Best plumber’s putty

Oatey Stain-Free 31177 is my pick for most sinks. Oatey’s data sheet calls it a professional grade, non-staining putty made for the natural surfaces in sinks, counters, strainers and shower bases: granite, marble, quartz and sandstone, and Corian. It’s oil-free, and that’s the point of it.

Oil is what makes regular putty a risk on stone. Oatey’s regular data sheet says never to use it on marble, granite, limestone or any dimensional stone, and Oatey’s FAQ says there’s no proven way to get an oil stain out of stone. This tub takes that risk off the table.

It covers plastics too. Oatey says it’s safe with PVC and most other plastics, but not ABS. That gives you one tub for a granite kitchen sink and a PVC shower drain. Oatey lists bath wastes, shower drains, faucets and basket strainers as its jobs.

The shelf life is the quiet win. Oatey lists 2 years from the date it’s made, against 1 year for its regular putty, and its sell sheet says it stays flexible through that time. Keep the lid on. Oatey’s FAQ says putty hardens with long exposure to air.

The tub is small at 9 oz. With a specific gravity of 1.75, that’s about 3¾ ft of ½ in. rope by my math, enough for a few strainers or drains. Oatey’s cautions: never mix it with regular putty, since staining may occur, and test unusual materials first.

The Amazon listing says it’s safe on any surface. Oatey’s data sheet says not on ABS, so I go with Oatey. There’s no cure time, so you can run water right after you tighten the fixture. My call: if you buy one tub for the house, buy this one. It was new, in stock and sold by Amazon.com when I checked.

Sta Put Ultra is the stain-free putty from Hercules, an Oatey brand. Its data sheet calls it an oil-free polymer sealant and lists the widest set of surfaces on this page: marble, granite, natural or synthetic stone, cultured marble, plastics except ABS, rubber, fiberglass, ceramic, enameled surfaces, wood, concrete, grout and all plumbing metals.

That list is why it’s here. Oatey Stain-Free names granite, marble, quartz, Corian and PVC. Ultra adds cultured marble, fiberglass, ceramic and grout, which covers most molded vanity tops and shower bases. Hercules says it works on porous surfaces with no pre-treatment.

It handles differently from regular putty. Hercules calls it viscoelastic with real tack: it softens as you work it, then sticks to dry surfaces, even vertical ones. The maker says to scoop it out with a putty knife. Because it’s tacky, the bead can go on the fixture or on the frame.

It has a second job. Hercules says it works as a soft, non-pressurized water, air or gas sealant in gaps around wires, pipes and vents, indoors or outdoors, where temperatures stay under 300°F. It resists vegetable and petroleum oils and can come out years later, per the data sheet.

One honest caution from the maker. Hercules says some staining may occur on very porous surfaces directly under the putty, hidden once the fixture is set, and suggests testing a sample for 30 minutes. As with the Oatey version, never mix it with regular putty. The data sheet lists no shelf life.

At a specific gravity of 1.95, the 14 oz tub makes about 5¼ ft of ½ in. rope by my math. My call: buy Ultra for cultured marble, fiberglass or tile, or for a drain in a stone shower base. It was new and in stock from Onkata, a third-party seller, when I checked.

This is the plain putty most people mean when they say plumber’s putty. Oatey’s data sheet calls it a waterproof seal between two rigid surfaces, for setting frames, faucets and basket strainers. It meets Federal Specification TT-P-1536A, and Oatey says it stays flexible and won’t harden, shrink, crack or crumble.

It’s oil-based, and the data sheet lists what’s in it: hydrocarbon oils, limestone, talc, clays and blown canola oils. The oil keeps it soft. It’s also why Oatey says not to use it on marble, granite, limestone or any other dimensional stone.

Plastics are the other no. The data sheet says don’t use it on ABS or other plastics. Oatey’s blog is looser and lists PVC as fine. I go with the data sheet. The stain-free tub is rated for PVC, so there’s no reason to gamble on a plastic drain.

Where it belongs is a metal strainer, faucet or frame on a sink that isn’t stone or plastic. A stainless steel kitchen sink is the common case. The Amazon listing for the 3 lb size says it’s compatible with stainless steel fixtures, and nothing on the data sheet says otherwise.

Shelf life is 1 year from the date it’s made, half the stain-free’s. At Oatey’s specific gravity of 2.0, a 14 oz tub makes about 5 ft of ½ in. rope by my math. That’s several sinks’ worth, the right size for a homeowner. It has a mild petroleum smell.

My call: for a stainless kitchen sink with a metal strainer, this is all you need. If anything on the job is stone or plastic, buy the stain-free tub instead. It was new and in stock from MaxWarehouse, a third-party seller, when I checked.

