We recently had a new metal kitchen sink and Formica counter-tops professionally installed, but the installer did not apply any caulking around the sink. During a follow-up call with the counter-top company, we were told that their installers do not caulk.

I bought some clear General Electric silicone caulk, caulked it myself, and let it dry for several days under a plastic sheet to ensure that it was well cured.

A few weeks after, the caulk started to peel away from the edge of the sink. I had followed the directions on the silicone caulk product, and cleaned the area before applying it.

What's the best way to prepare and caulk a sink so that the caulk doesn't continuously just come away from the edges it's intended to seal?

I want to do it as well as possible, so the caulking lasts months instead of weeks. To be honest, I am annoyed that I have to deal with this myself. We hired professional counter-top installer from a reputable local company to handle exactly this kind of thing on our behalf.