts in the right circumstances and I am sure the SS used for these sinks is not the best quality. However, any decent quality automotive stainless steel cream polish will probably clean it right up. I have had the same issue with the SS sink in the kitchen and on my boat. I have also used CLR, Comet, and Bar-keepers Friend with very good results.

[rmkrum]

Don’t ever use steel wool. Use a green 3M nylon abrasive scrub pad to knock off most of the rust and Then a white one to polish it a bit.

Steel wool leaves tiny particles that just cause more rust. Should never, ever be used on aluminum, stainless, or wood. The stuff leaves a mess you can’t clean up and rust stains forever!

[Tim A.]

I have used steel wool on many surfaces (including wood, stainless steel, and aluminum) without rust resulting from leftover particles. A magnet will remove any loose particles and the surface that has been steel wooled should be carefully wiped down, of course.

I suspect that Kaboom was the problem because it's label says it contains Oxiclean. One internet (only the truth is on the internet!) source says this about Oxiclean, "One of the active ingredients in OxiClean is sodium percarbonate (Na2CO3•H2O2), an adduct of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This breaks down into hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in water."

Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach, bleach is an oxidizer, and rust is the result of oxidation of iron, a component of stainless steel. Stainless steel that rusts somewhat is not necessarily a poorer quality, but is simply one of the alloys called stainless steel. These threads discussed rusting and corrosion of the sinks in Airstreams: https://www.airforums.com/forums/f44...ng-191047.html and https://www.airforums.com/forums/f46...nks-54514.html.

As others have suggested, polish the sink with a suitable product.

Tim

[Grahambino]

Just went out to air out our trailer. Kitchen sink is full of rust spots. Bathroom sink has a few. Brand new camper...January 2021. Rust appeared since our last trip three weeks ago. Have only used Dawn to do minimal dishwashing. Is this a warranty claim?

[Larry1492]

Had same experience with bathroom sink. I decided that I caused the problem by using a shower cleaner on the stainless before I put it away. I am sure the will warranty it but before you put the claim in you might want to try a going over it with a little stainless steel polish, mine ended up looking brand new.

[sterlinghick]

You might try Barkeepers Friend on a rag or sponge.I use it on our stainless steel appliances in our home and also on Allclad cookware.

[Tablerocked]

I’d that happens with mine, I’ll be furious. No reason at all that a stainless sink rusts, other than inferior quality steels.

[Tim A.]

Originally Posted by Tablerocked

No reason at all that a stainless sink rusts, other than inferior quality steels.

Stainless steel can rust and rusting is not an indication of "quality." Here is some explanation: https://www.theruststore.com/Can-sta...-rust-W71.aspx. If you want more details about various types of stainless steel, look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel.

Tim

[ryanwise]

My home stainless steel kitchen sink does not rust. The Airstream sink should not either. This appears to be a poor choice of the 150 types of stainless steel for use on these sinks.

[PB_NB]

If the sink is actually stainless steel, then you are probably seeing rust from contaminates usually used during the manufacturing processes. What is happening is that iron molecules transfer to the surface when using steel wool, wire brushes or other metal or when the sink is formed with metal tooling. Then the iron rusts over time on the surface of the stainless steel.

We had an industrial application that did just that, we had the manufacturer dig into the issue and discovered the tools used were hardened steel.

We used welders pickling paste and wiped it on, then rinsed it off and that took the metal off the stainless and rust was stopped. This is not a recommended solution as it is very dangerous and highly corrosive. We had all the controls in place to use this type of product.

A household product could be used like “CLR”. I would probably remove the sink and do this away from the plumbing to avoid any issues with the piping or plastics.

[GetawA-S]

Enough holes in the information provided to drive an army tank through... It doesn't seem like it's time to raise the quality/warranty hue and cry.
Our sink is a Utopia, and we have had no issues with it. Sinks and industrial process equipment are usually 304, 304L or 316, in order of corrosion resistance. The chief bad actor is chloride ions, which chew through the surface layer of chromium oxide and cause pitting, or "crevice corrosion", which leads to structural failure. Rust is usually a deposit from contact with iron bearing liquids or particles, as stated in PB NB's post. The Utopia website is short on specs or care instructions, but I would guess it is 304 SS, which should hold up fine to normal use.
My bottle of Kaboom clearly states that it contains hydrochloric acid, and should ONLY be used in a toilet bowl.
Larry 1492 mentions mildew bags - DampRid? These contain calcium chloride crystals, and the liquid from a used bag should never be allowed to come in contact with metal surfaces (that you care about). I use the exhausted bag contents to kill poison ivy.
I second the advice to clean with a recommended product, like Bar Keepers Friend (contains oxalic acid and a very mild abrasive). Don't go crazy with cleaning products, don't EVER mix them, and read the directions.
Happy camping!

[Bri0242]

My 2 month old 2022 23FB FC had surface rusting on the kitchen sink, as well as the surface oven ring, after the first trip. A watery sponge was the only thing used to clean it. I'm wondering if poor quality "COVID" steel might have been used...

[Wanderings]

304 stainless steel can and does rust under certain conditions and most often occurs due to tiny crevices or pits in the surface. Using a good stainless steel polish will remove any surface rust and smooth the surface, reducing the chance of crevice corrosion occurring.
Avoid using corrosive compounds as they will accelerate surface pitting.

Experienced in boat construction and maintenance.

[ryanwise]

When we first picked up our Airstream, I remember seeing splatters of the red/pink antifreeze in the sink from the winterizing. Could the antifreeze be attacking the stainless steel? Since my 15 year old stainless steel home kitchen sink does not have this problem, and it never sees antifreeze, this is the only difference I can think of as to why the trailer sink has rust spots and my home sink does not.

[Merlintiaga]

A bit of rust is not uncommon in a sink. You can also often find rust on a sharp knife. It’s not a quality thing. Definitely Do not use steel wool! This will expand your problem. Use Scotch Brite. You can get it at Lowes, HD, or Amazon. Scotch Brite aggressiveness varies with color. Red might be too aggressive. Green will likely be enough unless it’s really bad. It will come back. Even a new kitchen “non-abrasive” scrubbie might be enough. I agree with the others, don’t use chemicals.