Scjames - have you tried cleaning your sink with Barkeepers Friend powder? It's available in any supermarket and is inexpensive. Are you sure what you are seeing is rust? I used to have a stainless steel sink, and my water has a lot of minerals. When water dried in that sink, it often left a reddish-brown residue. It comes right out with Barkerpers Friend pretty effortlessly.

And, as noted above, whatever you do, do not use Brillo pads or other steel wool pads in your sink.

I just put in my new Kraus farm sink 2 days ago and it's already rusting! And I'm constantly having to wipe it down which is ridiculous, it's a sink! It should be able to have water drops in it without it causing rust problems! I don't suggest this brand as you're going to be constantly wiping it down and as it is, I have no idea how to get rid of these rust spots that are all over the bottom of my sink. Only 2 days old!

I hate that this is happening to you, Noreena.

I installed a Kraus farm sink three years ago and have had no issues at all. I would contact the company.

Noreena Sgargbossa - I think you should read this thread that you've posted on. It talks about the causes of rust in a stainless steel sink. You said you "have no idea how to get rid of these rust spots", so please read this thread which tells you how.

The stainless steel isn't rusting. If there is rust, it is being introduced somehow.

Betsy:

I remain skeptical that your sink is rusting. It looks like some sort of metal contamination. I'd spray it with WD-40 and rub it with a red Scotch Brite pad lengthwise. Be aggressive; you won't hurt it.

I just bought a 33" Kraus undermount and it too had rust spots after it was installed last month. Looked like rust chicken-pox on the tub floor. Oddly, the sink is magnetic (pure stainless is not). I spoke with and emailed Kraus photos. The customer service person said that this happens very very rarely and said the magnetism would wear off (that defies the laws of nature). He offered to send me "Bar Keepers Friend" to clean off rust. I told him that only magnetic, non stainless, steel rusts. So they are sending me a new sink (which I have to repay to have the old sink removed and new one installed). I am first going to check to see if the replacement sink is magnetic though. I NEVER had this type of problem with Franke sinks.

Do a google search. Stainless steel can get rust on it when something is introduced that causes a reaction - sea salt, chlorine, steel... Usually you can clean it up and then watch. The metals used to create the stainless can "protect" themselves to a point. There are some really interesting articles....

What is "pure" stainless?

@HU-492820642 - wiscokid is eluding to the fact that stainless steel is not a pure metal. Here is a definition I found:

Type 304, with its chromium-nickel content and low carbon, is the most versatile and widely used of the austenitic stainless steels. Its alloys are all modifications of the 18% chromium, 8% nickel austenitic alloy. Type 304 proves to be resistant to oxidation, corrosion, and durability. All provide ease of fabrication and cleaning, prevention of product contamination offer a variety of finishes and appearances. Type 304 stainless steels are used in corrosion resistant electrical enclosures, auto molding and trim, wheel covers, kitchen equipment, hose clamps, exhaust manifolds, stainless hardware, storage tanks, pressure vessels and piping.

I have installed one and after just two day’s of moving in it is rusting

I used Barkeepers Friend on my 1mo old sink that started showing linear rust stains on front, after someone suggested it on this thread. I am elated to say it did the trick and have had no problems with it since! Apparently somewhere before getting to me something that rusts was introduced to the surface. Worth a try. It was such a huge relief! It was installed in my newly remodeled kitchen and I couldn't afford to remove it and risk ruining new counter tops.

I have an undermount Kraus stainless sink. I have been really pleased with the look and function until after a month of use. Tiny rust spots have now appeared. So disappointing.
I thought maybe the rack that covers the bottom that came with they sink may be to blame, but I see no rust appearing on it

In a sink, the spots are sometimes caused by the metals left in the sink. Cast iron pans, some silverware, some pots, aluminum cans. That's where the grate comes in handy by keeping these off the bottom. But if you are soaking them, then it goes everywhere. A simple scrub with baking soda can do the trick or Barkeeper's friend if it is a lot. Always rub in the direction of the steel - you should be all good!

I've had my stainless sink with unfiltered well water for 16 years and it looks brand new.

The issue that everyone is dancing around is that very often the alloys on import sinks like Kraus are not what they claim them to be. Just because it’s claimed to be 304 stainless doesn’t make it so. Which is where the issue that stainless that is magnetic comes from. It is not 304 if it’s magnetic. It’s a different alloy. At least with the major brands import products, the factories are tightly company owned and company controlled, as are the materials supplies. Many of the import resellers buy from whichever factory bids the low price.

My Kraus is almost 6 years old and no issues. Sorry to hear that others are having some.

