The key to making your stainless steel look like new is proper care and maintenance. In general, the best way to clean stainless steel is to do regular light cleanings and periodic deeper cleanings. For basic cleanings, all you'll likely need to use is warm water and possibly some dish soap on a microfiber cloth.
Can you damage stainless steel by cleaning? The simple answer is yes, care must be taken when selecting both cleaning chemicals and cloths. For routine cleaning a soft cloth, with soap, detergent or diluted ammonia (1%) is suitable. For more stubborn stains mild non scratching creams can be used.
Avoid abrasive scouring powders, scrubbers, bleach and ammonia to keep from damaging the appliance's finish. Never wipe stainless steel against the metal's grain. Always wipe with the grain to prevent streaking.
Dampen a microfiber cloth in warm water and wipe the stainless steel to wet it. We found that starting with a wet surface made it easiest to work with the dish soap. Next, dampen a second microfiber cloth and add a drop or two of dish soap (less is more here). Slowly begin to wipe down the appliance.
Cleaning Stainless Steel
Washing up liquid is the best mild soap product to use. This cleaning will remove any residue left from protective coatings, finger prints, installation dirt, and any airborne building site debris. The product should be rinsed off with clean water and dried with a soft lint free cloth.
Stainless steel will not corrode in normal water-based environments. However, in aggressive conditions with low oxygen, high salinity, or poor circulation, corrosion may occur. For example, this could occur in the marine industry where stainless steel is exposed to salt water.
Vinegar is the key to cleaning stainless steel naturally. It contains a mild acid, known as acetic acid, which cuts through oily fingerprints and food grime without smearing it around. At the same time, vinegar is perfectly safe to use around children and pets. In fact, it's an ingredient in many recipes!
Olive oil or any mineral oil can refurbish your stainless steel appliances to look as good as new. So grab some olive oil from your pantry, and start buffing a small amount in the direction of the grain of the stainless steel. After this easy hack, your kitchen appliances will shine like new.
Common causes of stainless steel corrosion include chlorides, hydrochloric acids, sulfuric acids, iron or carbon steel contact, and high temperatures.
Dish brush: We like to use a long-handled dish brush, such as the OXO Good Grips Dish Brush, to loosen any bits of stuck-on food. Scouring pad or sponge: A fresh Scotch-Brite scouring pad or sponge will be the most effective at removing stains. A softer Dobie pad will require more effort but will leave fewer scratches.
Vinegar can indeed damage your stainless steel surfaces if precautions aren't taken during its use. However, by diluting acidic cleaners like vinegar before application and regularly wiping down surfaces afterwards with warm soapy water, you can keep your stainless steel in pristine condition for years to come!
The pH (acid) level of soaps that will perform consistently should be in the range of 6.5 to 8.5. More acidic soaps (pH levels lower than 6.5) will corrode metal parts (even stainless steel!!) and degrade rubber and plastic components.
– highly unlikely. If you find any brown spots or deposits around the lid, pump, sides or bottom of stainless steel dispensers, you may think this is rust. This is highly unlikely. It is much more likely to be a build-up of soap that simply needs removing.
Avoid using regular Windex on stainless steel, as the ammonia content can damage the material. Although it is possible to clean stainless steel with ammonia-free Windex, it is best not to take the chance because it is difficult to tell how a cleaner will react with stainless steel.
Vinegar. As well as being non-toxic, vinegar removes dirt, grime, and sticky residue from stainless steel. However, you'll need to dilute it with water before using it to polish stainless steel: if you use straight vinegar on your steel, it will turn black. Combine one part vinegar with eight parts water.
Vinegar is safe to use on stainless steel and helps remove oil and grime. Fill a reusable spray bottle with a combination of 1:1 white vinegar and water. Spritz it on, and wipe it off — no need to rinse!
For more stubborn stains or heavy-duty messes, sprinkle some baking soda on the area, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub away with a cloth dampened with vinegar. Plain water, white vinegar, and a little baking soda are some of the best, most inexpensive ways to clean any stainless steel you may have.
Baking soda makes a great stainless steel sink cleaner because it is abrasive enough to scrub away light hard water deposits and stuck-on grease and food, but not so abrasive as to scratch shiny stainless steel fixtures like faucets. Try cleaning your sink with a paste of baking soda and water.
Scientific American states that “the chemical elements in stainless steel react with oxygen from water and air to form a very thin, stable film … The presence of the stable film prevents additional corrosion by acting as a barrier that limits oxygen and water access to the underlying metal surface.
Stainless steel is naturally corrosion-resistant, but it is not immune to rust. While it is less prone to rusting than conventional steels, exposure to damaging chemicals, saline, grease, moisture, or heat for extended periods of time can cause corrosion.
If even a few drops of rinse water are left on the parts, then when water evaporates, it concentrates the trace salts and leaves calcium, magnesium and iron deposits. These often appear in characteristic sets of white ring shapes, i.e. water spots.