If you're dealing with a stain that's been on your stainless steel for a long time, you can mix equal parts of baking soda and dish soap. This will make a paste that's abrasive enough to remove dirt and grime without scratching the stainless steel.
Stainless steel is often found on appliances, and scratches in stainless steel can usually be buffed out with a soft-bristled toothbrush and whitening toothpaste. Use a metal polish to finish cleaning up stainless steel with help from a professional house cleaner in this free video on stainless steel scratches.
Wash with water and soap, dry. Then, use a microfiber cloth with a dab of oil and rub parallel to the lines in the stainless steel. It restores the shine and disappears those lines for 6 months or so.
If you live in a place with hard water, you'll be all too familiar with the sight of hard water stains on stainless steel. The white smudges and streaks are quite unsightly against clean silver surfaces. Thankfully, it's not anything to worry about so long as you don't allow the stains to sit for too long.
Our go-to solutions for cleaning stainless steel pots and pans are bicarbonate of soda and lemon. For those blue-ish rainbow stains that sometimes occur inside a pan, we've found vinegar works best, and for a final polish, we like the Mauviel Inobrill Stainless Steel Cleaner.
Streaks are usually the result of wiping against the grain or in a circular motion, using the wrong or a dirty cloth, not using enough cleaner to dissolve greasy film or not buffing thoroughly enough after cleaning. For added shine, buff the entire surface well afterward with a clean microfiber cloth.
Sprinkle with baking soda, then scrub gently until the spot disappears. Wipe the area clean with water and dry with a clean cloth to remove any remaining moisture to prevent further water marks appearing.
Take some diluted white vinegar and scrub with a non-abrasive sponge. Then after thoroughly working the vinegar into your cookware, you just need to rinse and dry. The acidity of the vinegar will work to break down the oxidized rainbow layer to keep your stainless steel pots looking their silvery best.
Combine one part vinegar with eight parts water. Spray the solution on the stainless surfaces and let it sit for five minutes. Afterwards, rinse with cool water or wipe with a damp cloth. After your stainless steel surfaces have dried, sprinkle them with olive oil and wipe them with a clean cloth.
Olive oil is a great option for cleaning stainless steel, such as pots, pans, and appliances.
Non-abrasive Cleaners
Some examples of non-abrasive cleaners are Bar Keepers Friend and Method Stainless Steel Clean + Polish. If you're using a powder cleaner, you'll want to mix it with some water to create a paste. From there, take a damp cloth and rub toward the direction of the grain.
Answer: To remove burn marks, heat, or grease stains from stainless steel: Apply Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner Polish to a sponge and lightly rub with the grain until burn marks are gone. Wipe any remaining residue with a clean, damp cloth or sponge.
Don't Use Magic Erasers on Chrome or Stainless-Steel Surfaces & Fixtures. Contrary to popular belief cleaning stainless steel or chrome surfaces with harsh cleaning tools like scouring pads, SOS pads or others is a big no.
Make a paste out of baking soda and water and rub it gently on the surface, always in the direction of the grain. If you see any white residue left from the baking soda, just wipe away with a dry, clean cloth. Vinegar is also effective at cleaning stainless steel since it's natural and doesn't have any harsh chemicals.
Vinegar is highly acidic and should (almost) never be used on stainless steel because it can begin to eat through the protective coating over time. While it may not be evident at first, you will gradually start to dull the surface as the acid eats its way through the exterior coating and will make an uneven finish.
Use a microfiber or soft cloth when wiping down your appliances. Avoid cleaners that can damage steel and finishes. Instead, clean your stainless steel appliances with a dish soap like Dawn® Platinum. Its unique formula is tough enough to break up grease and grime while staying gentle on stainless steel surfaces.
DO use a non-abrasive cleaner. Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser, Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser, and Bar Keepers Friend MORE Spray+Foam are perfect for regularly cleaning stainless steel sinks and cookware. Each of these products is non-abrasive and won't harm the chrome oxide barrier when used properly.
In a bowl, combine a 1/4 cup of baking soda and a 1/2 cup of water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the stain. Spray the stain with white vinegar. Once it foams, use a microfiber cloth to scrub the paste.
If there is some discoloration on the surface of stainless steel pots or pans, that is a normal byproduct of using the cookware. Because this discoloration is often attributed to using too high of heat when cooking, reach for cast iron steel or carbon steel cookware to give you sparkling stainless steel pans a rest.
For grease and oil stains, use a degreaser or warm water with dish soap. Apply the solution, wait a few minutes, then scrub with a soft brush. For mineral deposits or water stains, try a stainless steel cleaner or vinegar and water. Spray or wipe it on, wait a bit, then clean it off.