How to Clean Stainless Steel
Stainless steel has been around for a long time but it’s a very popular finish, nowadays, for appliances.
Of course, many of us have had stainless steel sinks for a long time. And that’s because stainless steel resists rust and corrosion, even when it’s often wet or even filled with soapy or detergent filled water.
Stainless steel makes it a great surface for all of those spiffy new appliances that people are having installed in their new kitchens.
So what are the best ways to clean stainless steel? Well, the single best way is to get somebody else to clean it. But barring that solution, how about trying one of these?
Glass Cleaner or Ammonia:
A little ammonia in some water, or a couple of spritzes of Windex, will remove fingerprints from stainless steel.
Fingerprints are one of the number one complaints of people who own stainless steel appliances so I’m making this the number one cleaning solution.
If you haven’t bought your stainless steel appliances yet, look into the new ones that are fingerprint resistant.
And when you’re looking to clean up more than fingerprints:
Warm Water:
Good ole warm water works well on stainless steel. Once you wipe it on, dry it off with a clean, dry towel or paper towels. Try to wipe the stainless steel in the direction of the lines of polish.
Vinegar:
What doesn’t vinegar clean? And it’s cheap, too! Wipe down your appliances with vinegar, or a vinegar and water solution, if you prefer.
Rubbing Alcohol:
Wiping down stainless steel with rubbing alcohol will clean it and shine it at the same time.
Dishwashing Liquid:
Sometimes you’re going to get something on your stainless steel appliance that just isn’t going to come off with warm water – like something oily or greasy.
Just mix up some warm water and a few squirts of hand dishwashing soap and go at it. Make sure to wipe the water off when you’re done. Otherwise your appliances are liable to become water-spotted which is a whole other “can of worms.”
Commercial Cleaning Products:
You can buy cleaners made for stainless steel. They cost more than the solutions above but sometimes you need a little more power than soap and water. Follow the directions on the packaging for best results.
Heavy Duty Cleaning:
If you really get something cruddy on your appliance.
You can use a nylon scouring pad on stainless steel without harming the finish.
Keeping Stainless Steel Clean:
A little baby oil on a paper towel with shine up your stainless steel appliances and keep them looking like new.
Stainless steel appliances can be a little bit of a hassle to keep clean, but if you know what you’re doing, it’s really not so bad. And stainless steel does make a kitchen look clean and modern, doesn’t it?
