Ooops... I have black stains in my sink!!

[molly]

So, we have a periodically sluggish kitchen sink drain that we try to maintain by pouring boiling water into regularly. It still was slow after that, today, so I poured the last bit of a very heavy pink drain cleaner (from Home Hardware) into the drain forgetting there was still hot water in the trap... Good thing I was far enough away, haha! Whoosh! Black crap boiled out and some steam.... I left it to work for five minutes and then ran cold water for another five. I tried using some abrasive cleaner and a scrubby but...looks quite discolored.

Any suggestions for what I can try?

[Selkirk]

It's time to dismantle the drain & trap, and give it a; Right-Good Cleaning!!!

Selkirk

[molly]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

It's time to dismantle the drain & trap, and give it a; Right-Good Cleaning!!!

Selkirk

We did that recently. And have done it a few times! Whoever did the plumbing in this fancy hired hand's house designed some odd drain setup under the sink, and it has caused problems since we moved in in 2010. The laundry sink is even worse; we shut the water off to that one so we don't use it by mistake!
No sense telling Mr. Boss again...he won't spend the money to get it fixed.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by molly

We did that recently. And have done it a few times! Whoever did the plumbing in this fancy hired hand's house designed some odd drain setup under the sink, and it has caused problems since we moved in in 2010. The laundry sink is even worse; we shut the water off to that one so we don't use it by mistake!
No sense telling Mr. Boss again...he won't spend the money to get it fixed.

You'll be outta there soon, anywayz ... no?

Selkirk

[58thecat]

Mr. Clean pads...don't know how it does it but it's bloody magic at removing stains etc.

[molly]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

You'll be outta there soon, anywayz ... no?

Selkirk

Yes, that is true....but I like to clean up my messes!!

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Mr. Clean pads...don't know how it does it but it's bloody magic at removing stains etc.

I'll try that... I just happen to have some.

[kevinhits]

try a Majic eraser

[walking buffalo]

100 then 200 grit wet sandpaper.

[molly]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Mr. Clean pads...don't know how it does it but it's bloody magic at removing stains etc.

Originally Posted by kevinhits

try a Majic eraser

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.... didn't help. With my Barkeeper's Friend powder I was able to reduce it from black to medium gray. Sulfuric acid is the main ingredient in that drain cleaner, so if it is acid etching maybe that will never come off.
However, I am still hopeful!

[rottie]

Try apple cider vinegar and baking soda , make a paste and let it soak the stain for a bit, might help

[omega50]

I use Norwex on almost everything.

But-Etched is likely etched

[achtanelion]

I assume a stainless sink?

If so, see if you can get some welder's pickling gel.

[philintheblank]

wet sand with the finest stuff you can get.

then make sure it stays dry over night so the oxide layer can form again and maintain its stainless-ness

[Sundancefisher]

Must be an organic compound that stained.

Just curious. Magic eraser with sunlight detergent didn't work? Try liquid hand soup next.

[270person]

Sorry for the bad news but you're likely hooped. I have product that will take "some" of the staining off but sulphuric and hydrochloric on stainless steel are poison.

You're very lucky you weren't standing over that sink when it bubbled up. Anyone that's updated their whmis training lately and watched the vids therein can verify. If you'd got a caustic involved in the process, especially beads. you could have been a whole world of hurt.

Always amazes me what people will do with chemicals without doing some background research first.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Must be an organic compound that stained.

Just curious. Magic eraser with sunlight detergent didn't work? Try liquid hand soup next.

No it's not. It's acid on soft metal. Liquid handsoap will accomplish nada.

[Arctic]

Make a paste with dishwasher powder and let sit for awhile, .....always cleans stainless!

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by 270person

No it's not. It's acid on soft metal. Liquid handsoap will accomplish nada.

When I changed our kitchen faucet blank gunk spilled out. Same cleaning worked for me.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

When I changed our kitchen faucet blank gunk spilled out. Same cleaning worked for me.

Sure. That wasn't sulphuric acid caused burning.

[molly]

Originally Posted by 270person

Sorry for the bad news but you're likely hooped. I have product that will take "some" of the staining off but sulphuric and hydrochloric on stainless steel are poison.

