How to Clean and Care for Your Bathroom Basin (Ceramic, Stone and Stainless Steel)

A ceramic basin's glaze is hard and non-porous, so it copes well with everyday cleaners as long as anything gritty stays out of the equation. Warm water with a few drops of dish soap and a soft cloth removes most soap scum and toothpaste residue, and a diluted vinegar solution (about one part vinegar to four parts water) lifts mineral deposits around the drain or overflow without harming the glaze. The real risk to a ceramic basin is physical abrasion rather than chemistry, since scouring pads and gritty powders scratch the glaze and leave it duller and easier to stain over time.

• Wipe down with a soft microfibre cloth and warm soapy water after each use to stop toothpaste and soap scum building up
• For hard water spots or a dull patch near the drain, apply a diluted vinegar solution with a soft cloth and rinse thoroughly
• Avoid steel wool, scouring pads and abrasive powder cleaners, since they scratch the glaze even when the damage does not show immediately
• Rinse the basin fully after using any cleaning product, so residue does not dry into a hazy film

Designer tip: a soft toothbrush is useful for the overflow slot and around the tap base on a ceramic basin, since those spots collect grime that a cloth can't reach.

Cast stone and solid surface basins are a moulded resin and mineral composite rather than a glazed ceramic, and their surface reacts to acid in a way ceramic does not, so the vinegar trick that's safe on ceramic is the wrong move here. Etching shows up as a dull or slightly rough patch where the finish has been chemically worn away, and unlike a scratch it cannot simply be wiped off, since it changes the surface itself. Warm water, a pH-neutral dish soap and a soft cloth handle daily cleaning safely, and most solid surface basins can be lightly buffed with a fine, non-abrasive pad if a mark needs more than soap to shift, since the colour runs through the material rather than sitting on top of it.

• Stick to pH-neutral dish soap and warm water for routine cleaning, and avoid vinegar, lemon juice and citrus-based bathroom sprays
• Wipe up hair dye, self-tan and coloured cosmetics promptly, since solid surface can stain if a pigment sits on the surface too long
• For a stubborn mark, a fine non-abrasive pad can buff out light scratches or stains, but check the manufacturer's care guide first
• Skip bleach-based cleaners, since they can discolour the resin over time even where they do not visibly etch it

A handful of products cause damage across more than one basin material, so they are worth avoiding by default rather than checking case by case. Abrasive scouring powders and steel wool scratch ceramic and stainless steel alike, and undiluted vinegar or other acidic cleaners etch stone and solid surface even in small amounts left to sit. Bleach sits in its own category, since it is safe on ceramic in moderation but corrodes stainless steel and can discolour solid surface over time, so it is simplest to leave it out of basin cleaning altogether.

• Steel wool and scouring pads scratch both ceramic glaze and stainless steel finishes, even when the scratches are not visible straight away
• Undiluted vinegar, lemon juice and other acidic cleaners etch stone and solid surface basins, even in small amounts left sitting on the surface
• Bleach is tolerated on ceramic in small doses but corrodes stainless steel and can discolour solid surface over time
• Heavily coloured or dyed cleaning products can stain a light ceramic or solid surface basin if left sitting on the surface