The key to keeping your new stainless hardware looking great and preventing tea staining issues is regular care and maintenance. Stainless steel does need maintenance just like your car needs washing!
What is Tea Staining? It isn’t Rust!
Like all materials unless cared for properly, stainless steel will become stained or discoloured over time. Tea staining is when the surface of stainless steel becomes discoloured by superficial corrosion. It is a cosmetic issue that takes place on contaminants on the surface of stainless steel, it does not affect the structural integrity or lifetime of the material!
Why Does Tea Staining Occur?
A number of key factors promote tea staining occurring such as:
1. Presence of corrosive substances
Saline air causes sea salt to form on the surface of the stainless steel and is one of the major causes of tea staining. Sea salt remains damp until a very low relative humidity meaning the hardware surface stays damp (corroding) for longer with sea salt. Industrial pollutants in the air could also make conditions even more aggressive. Sea sprays is known to travel several kilometres inland, therefore, virtually most towns and cities in Fiji are susceptible to sea spray/saline air.
2. Atmospheric conditions
In an atmosphere of high humidity combined with high temperature conditions tea staining manifestation. The high humidity creates a film of moisture that dissolves the salt deposits and creates a corrosive solution on the surface of the hardware.
3. Rough hardware surface
Salt can become trapped in grooves or metal folds on the surface of the hardware making these areas more likely to corrode. When the surface dries the salt becomes concentrated, making conditions more aggressive. The deeper the groove the more trapped water (and salt) there is.
The Solution to Tea Staining
1.Keep the hardware clean and maintained:
As the name states, it is ‘stain less’ not ‘stain free’. Thus, for optimum performance, hardware should be cleaned after fitting and at least every 6 months once in use, or bi-monthly if located in a highly corrosive environment such as on or near the coast. It is recommended to use a stainless-steel cleaner. A stainless-steel cleaner can be purchased from any of our Vinod Patel stores.