You're very lucky you weren't standing over that sink when it bubbled up. Anyone that's updated their whmis training lately and watched the vids therein can verify. If you'd got a caustic involved in the process, especially beads. you could have been a whole world of hurt.

Always amazes me what people will do with chemicals without doing some background research first.

If I hadn't forgotten the hot water still sitting in the trap, I don't think it would have done that. Cold water only for flushing it afterwards. I have used this product many times but never into a sink I had just poured a bunch of hot water into...and I always stand back anyway!!

[molly]

Any other remedies for sink drain maintenance? I am very careful now not to have any cooking grease go down there, and we have been putting some table salt followed by boiling water down there. Or even just boiling water. Obviously, this has its limitations....

[270person]

Originally Posted by molly

If I hadn't forgotten the hot water still sitting in the trap, I don't think it would have done that. Cold water only for flushing it afterwards. I have used this product many times but never into a sink I had just poured a bunch of hot water into...and I always stand back anyway!!

At least you didn't add the water to the acid Molly. That can give some really aggressive reactions.

I've been able to remove some acid staining from stainless with a peroxide/surfactant/d'limone blend but it took some elbow grease and it doesn't sound like it was as severe as your issue. Sulphuric acid is mean stuff.

In future you could try an enzyme to reduce odor and organic buildup if it continues to be an issue. Sounds like a problem trap and some faulty plumbing. A caustic at the other end of the pH scale usually works well on plugs as well. Caustics have their own set of warnings but they're safer than acids.

[Nova]

Originally Posted by molly

Any other remedies for sink drain maintenance? I am very careful now not to have any cooking grease go down there, and we have been putting some table salt followed by boiling water down there. Or even just boiling water. Obviously, this has its limitations....

Post a picture of the plumbing under the sink. If it really is an issue with the way it was done, it might be all of a $10 fix. Less than what the drain cleaner is costing you.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by molly

Any other remedies for sink drain maintenance? I am very careful now not to have any cooking grease go down there, and we have been putting some table salt followed by boiling water down there. Or even just boiling water. Obviously, this has its limitations....

Selkirk

[silverdoctor]

Stainless sink?

The black stuff should be organic materials. Home hardware sells pure lye (sodium hydroxide) crystals and that should work. It's all I use to clear drains.

Put some warm water in the sink, add some lye crystals and stir it gently, let it sit.

[Little red riding hood]

You can try buffing it out with baking soda, but it's going to take some serious elbow grease!

[silverdoctor]

Actually, what kind of pipe is used for the drain? PVC or ABS or other? Sulfuric acid doesn't react well to some plastics, the exothermic reaction can actually bring water to the melting point of PVC for example.

Pull the trap, see if there's any damage.

[Dewey Cox]

Bleach

[CaberTosser]

I would try abrasive discs chucked in a drill and Barkeepers friend. Why would you be putting nasty acid into what I'm assuming is a septic field anyways? People need to bite the bullet and physically auger the darned drain, half measures cause more problems than they solve. Chemicals are also rather unpleasant. I can often smell peoples Draino attempt and I'm glad its easy to recognize as the stuff is dangerous for the plumber called out when the half-measure fails. I've had Draino spatter bleach out my pants and it burns my forearms when flung off my drain cable. Safety glasses are a must when running the auger through that junk, a good idea anyways but mandatory when chemical is present. If I had a $5 bill for every time I smelled it or saw the empty container while the client denied using it I could treat the wife to a weekend at Lake Louise.

For those noting a vinegar mixed with baking that's more than a bit counterproductive. Either product by themselves will do something, but mixing an acid with a base chemically neutralizes a lot of their effectiveness, it's throwing money away.

[Father of five]

Plug the sink, Fill the sink with boiling water, add to the boiling water 5 dishwasher detergent tabs (the ones with the dry powder contained in the desolving pack) , stir with a wooden spoon every 5 minuets for the first 15 minuets the let sit for 45 minuets, put on a rubber glove and drain the sink, rinse the sink with hot tap water , the stain should be gone