Removal of wood oil from brushed stainless steel sink

[andy7780]

Hi, I've unfortunately made a very silly mistake and got wood oil (combination of Danish Oil & Osmo Top Oil) on my brushed steel undermount sink from where I have been applying the oil to the edges of the worktop. The oil has dried very hard and contains very fine bits of sawdust etc so its quite abrasive (either that or the oil has corroded the sink and its gone rusty). I've already attempted using methylated spirits and a cloth to try and remove the oil without any success.

Can someone please advise how I can remove the oil, I really dont want to have to purchase a new sink.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated !

Thanks

Andy

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Have you tried white spirits? Be careful you don't get the stuff on the wood, or anywhere else in the house for that matter.

 

[andy7780]

Hi, I haven't tried white spirits but will give it a go, thanks for the advice !

 

[andy7780]

Tried White Spirit which hasn't removed the oil. It doesn't appear to be making any impact whatsoever. Any other ideas ? Cheers

 

[Bilabong007]

As a chemist I would go:
Acetone : nail varnish remover
Xylene/toluene : specialist paint thinner (halfords)

Ethanol: methylated spirits hasn't done much so I would try the above.

I would then try chlorinated solvents. Dichloromethane or similar. On ebay but expensive.

Graeme

 

[Brigadier]

Isn't dichloromethane carcinogenic?

 

[bernardgreen]

If it is dried oil stuck the to the steel then this might work, it has not been tried with Danish oil on steel

Put a pad of strong cotton sheet soaked in the same oil mixture on the stained area. Allow to dry completely and then pull the sheet away. With luck the stain may have softened and then stuck to the cloth as it dried. With luck it will come away from the steel when the cloth is removed.

Take care as cloth soaked in Danish Oil can spontaneously ignite as it dries.

Protect the rest of the sink from the oil on the cloth.

If the stain is a discoloration caused by the chemicals in the oil reacting with the steel then it may be possible to brush it out. Whether that would work would depend on the type ( grade ) of the steel and the way the "brushed" surface was created. Have you contacted the technical department of the manufacturer ( not the seller ) about the problem ?

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Isn't dichloromethane carcinogenic?

For goodness sake, do you want a nice shiny sink, or a long life? No pain, no gain.

Seriously, these things may be carcinogenic, but usually only from long term exposure. I doubt anything would be sold if it caused cancer after one short exposure. Anyway, it would make sense to ventilate the room well (open windows), and use a suitable face mask.

 

[JohnD]

I expect the oil has been in place long enough to oxidise and go gummy or hard. That's how linseed oil paint and varnish sets.

Rub it with a green nylon pan scourer, in the direction of the brushing, never in circles, and general purpose kitchen cleaner (Flash or similar).

White spirit would have worked if you'd done it the same day.

 

[EddieM]

Isn't dichloromethane carcinogenic?

It is a suspected carcinogen, mind you toluene and xylene are very unpleasant too.

 

[foxhole]

White spirit will do the job but will need to soak for a few days, I spilt a small amount on a sheet of paper left on a wood worktop and after a week the top lost most of the oil under it [top oil].
Lighter fuel may work quicker but difficult to avoid it evaporating before it's done the job, helps to break the surface with a wooden scraper then will penetrate faster.

 

[Markns]

Probably wat too late for this poster...
But try - 3in1 heavy duty cleanser degreaser
Probably available from Halfords or similar.
Use it on a cotton swab or similar and it will rub off.
The stuff evaporates quickly so you may need several small applications.