Stainless steel is no doubt best known for its capability to resist corrosion and rust, making it a popular choice for many home appliances.
However, if you have stainless steel appliances at your home, then you perhaps know that they are barely ever stainless.
Dust, grime, and dirt can leave stainless steel items at risk of rust. Using harsh chemical cleaning products on these stainless steel items for cleaning can endanger them and leave some stains forever.
Are you tired of all the greasy smudges, fingerprints, and water drops on these stainless steel appliances and wanted to get rid of them without getting harsh? Then you should follow these natural tips and tricks to clean your stainless steel appliances.
Basic Cleaning Tips
- Before you start cleaning your stainless steel items, try to identify the grain of the steel. Just like wood, steel also has a grain. These are the faint striations that you can see on your stainless steel surfaces. In reality, the entire sheet of steel will have a similar directional grain. You will get the shine on these items if you wipe in the direction of the grain.
- For cleaning or wiping down the stainless steel surfaces, use non-abrasive clothing material like microfiber cloth, soft sponge, paper towels, or cotton cloths, they will leave behind less lint and stains. Don’t use steel wool or hard brushes/sponges; they will scratch the surface of stainless steel items.
- Don’t try to use abrasive cleaners or bleach with chlorine, they may damage the surface of your stainless steel items. For cleaning, use non-abrasive cleaners like glass cleaners, dish soap, etc.
- Sometimes, tap water may leave stains on the stainless steel surfaces. For spotless cleaning, try to use filtered or distilled water.
Stainless Steel Cleaners
There are a lot of commercial cleaners which may not be safe to use on stainless steel surfaces. Therefore, you should try these natural homemade cleaners for cleaning your stainless steel appliances.
Warm Water
One of the simplest methods to clean stainless steel appliances is to use warm water on a daily basis to avoid time and energy on weekly basis.
Things Needed
- Warm Water
- Microfiber cloth or Soft Sponge
Cleaning Steps
- Take a microfiber cloth and dampen it is filtered or distilled warm water.
- Wipe this cloth onto the surface of stainless steel.
- Dry it off with a fresh microfiber cloth so that no stains are left behind.
Club Soda
Things Needed
- Club Soda
- A spray Bottle
- Microfiber Cloth
Cleaning Steps
- Add club soda to a spray bottle.
- Spray this solution directly onto the surface of the stainless steel appliance and wipe down it with a clean microfiber cloth.
- Wipe down the surface again with a fresh microfiber cloth to remove any residues.
White Vinegar and Olive Oil
how-to-clean-stainless-steel-appliances
White vinegar is one of the go-to cleaners for cleaning home appliances. It is amongst inexpensive cleaners that people use most of the time to clean dust, grime, and residues from different household items. White vinegar is also best for cleaning stainless steel appliances.
Things Needed
- White Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Microfiber Cloth
Cleaning Steps
- Apply two teaspoons of white vinegar onto the microfiber cloth and wipe down the surface of the stainless steel item and leave it for 2 minutes.
- Then dab a clean microfiber cloth into some olive oil and wipe this onto the surface. This will create a shine on the stainless steel surface.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is also very amazing for cleaning stainless steel surfaces. This is best if your appliances have hard-to-remove residues.
Things Needed
- Baking Soda
- Water
- Microfiber cloth
- Baby or Mineral Oil
Cleaning Steps
- Take three spoons of baking soda and make a thick paste with water.
- Apply this paste onto the surface of stainless steel; let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Wipe down this paste with a microfiber cloth.
- Take a clean wet microfiber cloth and wipe down all the residues left behind.
- You can use baby or mineral oil for polishing after cleaning the surface.
Lemon Juice and Baby or Mineral Oil
Lemon juice is very good for cleaning stainless steel appliances. Tho, It contains a very mild acidic substance that is very helpful for removing grease, stains, or residues.
Things Needed
- Lemon Juice
- Baby or mineral oil
- Microfiber cloths or soft sponges
Cleaning Steps
- Dampen a microfiber cloth or soft sponge in some lemon juice and wipe down this cloth with the direction of the grain on your stainless steel item.
- Take another clean microfiber cloth, dampen it in warm water and wipe away the residues if any.
- The final step is to polish the surface. For this purpose, take a clean microfiber cloth and drop some tiny drops of mineral or baby oil onto this cloth and move this cloth in the direction of the grain to get some extra shine.
You can use any natural method for cleaning your stainless steel appliances without wasting much money, time, and energy.
Note: You can use any available oils like baby oil, mineral oil, or olive oil for polishing the stainless steel items after cleaning all the debris from the surface to get some extra shine.