Stainless Steel certainly has its benefits – it's durable, hard to stain, low maintenance and looks beautiful in your kitchen. But boy is it tough to keep clean sometimes. Especially with little children and their dirty little hands constantly rubbing on them. It probably seems like whenever you turn around you see yet another fingerprint on your oven, dishwasher or fridge. Well, have no fear. We have found five ways to ensure your stainless steel stays smudge free and looks brand new every day.
1. Warm Water
Most of the time, stainless steel will come clean with just a little warm water. Simply rinse your pots or cutlery in the sink and clean them with a gentle cloth. If you'd like, add a little detergent to help with the cleaning. Make sure you wipe thoroughly with dry towels to keep your pots and pans or appliances looking their best without any water spots.
2. Mild Non-Scratching Abrasive Cleaners
For tough food stains on pots and pans or dirt and grime build-up on your kitchen sink, try using mild non-scratching abrasive powders. You can try Comet or Ajax or you can look for speciality stainless steel cleaners at your grocery stores. This will work well if you have a stainless steel grill on your deck where it likely collects dirt and grime. For best results, use soft bristle brushes or clean cloths instead of carbon steel brush or steel wool. After cleaning, rinse with clean, hot water.
3. Vinegar
This may be one of the best and least expensive ways to keep your stainless steel shiny. All you have to do is fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar, spray on all your stainless steel surfaces and wipe dry with a soft cloth. It works because the acetic acid in the vinegar cuts through the oil left behind by dirty fingers rather than smearing it around like other cleaners. You could also use lemon juice for a similar effect.
4. Glass Cleaner
Glass cleaner such as Windex is an easy solution to help your stainless steel maintain its shiny luster. Simply apply the cleaner with a soft rag and follow with a thorough warm water rinse.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
Sometimes you may notice a sticky film on your stovetop that appears when the stainless steel comes into contact with grease from cooking. To clean this off, all you have to do is pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a soft cloth and rub until the greasy spots disappear. Then rinse off the alcohol with warm water, dry and voila – your stainless steel is glowing again!
