Conclusion: Vinegar can indeed damage your stainless steel surfaces if precautions aren't taken during its use.
Vinegar is safe to use on stainless steel and helps remove oil and grime. Fill a reusable spray bottle with a combination of 1:1 white vinegar and water. Spritz it on, and wipe it off — no need to rinse!
For more stubborn stains or heavy-duty messes, sprinkle some baking soda on the area, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub away with a cloth dampened with vinegar. Plain water, white vinegar, and a little baking soda are some of the best, most inexpensive ways to clean any stainless steel you may have.
To make: Start with a clean spray bottle. Pour in white vinegar, Blue Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent and water. Apply the spray top and shake to mix. To use: Shake to mix then spray it liberally on the stainless steel surface you want to clean.
Dampen a microfiber cloth in warm water and wipe the stainless steel to wet it. We found that starting with a wet surface made it easiest to work with the dish soap. Next, dampen a second microfiber cloth and add a drop or two of dish soap (less is more here). Slowly begin to wipe down the appliance.
Stay away from steel wool and brushes. They will scratch the surface of your stainless steel and make it more susceptible to rusting and staining. Abrasive cleaners will scratch the surface and dull the finish. Bleach and cleaners with chlorine will stain and damage stainless steel.
Skip the store-bought products and use distilled white vinegar as a homemade stainless steel cleaner. It's all you need to keep your stainless steel appliances, countertops, and sink looking great.
Avoid using regular Windex on stainless steel, as the ammonia content can damage the material. Although it is possible to clean stainless steel with ammonia-free Windex, it is best not to take the chance because it is difficult to tell how a cleaner will react with stainless steel.
If you have rust on your flatware, place a rag into some regular vinegar and rub the spots vigorously until the spots have disappeared, then put some olive oil on another clean rag and rub it gently into your stainless steel flatware.
Don't have any vinegar on hand? Club soda can also be used as a non-abrasive cleaner that will give your stainless steel appliances that envy-worthy gleam. Just as if you are using water, dampen your cotton cloth with club soap and wipe down your stainless steel appliances in the direction of the grain.
Common causes of stainless steel corrosion include chlorides, hydrochloric acids, sulfuric acids, iron or carbon steel contact, and high temperatures.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
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.
One of the most effective ways to restore a stainless steel finish is by using vinegar and baking soda. Start by mixing equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto the surface of the stainless steel and let it sit for several minutes before wiping it away with a soft cloth.
Step 1: Coat the surface in bicarbonate of soda – Use a damp cloth to lightly wet the damaged parts of the stainless steel. Then, sprinkle the surface with an even layer of bicarbonate of soda, and leave the powder to sit for roughly 1 hour. Step 2: Scrub the corroded area – Use a soft brush to scrub at the corrosion.
All you need is white vinegar, and you literally just pour it in, swirl it around, and voilà. The rainbow stains disappear. Plus, because you're not using it to scrub anything dirty, you can use the vinegar across multiple pots, pans, and stainless steel surfaces.
Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar. To make the vinegar solution smell better, you can add a few drops of lemon juice. Shake the bottle well and spray the stainless steel surfaces you wish to clean. Wipe your appliances with a soft cloth, being sure to follow the direction of the grain.
Baking soda makes a great stainless steel sink cleaner because it is abrasive enough to scrub away light hard water deposits and stuck-on grease and food, but not so abrasive as to scratch shiny stainless steel fixtures like faucets. Try cleaning your sink with a paste of baking soda and water.
Hydrochloric and sulphuric acids at some concentrations are particularly aggressive towards stainless steel. General corrosion can be quite destructive and happen to the entire surface at once.
We can safely say that chlorine and chlorine products are among the greatest enemies of stainless steel - certainly of the most commonly used quality, SS 304.
You may be tempted to use a paper towel but paper towels may scratch the surface of your stainless steel appliances. A microfiber cloth is softer and will produce a better result.