Livin’ the dream
Ahhhhhh, the beauty of stainless steel appliances. So many of us were swept off our feet by your illustrious sheen. We ripped out old stoves & dishwashers and yanked out refrigerators. Those old appliances were replaced with top-of-the-line, brand spanking new shiny stainless steel. We treated you like a baby (heck many of us even spent night after night coming back into the kitchen just to look at you )
But our dreams of never-ending, not a smudge anywhere, I can see myself in the reflection love affair, would come to an abrupt end with the very first greasy handprint.
Soon after you bought your shiny new appliances you then went out and bought any product that came with a promise of getting that glow back and erasing those tiny little fingerprints.
But once again you would find yourself heartbroken as many of the products geared towards cleaning stainless steel end up either leaving a thick paste-like haze behind or it looked greasy. (an attempt by chemical companies to cover the marks with a greasy shine) and the oily sprays just attracted dust like a magnet.
The bad thing about some of these products is once you start using them they build up a film on the surface and you will have to use a degreaser to remove and start back at a clean slate again.
You can avoid all of that ( the expense of trying overpriced creams and wipes and oils) and just stick to the basics. What I am about to say may sound crazy, but it’s so crazy because it actually works.
Are you ready? Plain soap and water, but the secret is what you dry it with. Shhhh, it’s something I discovered one day while cleaning and I am only telling you!
Step by Step
Get your favorite grease-cutting dish liquid (I love dawn Platinum), a spray bottle, 2 microfiber cloths, and the secret tool; a round microfiber wax applicator (the kind they use to apply a wax coat to cars).
First, fill your spray bottle with 90% warm water and 10% Dawn Platinum dish liquid.
Starting at the top of the refrigerator spray it top to bottom, and left to right. Take one of the microfiber cloths and soak it with water and wring it out. Then use the microfiber to go in circles cleaning and scrubbing the appliance to remove any grease, stuck-on food, or handprints. Immediately use another microfiber with plain almost hot water and rinse the appliance, again top to bottom, and left to right. Now the secret is before it dries, use the wax applicator pad to really dry it and buff it out. The magic of the applicator pad is it is microfiber wrapped around a sponge in the middle. The sponge absorbs any moisture and the microfiber buffs out any streaks!
It literally costs pennies to clean this way
This method of cleaning stainless steel is non-toxic and cost-effective as we all have dish soap on hand and the microfiber sponges can be washed and reused. This is truly non-toxic, earth-friendly, and budget-friendly.
Products I Do Not Recommend
Products that I would NOT use that many people swear by (I think they love how shiny it looks at first).
Baby oils and WD-40. Any oil left on the surface will instantly attract any dust particles floating through the air, instantly negating the idea/look of a clean surface. Not to mention as soon as you touch an appliance with a thick oil applied you leave behind fingerprints, and now your hands are oily.
Also, WD-40 is on the top 10 list of carcinogens and is highly flammable which causes a hazard if someone attempts to spray a gas stove front.
Again using products with all of that oil or those heavy creams might give you a very short-term shine that you are looking for, but they will build upon the appliance and look greasy in hours.
Many people tout using vinegar and glass cleaner to clean stainless steel. This is a huge NO!
Glass cleaner contains ammonia which when used on a regular basis will cause the metal to pit and eat away at it and vinegar is a huge NO on stainless steel as it contains a diluted form of acetic acid, positive hydrogen ions in the acid remove electrons from iron, ionizing it and making it susceptible to rust.
What you need to know about your appliances before you deep clean them
Check your cleaning products ingredient list before you apply! Know your products before you apply something to your new $2,000 fridge. You don’t want to ruin your appliance nor do you want to apply anything to a gas stove/oven that is flammable. It may not cause a fire when applied but if there is a residue left near the open flame when someone turns the stove on, it could be a huge problem.
Original article at Martha Stewart Living
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