Cleaning Stainless Steel
Ugh! My stainless steel looks terrible! But cleaning stainless steel is an uphill battle…
Stainless steel is beautiful when clean and shiny. Therein lies the problem- keeping it clean and shiny. Kitchens are the place for most stainless steel appliances and is also the place where fingerprints and water marks happen the most. You’ve probably had the experience of cleaning stainless steel covered in fingerprints with 409 or Windex – only to find a dull spot remaining and “ghosts” of the fingerprints still there.
The solution? Stainless steel cleaner.
Available in spray can or as towelettes, it is the way to get the clean and shine back. We treat a white shop terry cloth with spray cleaner (just enough to dampen the towel), then keep it stored in a plastic bag on our cleaning carts for elevators, restrooms, and other areas of stainless steel. You may try treating your cloth and keeping it in a zip lock bag under your sink for quick use. Towelettes are handy for touchup, but for the bigger job, the towel is most effective.
When starting out, you may want to initially clean the stainless steel with detergent, or some other cleaner to remove surface dirt and oil (fingerprints). Rinse the detergent away and allow it to dry, then apply the stainless steel cleaner in circular motions. Stainless steel has a “grain” to it similar to wood, therefore needs the circular motion to avoid streaks appearing later.
Once you have the stainless clean and treated, it’s a snap to maintain it’s rich beauty.
