How to Clean Corian

Dear Home-Ec 101:
I have Corian counter tops and sink. The sink is stained because my family never cleans it. I try to clean it, but even with a special Corian cleaner or bleach, I cannot get the stains out after several cleanings.

The counter tops are clean, but dull. I tried a counter top polish and it did nothing. What am I doing wrong?
Signed:
Corian Despair

Heather says:

before pic of white kitchen sink — Before pic of white kitchen sink

My sink is similar to Corian and frankly, I’d rather have stainless steel. I feel your pain. My sink, like all Corian sinks has a matte finish, which means it is safe to use a mildly abrasive cleaner. As I’ve mentioned before, my favorite is Bar Keepers Friend.

I apply it to the stains and rub gently, but not in a circular motion (their rules, not mine). On occasion I have to use good, old-fashioned elbow grease.

after picture of white kitchen sink with a coat of wax

To help keep my sink looking nice and temporarily avoid new stains I wax it on occasion. Yes, that’s right, Carnauba Wax, it’s food grade.

As far as your counters go, DuPont says you can use a mild abrasive to remove stains and restore the finish. I have laminate counters, but if I were trying to restore shine to what is supposed to be a semi-gloss, or glossy finish, I might try Pledge or waxing, in a hidden area. If you choose to use Pledge, occasionally remove the build-up with mineral spirits.

Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

4 thoughts on “How to Clean Corian”

There is also the E-Cloth which uses the latest nano-technology to clean stuff without the use of even soap. Try searching for it on google its well worth a punt.

I've found Bon Ami takes off the metal marks on my white Corian sink beautifully, but requires a bit of scrubbing. When I want it restored to like-new white, I use a Magic Eraser! I love those things…best thing I've found to clean this kind of sink quickly and easily.

I use a green scrubbie pad with dish soap and it usually does a fabulous job in my Corian sink. Every once in a while (ie: after the disposal backs up with tomato sauce and makes the sink orange) I use the Clorox gel cleaner with a green scrubbie (per manufacturer) and that gets it looking brand spanking new.