Sta Put is the regular putty from Hercules, and the name is the pitch: it stays put. The data sheet calls it a sealing and caulking compound for setting fixtures, bowls, faucets, basin cocks, strainers, plugs and sink frames. It meets Federal Specification TT-P-1536.

The handling is why I’d pick it over plain Oatey. Hercules says it won’t stick to fingers or hands, has the same smooth texture from the top of the tub to the bottom, and is flexible and stretchable. It rolls into rings or shapes to fit the part. The smell is a very mild vegetable oil.

Read its limits closely, because they’re stricter than Oatey’s. Hercules says not to use Sta Put in direct contact with marble, granite or other porous stone, ceramics or manufactured substitutes, and to use Sta Put Ultra there instead. It also says no ABS. Oatey’s regular data sheet doesn’t list ceramics as a no.

So this is a putty for metal parts on stainless or other metal sinks: a basket strainer in a stainless kitchen sink, or a faucet on a stainless deck. Hercules says the seal is gas proof, fume proof, odor proof, insect proof and watertight, and that it won’t harden, crumble, crack or shrink.

Its directions match Oatey’s: roll it into a cord, lay it on the surface, overlap the ends, set and tighten the fixture, then wipe off what squeezes out. Hercules also lists toilet perimeters as a use. Oatey’s own FAQ says not to put putty under a toilet base, so I’d leave it off toilets.

The 14 oz tub makes about 5 ft of ½ in. rope by my math, at a specific gravity of 2.00 to 2.05. Hercules sells the same putty in 3, 5 and 7 lb sizes, the last in a pail with a handle.

My call: pick it if putty stuck to your fingers drives you nuts. It was new and in stock from Fat Boy Tools, a third-party seller, when I checked.

Black Swan Manufacturing makes plumbing compounds, and Stay Soft is its regular putty. The catalog calls it a plastic putty that will not harden, crack or crumble, for setting closet bowls, sink strainers and many other jobs. It meets Federal Specification TT-P-1536A, the same spec as Oatey’s regular putty.

The reason it’s here is the size. This listing is a 7 oz tub, the smallest of the six. Most homeowners set one strainer or faucet, then the tub sits under the sink for years. Oatey’s FAQ says putty that has dried out can’t be brought back, so a small tub wastes less.

Black Swan’s catalog calls it a stainless putty with excellent adhesive qualities, and says plainly: not for use on marble. It doesn’t publish ingredients or say yes or no on other stones or plastics. My call: treat it like regular putty and keep it off granite, quartz and plastic drains.

Black Swan doesn’t publish a specific gravity or a shelf life either, so it can’t go on the rope chart or the shelf-life table below. If you want numbers you can check, the Oatey tubs list both. This tub was sold by Black Swan Mfg. Co. itself.

The listing goes further than the maker. It says the putty stays soft even under high temperatures, works as fountain and HVAC putty, and fixes leaks as well as preventing them. Black Swan’s catalog makes none of those claims. Putty isn’t a leak repair; for a leaking pipe, see our epoxy putty guide.

Black Swan also lists closet bowls as a use. As with Sta Put, Oatey’s FAQ says no putty under a toilet base, so I wouldn’t. My call: buy it for one strainer, faucet or drain on a metal or stainless sink. It was new and in stock from Black Swan Mfg. Co. when I checked.

The 31170 is the same Oatey putty as the 31166, in a 3 lb tub. Oatey’s data sheet covers both under one product, so the ingredients, the TT-P-1536A rating and the cautions are the same. It’s for someone who sets fixtures every week, not once a year.

By my math, 3 lb at a specific gravity of 2.0 makes about 17½ ft of ½ in. rope, a bit over three times the 14 oz tub. Oatey’s instruction sheet says clean excess can be blended back into the container, so the leftover rope from each job goes back in the tub.

Shelf life is the limit. Oatey lists 1 year from the date it’s made. Its FAQ says putty stays pliable when it isn’t exposed to air but hardens with long exposure, and dried putty can’t be brought back. Keep the lid tight, and keep grit out of the clean putty, as Oatey’s instructions say.

The Amazon listing says it’s compatible with stainless steel fixtures and doesn’t stick to hands. The data sheet doesn’t make the hands claim. The listing also calls it military spec TTP-1536A. The real name is Federal Specification TT-P-1536A, per Oatey’s sheet.

Everything that’s off limits for the 14 oz tub is off limits here: marble, granite, limestone or any dimensional stone, and ABS or other plastics. On a truck, carry a small tub of Oatey Stain-Free next to it for stone tops and PVC drains.

Oatey also makes a 5 lb tub, the 31174, but its listing showed a future ship date when I checked. My call: the 3 lb is the right size for a service truck or a rental turnover kit. It was new, in stock and sold by Amazon.com when I checked.