Cost Saving Kitchen & Bath Enamel-care Secrets Revealed

• Monday, 23 November 2009

---

Are modern cleaning products safe to use on enamel? Some are. Some are not. How do consumers know whether their newly acquired enamelled cooker, cookware or bath will be harmed by a particular cleaning product? Simple - there is a newly upgraded and illustrated list of laboratory tested cleaners, safe on vitreous enamel, free to visitors at www.vea.org.uk - the website of the Vitreous Enamel Association (VEA).

Under ‘Enamel Care’, the VEA list ‘Recommended Cleaners For Vitreous Enamel’. It includes independently tested and approved household cleaning products from AGA, Astonish, Selden, Cif, Mr Muscle, Fresh & Green, Oven Mate Tableau and Ovenu.

VEA Approved and Recommended products are labelled, displaying the VEA Cleaner Scheme symbol.

The VEA maintains the ’Cleaner Scheme‘ and commissions an independent and impartial laboratory to test and check submitted cleaners do not harm enamel surfaces in kitchens, bathrooms or elsewhere. Only VEA Approved products are listed under ‘Recommended Cleaners For Vitreous Enamel’ and permitted to carry the symbol.

Enamel is tough stuff, especially if modern. It is a glass coating on metal and its full title is, 'vitreous enamel'. Older ‘vintage’ cast iron baths may have a somewhat less durable finish requiring more careful treatment and some of the modern cleaners are probably not suitable to use on them. The VEA website ‘Enamel Care’ section has a lot of excellent information on the pages covering: 'How to care for Vitreous Enamel' and 'Limescale Removal'.

Cost Saving Secret
================

The VEA has a secret to share about a 20-year old cast iron enamel bath that is still almost as good as new. It is has been used every day in a ‘hard water’ area and has been cleaned regularly with approved products. BUT – and here is the secret - it is dried each time it is used. It is as easy and inexpensive as that. This helpful hint is also recommended in the VEA’s Enamel Care tips. Drying is the key to stopping the build up of water hardness-formed deposits which are often called ‘limescale’. These deposits become very difficult to remove if they are allowed to build up and are usually caused by the soap or soap-based products used in the bath, in combination with the water hardness. If the bath is not wiped out each time it is used, a deposit will build up which can become very difficult to remove. It doesn’t take long to do – less than a couple of minutes and an old towel is ideal to use. If a bath is wiped dry, cleaning it with approved cleaning products is required much less frequently, it is much quicker and easier – and costs less. Visit to see: An enamel bath, as good as new, 20-years old but dried after use.

The website www.vea.org.uk has a lot more useful information and tips about enamel, re-enamelling and re-enamellers of baths, cookers and the huge number of items around homes and commercial kitchens with an enamel finish. It is all freely available at www.vea.org.uk.

------ ends -------

Contact details: Vitreous Enamel Association (VEA) www.vea.org.uk

Chairman, Mike Collins
Administrative Secretariat - Angela Nutting
T +44 (0)1543 450596 F +44 (0)8700 941237
Email: info@ive.org.uk Web: www.vea.org.uk

Editor's Notes:

The Vitreous Enamel Association was formed in 1956 as the Vitreous Enamel Development Council, changing to its present title in 1995.
It is the trade association for the vitreous enamelling industry in the UK and operates the unique Cleaner Scheme where cleaning products for use on vitreous enamel are tested and approved.

The VEA is part of The Institute of Vitreous Enamellers (IVE) which is the UK-based Technical Institute for excellence in Vitreous Enamelling. The IVE is a modern, dynamic organisation with a wealth of experience. Formed in 1934, it is the oldest European body of its type. Its aim is to advance enamelling technology, science and best practice and to offer help with training, advice and information to industry, specifiers and to the general public. More: www.vea.org.uk

----------------------------------

For the Vitreous Enamel Association (VEA),
Press Contact Mike Heath at M&MS, Tel: +44 (0)1926 864834

This press release was distributed via Response Source, a service from Daryl Willcox Publishing, on behalf of Media & Marketing Services. For more information visit http://www.dwpub.com/pressreleasewires