What Is the Best Cleaner for Stainless Steel Appliances?

I know, it feels awful when your favorite stainless-steel utensils and pieces start to fade the showroom glow they came with. There are commercial cleaners available. But they can irritate the appliances and often these come with hazard warnings. In such a case, going for other routes that are not harsh sounds good.

And, fortunately, there are other ways or cleaners that can keep those stainless-steel surfaces smudge-free without being too dangerous. I try some DIY cleaners for cleaning my kitchen stainless steel plates, bowls, pans, and sinks.

So, if you are wondering what is the best cleaner for stainless steel that is not harmful, then keep on reading!

What Is the Best Cleaner for Stainless Steel: For Cleaning Plates, Pans & Sinks …?

Not every piece made with stainless steel can be handled or cleaned using the same method. Especially, when it comes to stainless steel kitchen sink. And so, we’ll talk about some basic ideas first and then explore cleaners that can pay a good value for this task.

Learn Some Basics

To clean stainless steel utensils or stuff, you need to keep a few things in mind. These are going to help in getting better results by the end.

The first thing is about rubbing. Most people believe since the smudges or spots are too stubborn, rubbing them hard will make it go away. But this is absolutely wrong and it will surely cause damage to your belongings.

The trick is always to rub or wipe with a gentle motion. Take your time and don’t rush over getting a clean surface no matter what cleaner you’re using.

The next matter is about fabric you use for cleaning. I know people who don’t really mull over picking cloth for wiping their stainless-steel belongings. You should always use a non-abrasive fabric such as microfiber cloth. Paper towels are also good stuff that helps.

Never pick a scrubby pad. This is going to clean the actual finish of your appliance out.

Always have a check about what grain your appliances follow. You need to maintain that direction for wiping. That’s the best way to get the utmost shine.

Not only will wiping against the grain ruins your appliance but also, it's less effective.

The Power of White Vinegar

My son will often complain that our apartment smells like salad and veggies. And that’s quite true because my go-to trick is to use white vinegar for cleaning every stainless-steel utensil once in a while.

You can’t imagine how effective it is for breaking residual grease elements. I simply like to use it in a spray bottle. A few splashes and wiping do the trick pretty well.

Bringing Back Shine with Oils

I know most of us will think twice about using mineral or baby oil on their expensive appliances. But you know what, these are surprisingly beneficial for polishing stainless steel surfaces. These are great at making the outer surface pretty shiny and glossy.

The finishing results are quite like a new one. Some people also prefer using olive oil for such needs. This is safer for utensils where you will store food. I like to use a microfiber cloth with a few drops of olive oils to gently wipe and polish.

However, there is a problem of fingerprints and smudges being more visible through using this trick. Otherwise, it’s a cheap ticket for glossy sheen on your favorite appliances.

Detergents Are Not Only for Dishes

If you are someone who don’t really like the idea of using club soda or detergent because your stainless-steel appliances have a tendency of catching water stains, then here’s one way.

You can easily use a dab of non-toxic dish soap. With a damp cloth, you can use the amount to remove tiny smudges or spots. Then simply opt for another dry cloth for keeping the water-panic away.

Playing with Soda

Club and baking sodas are a very old method of cleaning stainless steel stuffs. Many consider it working while others find them troublesome. You can decide whether to try it or not by simply using a small portion on stainless-steel appliances. A patch test should be enough to figure out.

I have used club soda to get rid of fingerprints and old spots. The leftover streaks were a bit hassling but an oil polishing was a quick remedy to that problem.

The thick paste of baking soda and water also works really well for small sections. You may have to remove the leftover white residue. This is not so bothering to do using a damp cloth following a dry microfiber polishing.

Bring WD-40 Into Your Kitchen

WD-40 is a pretty common thing laying in bottles inside the garage. You can simply use the product inside a spray bottle to directly splash them over your stainless-steel appliances. Then using a clean rag simply wipe it off.

It’s great for providing a super clean and shiny look. Also, the product can work as a barrier for fingerprints.

However, if you are using it for an appliance that is supposed to contain food, be cautious. WD-40 is petroleum-based stuff. So, you should get rid of it properly before storing food.

Getting Rid of Fingerprints

The majority complains of messed up stainless steel stated fingerprint problems. You can easily get rid of such issues using glass cleaners such as Windex. Use a microfiber cloth with glass cleaner sprays on it.

Then with a circular motion, you can easily clean the entire area to make it free from fingerprints. Never directly spray since it might cause drip marks making the mess even big.

Conclusion

Now, what is the best cleaner for stainless steel among all of these? Making a biased choice here is quite unfair. Because all of these DIY tricks seem to work for different folks depending on the stainless-steel type, gauge, and quality.

You need to figure out what trick works well for your appliances. And with repetitive use, you’ll know the trick yourself. Till Then Good Luck!