Product knowledge

Care and installation guides

iKolor

At Ikon Commercial our underlying philosophy is simple; “The benchmark of success is when our customers come back, and our products don’t”.

We want our customers to be happy with their iKolor™ purchase, so we have put together a few instructions on using and cleaning your iKolor™ product to ensure that it will be the talking point in your new kitchen for years to come:

We recommend cleaning your sink regularly:
1. Wash your sink with Sunlight or Palmolive dishwashing liquid. Do not use any eco products (as they could contain citric acid or limonene). Here’s a video explaining the hidden dangers of some eco-cleaning products.
2. Do not use any stainless-steel cleaners, bleaches, harsh abrasives, oven cleaner or other chemicals especially containing chlorine.
3. Immediately clean away any traces of fruit juice, damp salt, vinegar, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise.

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A WARRANTY CLAIM BEING DECLINED

Daily use, wear and tear
1. Like any surface in your kitchen, things do get knocked around as gentle as we may try to be.
Although iKolor is very durable, it will scratch over time, the more careful you are the less scratches will appear. Once you scratch your surface this can not be repaired.

iKolor™ Sinks work the same as normal stainless-steel sinks, so please read the “what to avoid” section of your Care and Maintenance pamphlet.

Scope of use
1. These sinks cannot be used, or have any product(s) applied by either the fabricator or kitchen company for 8 working days after manufacturing date.
2. Hot water dispensers cannot be used with iKolor as the temperatures they reach are higher then we can currently accommodate.

IKOLOR FAQ’S

How do I clean an iKolor-ed product and what cleaning products can I use?

  1. A)  iKolor products should only be washed with soapy water, we recommend Sunlight or Palmolive dishwashing liquid. DO NOT USE any eco cleaning products or any cleaning products with citric acid or limonene as they can damaged the iKolor finish (including handwashing liquid as some of these contain these products in the ingredient’s).
  2. B)  DO NOT USE stainless-steel cleaners, bleaches, harsh abrasives, oven cleaners or other chemicals especially containing chlorine (only sunlight liquid and Palmolive products)
  3. C)  Immediately clean away any traces of fruit juice, damp salt, vinegar, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise

We DO NOT recommend the use of limonene products, so please check you soap dispenser if left around your kitchen sink.

What must you be careful of when with an iKolor-ed product?

A) Although iKolor is built to be long lasting and tough it is not indestructible, collisions with hard objects, using rough cleaning items like a steelo or using improper cleaning products or items have a possibility of damaging your iKolor finish and voiding the warranty

 

Does iKolor colour stainless all the way through?

A) It is worth noting that iKolor on stainless steel does not penetrate all the way through the stainless steel. Some consumers can think that the colour has penetrated all the way through the stainless steel, however you cannot get stainless steel products that have the colour all the way through them. All forms of colouring such as powder coating, PVD and iKolor, are all processes where there is only a surface layer of colour

How is iKolor different to PVD?

A) A PVD product has a very thin surface coating of colour. PVD colouring is achieved by exposing stainless steel to different gasses at high temperatures creating a thin oxide layer in the colour desired. IKolor is a coating that is many times thicker than an oxide coating which bonds to the stainless steel, making it much more resistant to scratches and scrapes.

Reminder – Instant hot water dispensers are not recommend with any iKolor products found in the sink, due to the high temperature and concentrated area it hits.

Why is limonene so damaging to iKolor and other products found in the kitchen?

A) Limonene is an industrial paint stripper in a concentrated form, because of this even in light concentrations it could remove iKolor and remove the polymer binder in engineered benchtops and eco granite sinks. The reason it is so popular in many cleaning products is because it comes from a natural source (citrus rind/skin). This means that the “eco cleaner” can be a natural product yet still be very powerful.

GOOD TO KNOW…

  • The colour of your benchtop (or other colours in your kitchen) can affect the perceived tone and hue of iKolor-ed products
  • Likewise, lighting can also change the overall finished effect
  • Some of our colours are in ‘matte’ or ‘gloss’ finishes
  • Some colours have more texture than others
      • Please always see physical samples, available through our iKolor Specialists, before making any final decisions
  • iKolor colours can change slightly from one batch to another, so please ensure all iKolor-ed products for the same project are processed at the same time
  • iKolor supplies are sourced from overseas, so can cannot always supply exact matches with New Zealand colours
  • iKolor cannot be applied to sinks with drainers

iKOLOR CARE AND MAINTENANCE

  • Simply use soap and water to care for iKolor-ed products
  • iKolor is NOT compatible with instant hot water taps
  • Waste disposal units CAN be installed with iKolor-ed sinks
  • As with any other sink, sharp edge utensils can scratch your sink. Light scratching will scratch the same colour as the sink.
  • There are repair kits available for deep scratches

PLEASE NOTE: Any product modified for the customer, including iKolor, cannot be returned.

