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NEED A CUSTOM SINK, BATHTUB OR RANGE HOOD?

NEED A CUSTOM SINK or design?

OVER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE AND 18,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

Copper Maintenance


Wax

Caring for your copper sink is surprisingly easy, they are virtually maintenance free. For basic cleaning simply use a mild soap and water—other cleaners are not necessary.

 

The one precaution we advise is to avoid leaving harsh chemicals and acidic foods in a copper sink. These can temporarily lighten a copper sink’s patina finish—whether a natural patina or an applied patina finish. Therefore, we recommend you avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials on any copper products.

 

The gradual evolution of a copper finish is an interesting process. As the surface ages and mellows it becomes even more handsome. If you like, you can greatly reduce this change with the use of wax (or lacquer, when applicable).

 

You should only use copper cleaner(e.g. Barkeeper’s Friend or Wright’s Copper Cream) if you want to maintain the bright patina of your Matte Copper sink, or if you are trying to strip the patina from a darker patina, leaving it bright Matte Copper.If you do choose to use copper cleaner on your sink, please follow the manufacturer instructions on the bottle. We recommend testing the polish on the surface first. Remove your drain prior to polishing the sink to avoid changing or removing the finish of your drain.

 

Apart from lacquered finishes, all our SoLuna patinas are a living copper finish and never really stop changing in color. We do offer lacquer on our Matte Copper and Polished Copper bath and bar sinks if you would prefer to avoid changes in the patina color. We do not recommend lacquer on kitchen or prep sinks as they typically experience heavier use, which may wear the lacquer more quickly.

Grate

 

As with any sink, if you live in an area where the water has a high mineral content, you may want to wipe your sink down periodically with a soft cloth to avoid water spotting. For extra protection, a product such as Renaissance Wax may be applied periodically to the clean copper surface. This will help maintain the luster and provide faster water runoff.

 

Consider a sink grate as another way to enhance the look of your beautiful copper sink.

 

Enjoy the living qualities of your beautiful, hand hammered SoLuna sink—it’s truly a unique and functional work of art!


Dark Smoke and Rio Grande Finishes

Wiping your sink down with soap and water is generally all the cleaning your SoLuna Dark Smoke or Rio Grande copper sink will need. Unless you are trying to strip the finish to Matte Copper, be sure to keep copper cleaners, copper polishes, chemical cleaners and scrubbing pads away from your copper sink as they can all remove the color. Acidic foods such as lemon, salsa and ketchup can lighten the finish too if they are left sitting in the sink. This will not hurt the sink itself, and the patina will naturally darken again. Apply Renaissance Wax to protect the newly patinaed area. You can also have your copper sink pre-waxed prior to shipping to protect the finish in transit.

 

Café Natural

Café Natural starts off as one of the most even-toned patinas. Your Café Natural finished sink will continue to change in tone and may develop some lighter and darker areas with time. You can maintain the even coloration by regular applications of Renaissance Wax or carnauba wax. You can also have your copper sink pre-waxed by us at the factory.

 

Matte Copper

SoLuna’s Matte Copper finish can be treated in two ways—you can leave it to patina naturally or maintain it in the bright shiny, new copper state. The first option will be the lowest maintenance of all copper sinks—simply wash the sink with soap and water and let it patina naturally.

The shiny option will be the highest maintenance and is the only finish on which you can use a copper cleaner. Polish the sink every so often to remove the patina and bring the luster of the bright copper back again. After polishing, we recommend you apply a coat of Renaissance Wax to give the finish a little protection and extend the time between polishings.

Please note: Optional lacquer on Matte Copper seals the original patina of the sink. Wax is not necessary to maintain the finish of lacquered sinks. However, waxing does support easy clean up on both lacquered and unlacquered sinks.

 

Polished Copper

SoLuna’s Polished Copper patina is our shiniest patina. It is available with our bath and bar sinks, bathtubs, and lighting. The bright copper is polished to a shine and is finished with a glossy lacquer that makes maintenance and cleanup extremely easy. All you need to use is mild soap and water.

Waxing is not necessary with polished copper patinas as the lacquer seals the copper and prevents it from changing colors. However, waxing does support easy clean up on both lacquered and unlacquered sinks and will not harm the lacquer.

 

All SoLuna’s lacquered copper products have a 1-year warranty. With proper care and maintenance of lacquered sinks/tubs/range hood will last up to 7-10 years. We recommend regular maintenance using a crème Renaissance Wax, shown HERE. We do not recommend using harsh chemicals such as ammonia, bleach, or spray waxes or abrasive scouring pads/sponges. Using these types of products will void the lacquer warranty and remove the clear protective topcoat.

 

Copper Sinks with Nickel Plated Inlays

Most homeowners today are familiar with stainless steel sinks. But nickel plating is completely different. Plated nickel is more like silver plate—it will gradually develop a patina over time.

Most common metal cleaners can be used to brighten the nickel finish periodically but use them carefully. The nickel plating is only a thin layer covering copper. Overzealous rubbing can remove some of the nickel, allowing the copper color to show through. Also, if the copper portions of your sink have a patina, keep the metal cleaner away from the copper. We recommend using Renaissance Wax or carnauba wax on these sinks to avoid metal cleaner mishaps.