I've never seen a rusting Kraus sink.

I have 2 under mount Kraus sinks going on 3 years. No rust.

Rust also can be caused by the water itself. My municipal water has a lot of iron in it. My sink shows rust quickly as the water dries in it. If I didn’t understand about that, I’d be on this thread saying I have rust spots too. Though my sink is custom 14-gauge stainless steel, so I can’t fear-monger about Chinese sinks. So, my water has a lot of iron. Shrug, spend 5 minutes with Barkeepers Friend and my sink is gleaming again.

I have the kraus sink...it is rusting, I used bar keepers friend and it took the finish off leaving a white spot. I purchased from Amazon. it would be too expensive to replace given I have a large quartz slab on the counter and do not want another kraus sink. I would not buy this sink. lots of regrets on this purchase. I'm glad people aren't having this issue, but I definitely am...

Aparna:

Your sink isn't rusting. You're getting some sort of contamination rust appearing on the sink.

i have a white bleach mark where the stainless is coming off in addition to the rust spots. I either have a faulty or counterfeit sink. For how expensive my kitchen was, and extra $600 for a Franke from an established plumbing supply store would have been well worth it. When I received the sink it was soundproof and had great specs and felt like good quality. Unfortunately the the materials were not as adverstised. That said, people can do what they like with their money and take their own risks. I don't have kids or a husband. I don't leave dishes in the sink and clean it out and dry it. This is a bad sink. I just want to save someone else the headache and heartache. Folks can argue with me all they want about whether this is rust or not, but rust colored stains and bleached out spots are not due to usage or carelessness or using harsh cleaning materials. I've had other homes and sinks and NEVER had this issue at all.

@remodelingincali Can you post a picture of your sink? I had never seen stainless come off a sink! Sinks are molded from a sheet of stainless - I 'm curious as to what brand as well.

Do sorry this happened to you

My postings keep getting deleted.

Let me try one pic instead of a few.

There are five spots like this...in, the rust is all over

and yes, it's damp in this image, I just cleaned and wiped it.

This is the sink

Kraus KHU100-32 Standart PRO 16 Gauge Undermount Single Bowl Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink, 32 Inch

Here is another photo

one more photo

I remain skeptical that it's the stainless.

In your second picture what is that rolled looking area in the sink at the top of the photo?

@vinmarks oh that's the slope...supposed to be there.

Ok so it's just the curve of the sink? Must be the way the light is reflecting off the sink.

I have this exact sink and have none of the problems you are having. Did you purchase this from amazon? I'm wondering if it's a knock off.

Your sink is not rusting. Any 430 or 304/304L will withstand normal kitchen use. Your steel is stained/contaminated. Give it a good clean with stainless steel approved cleaner (don’t use strong acids or chlorides or anything that scratches the surface- that can initiate corrosion however)

@jennifer Svensson, I cleaned it again with lemon and baking soda. Some marks came off others remain. the white spots - what are they? and why is this happening to this sink. This is not my first house, or kitchen remodel, but it's the first kraus sink I ordered on amazon vs a reputable kitchen store. the spots don't come off. I'm happy for anyone who has the sink with no issues. 80% of reviewers rated this sink a five too. but, I'm having issues, the white spots don't go away, the finish is coming off and is now uneven and I have rust spots or stains. I've been using weimans stainless cleaner, bar keepers friend and baking soda with dawn or lemon. any other suggestions or ideas?
Joe, some of the particulates are coming from the grate which I have not been drying, so you are correct that some of the staining is water from the grate. ok, but none of this should be happening given the care I take of the sink.

Aparna do you have pictures of the white spots?

It’s not uncommon for SS to have rust contamination from other objects or even water. That’s is what we see. It’s not something you wash off with dawn, it can be very stuck to the SS. Someone mentioned impurities. If the steel has impurities (mainly sulphur) which is a defect that can happen during the annealing process it will be detected during corrosion testing and microstructure photos (all required by producers of steel per ASTM/ASME) and the impurities will be found in the grain boundaries of the microstructure and corrosion would happen all over the material. That’s not what we’re seeing here. Localized corrosion is also possible if a corrosive media is left on a SS surface long enough which is unlikely as this is a sink.Difficult to say what the white spots are. If the SS is very dull, rather than white it’s possible the surface got ‘pickled’ or possibly etched if you used a very strong product not intended for SS. At any rate, if you’re very unhappy with the sink you must contact the retailer and start a claim.

@juneknow - day job is for a reputable steel mill focusing on metallurgy and working primarily with stainless steels and nickel alloys for very corrosive environments in petchem and refining I know what I’m talking about.