Copper & Brass

COPPER SINKS

Copper has the incredible ability to be a striking focal point for your home’s kitchen. Its unique beauty is what we love about it. Caring for your sink’s surface is part of helping it remain eye-catching, especially as it changes and reacts to the way you use it every day.  But in this era of soft scrubs, bleaches, disinfectants and other harsh chemical solutions, copper sinks are under constant threat. What’s safe and what isn’t? How do you keep your copper bright and “perfect”? How do you ensure a dark, elegant patina?

Unlacquered, unfinished copper sinks are usually bought with the intention of letting their patina develop naturally. What could initially be a bright, reddish golden-brown will slowly darken, developing unique patterns over the years, and maybe even some of the green “verdigris” patina. When you hear about a “living finish”, these are the sinks being referred to. This is completely normal and it’s what gives copper it’s unique rustic design qualities. This shifting in tones is known as the patina process. The patina will be irregular, lending the sink a character all its own. Scratches will reveal the brighter surface underneath, but blend out of view soon after as new patina develops over the exposed area.

“Patina” is the name for the layer of oxidized material that forms as the copper corrodes. Its colors range from browns all the way to light greens

Raw copper sinks are the easiest to clean and take care of. Because the goal is to let a patina develop naturally, the surface of the sink is left unprotected, which means you don’t need to worry about applying or re-applying anything

Copper is anti-microbial or biostatic, meaning that many microorganisms do not survive for more than a few hours on a copper surface. But this is only on raw, untreated surfaces that are kept that way. If you have a raw sink and want to reap its full benefits, don’t wax it.

Please note: Copper is a soft and malleable metal, so it can easily get minor dents during shipping.

 

BRASS SINKS

Brass is a mixture of copper and zinc and cannot rust. Algae cannot live on it and it is believed to have antibacterial properties.

Your Ikon brass sink should not be brushed with a bristled brush. Please follow the cleaning instructions below to extend the life of your copper/brass product

 

DAILY CARE OF YOUR COPPER / BRASS SINK

  • Do not leave food sitting in your sink after use. Always wipe your sink after every use with a clean cloth to keep it dry.
      • BRASS ONLY: If staining does occur, remove with either lemon juice or citric acid mixed with hot water.
  • Avoid abrasive materials and cleaners: no steel wool or similar products
  • BRASS ONLY: Add a little vinegar to the dishwashing water (as for a steel sink). Vinegar ensures that there are no lime stains on the brass which would remove the luster
  • COPPER ONLY: Bleach is only safe with raw copper, but should not be necessary with regular cleaning (recall the anti-microbial nature of those sinks).
    • For stubborn stains, apply a paste of baking soda and water and scrub with your sponge or brush. The baking soda is abrasive enough to help work out stains, but mild enough to not cause damage.

Below is a list of several items that can strip the patina from your copper/brass sink:

  • Acidic foods (like citrus, tomatoes, ketchup, pepperoni, soda, oils / oily food like chips, etc.)
  • Cosmetics (toothpaste, make-ups, shaving cream, etc.)
  • Abrasive chemicals (avoid bleach, drain unclogging chemicals, etc.)
  • Even oil from your fingers can affect patina (particularly on a naked copper finish)

If you expose these items to your sink, don’t worry! First, try to remove them and their residue as quickly as possible. If you leave them on for an extended period of time, they will strip the patina. That’s okay! Don’t panic! Just take a deep breath, sit back, relax, and let the patina process take over. Over the course of several days, you’ll notice that the bright, shiny copper is returning to the rich tones you see in the rest of your copper/brass sink.

PITT gas cooktops

PITT installation and cut out instructions (PDF)

PITT user manual (PDF)

PITT Corian benchtop report (PDF)

PITT hole patterns – all models (PDF)

HOW TO KEEP YOUR PITT CLEAN

PAN SUPPORT
We recommend that dirty pan supports be soaked for about an hour in a liquid soap and baking soda mixture before being rubbed with a cloth or soft sponge. The silver-colored scratches that sometimes appear on the pan supports are caused by the base of your pan(s). Higher-grade pans definitely have a softer base and the material can sometimes rub off. With the rough side of a (scouring) sponge you can remove this.

BURNER CAPS
We recommend that dirty burner caps be soaked for about an hour in a liquid soap and baking soda mixture before being rubbed with a cloth or a (scouring) sponge.

BURNERS
Aluminium burners
Aluminium burners can be left to soak in cleaning vinegar overnight and then cleaned with a sponge and a little soap.
Note: The aluminium parts must not be cleaned with baking soda as this can damage the aluminium.
Note: The burner is not suitable for the dishwasher as this can damage the product.

Brass burners
Brass burners can be cleaned with copper or metal polish that is also suitable for brass. After polishing, rinse well with water and dry with a clean cloth.
Note: The burner is not suitable for the dishwasher as this can damage the product.

Black coated burners
Black coated burners can be left to soak in cleaning vinegar overnight and then cleaned with a soft sponge and a little soap.
Note: The parts must not be cleaned with baking soda as this can damage the product.
Note: The burner is not suitable for the dishwasher as this can damage the product.
Please note: The various components of the burners are not suitable for cleaning in a dishwasher. The dishwasher salt
can cause a dull appearance.

INSTALLATION VIDEO