How to clean stainless steel?
We're often asked how to clean stainless steel. So many people are irritated by not being able to remove fingerprints and oily marks. There are now many stainless steel products in the kitchen, including sinks, hobs, rangehoods, ovens, fridges and dishwashers. All require a slightly different approach though generally speaking, a wipe over with a damp micropore cloth will suffice for most light fresh marks.
Sinks
To keep your kitchen sink clean looking good it’s best to clean as you go using just dish washing detergent after every use followed by a wipe with a clean damp cloth. For a more thorough clean use a stainless steel cleaning product and polisher, which is very effective. If the sink is in a really dreadful state follow-up the cleaning above with metal polish and elbow grease. Metal polish is slightly abrasive and will remove hard deposits, scale and minor corrosion.
Hobs & Cooktops
Baked on food spillages can make hobs hard to clean because they can become baked or burned on by the heat. Your stainless steel hob surface should be cleaned after every cooking session. Use detergent and a damp cloth in the first instance but follow up regularly with a stainless steel cleanser and polisher , which will leave a protective coating that makes cleaning easier next time. Again, for a stainless steel hob surface that has become extremely dirty, follow up all of the above with metal polish to remove harder deposits and bring out a shine.
Rangehoods
Rangehoods can become covered in oily deposits from cooking that then attract dust. The underneath is especially prone of to oily deposits but it's the top surfaces that can become caked with added dust. This can be hard to remove if left for a long time. Rangehood filters should be removed regularly and washed in hot soapy water. Some filters are dishwasher safe but do check the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations. A thorough weekly clean and polish should suffice with just a wipe over with a damp cloth when necessary in the mean time.
Ovens
Some ove doors are coated with a finish to resist fingerprints. Such coatings might be damaged by using the wrong cleaning product so check the manufacturer’s instructions and follow them carefully. If you can’t find them, a mild detergent and soft cloth should be safe enough. If your oven has no such coating, regular use of stainless steel cleanser-polish will do the job and leave a protective coating.
Dishwashers
If your dishwasher has a stainless steel door it can be cleaned with cleanser-polish but be careful if the control panel is plastic with printing on it. Use of too harsh a cleaner could cause the printing to rub off. Follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions or mild detergent with a soft cloth should be save.
Stove or Range
View your stainless steel stove or range as as two separate parts: the hob top, which can get very dirty very quickly, and the body. On the hob top use the same cleaning regime for the to as outlined for a stainless steel hob, above. For the body, a weekly clean and polish should keep your stove looking pristing. For a serious buff-up use metal polish once in a while to make it sparkle. But do check the manufacturer's instructions and be particularly careful not to rub the printing off with metal polish.
The key to keeping stainless steel looking it’s best is to never let it stay dirty and always select the best cleaning method and product for the job. If you follow the advice above your stainless steel products should always look good.