I tested my 2 Kraus sinks. Neither is magnetic. Neither with rust.

My sink was counterfeit and faulty. I really don't care what others think here, I'm seeing it. I can decide to file a claim which is useless as it will cost me 15K to replace it as the stone can't be removed and replaced without getting a new slab. Or I can figure out how to maintain and keep it as clean as possible. I will try a stainless steel cleaner -- I found the lemon and baking soda followed by micro fiber removes the newest surface stains. I would recommend to the person who purchased the farmhouse sink, to use a regular regemin of baking soda and lemon, and a monthly stainless steel cleaner to ensure her problem does not continue to get bigger like mine did. Bark keepers friend created the white spots for me. I would recommend anyone to stay away from ordering things like this on Amazon and go to a reputable kitchen supply store.

remodelingcall I use Bio Cleaner cleaning clay on my sinks. I bought it from QVC. It's the best stuff I have found for my stainless sinks. I've used bar keepers friend, Hopes, Weimans and a few others and the Bio Cleaner Clay is far better and easy to use. Could be worth a try.

I will defer to Joseph, but I believe you can change the sink without having to change the top. The challenge is if you wanted a different brand, then you have to worry about the opening size.

"I can decide to file a claim which is useless as it will cost me 15K to replace it as the stone can't be removed and replaced without getting a new slab."

remodelingincali:

Fortunately this is false. I have a sink replacement business and with the exception of solid surface countertops, I never pull tops to replace sinks. You tap the cabinet front off and go in underneath. Did it today.

If I change a sink without changing the cutout, it's often less than a 2 hour job.

Hi Joseph,

I've seen your threads where you say this so I would believe you, not sure if there are installations where you can't - I thought undermount sinks could not be replaced without lifting the top, but this is good to know. I'm assuming it doesn't matter where the seam in the counter is then.

I just showed my brother these pictures. He is a chief metallurgist for a major steel company. His professional opinion is the following:

(He dictated it to me. lol)

1. The small rusted areas are caused by non-metallic inclusions. This is caused by inferior steel- making practices. The general staining also shows signs of poor alloy control. The materials used to make these sinks are of a sub-par quality. Some of these sinks, depending on the steel mill, may be perfectly fine while others will suffer problems due to poor steel-making practices.

I actually have one of the "good" ones so I guess I got lucky.

P.S. He said there is nothing to do to "fix" it...except replace.

@mom2sulu thank you. I appreciate info. @ joe, relieved to know I can swap sinks without taking off the top @vinmarks thank you, I will try that as some of the rust marks have come off with a microfiber cloth lemon and baking soda, perhaps more will with the clay until I find another sink with the same opening and a local reputable person that can do the replacement!! all helpful information to have!!!

remodelingincali:

I've only run into one situation where the sink couldn't be replaced in the estone top cost effectively. The widow's husband had custom made the cabinets in an odd way. She was in tears as I declined, but this is business. I might take the same job now.

Seams have nothing to do with sink replacement.

I've pulled plenty of solid surface tops to replace sinks, often for convenience. I can cut them apart and re-seam them together inconspicuously and do the dusty work outside.

This thread is interesting to me-we just put in our new sink a couple weeks ago ans there are spots like that on it. it’s a Ruvati, not Krauss, and I ordered it from Overstock. I’ll try those cleaning suggestions and see if that helps. Mine is a drop in so not so worrisome in that regard, but still irritating if it is actually rust. Our last sink was a stainless double bowl from Menards, just some generic brand, super rounded and not deep at all-seriously think I got it on sale for like $50. Had it over 10 years and scrubbed the daylights out of it with all kinds of things I see now you’re not supposed to use (oops ha) and never had a lick of issue with it. Figures!

good luck Missi. I would address the spots quickly. I see that the new ones that appear come off rather easily with a lemon and baking soda followed by a microfiber cloth. I went back over the heavier marks with barkeepers friend and microfiber and many of them came up... I'd be careful with barkeepers friend, though, as it did remove my finish on a few spots -- I may have wet the cloth too much with it. But I would also try the cleaner vinmark suggested. I feel a lot better knowing I can change that sink out if I find the right person to do it so I'm not as upset as I was before. I had a Franke, Dawn and Kohler -- this is all new to me. Never again with Amazon or overstock for me on anything I need to last. My lesson learned.

Just an FYI - I'd had a Blanco brand stainless undermount sink for 14 years and I have well water. No rust . I use good old fashioned Comet to scrub it about once a week - the rest of the time just dish soap and water.