Appliances

Tips for Maintaining Your New Stainless Steel Appliances

Stainless steel appliances can be great home additions give your modern kitchen near McLean, VA a sleek and up-to-date look. However, it can also be difficult to keep your stainless steel home additions in great condition without the proper care. While stainless steel will not tarnish, the surfaces of stainless steel appliances can quickly become covered with thumb prints, nose prints, smudges, and water marks. There are a number of specially-designed cleaning products on the market, but many of them contain toxic chemicals. You may not want to use harsh chemical products on your appliances, especially if you have children or pets who may touch or lick surfaces. There is an effective, natural way of cleaning your stainless steel. Clean With the Direction of the Grain Stainless steel, like wood, has a grain. The grain of steel is more difficult to see, but if you look closely you will notice very faint striations in the material itself. If you clean at right angles or perpendicular to the grain, you may push particles of dust and dirt between the striations, making them more difficult to remove. Instead, clean along the lines of the grain, using a lint-free cloth, such as an ordinary dish towel, and ordinary dish soap. First, dampen a cotton cloth and apply a little soap. Wash the surface carefully, following the grain. Next, rinse off the soapy solution, using a barely damp cloth. For particularly stubborn stains, repeat this procedure several times. Finally, dry carefully, with the grain, using a dish towel, to remove any water marks. Polish with Baby Oil Once the stainless steel surface is clean and dry, you are ready to begin polishing. Dampen a clean cotton cloth with a few drops of mineral oil or baby oil. Polish by moving the cloth carefully along the grain, in either direction. You should now have a beautiful, clean, shiny stainless steel appliance. For optimum results, clean and polish your stainless steel appliances regularly. Use a clean cloth each time to enhance your overall kitchen design.