I'd buy the stainless steel cleaner. Nothing else works as well, IMO.

One of the houses I clean has ALL stainless appliances -- stove, fridge, microwave, even the #$%%^ DISHWASHER is stainless!

I hate them. I hate them all! Grrrrr.

 

Always cleaned the stainless steel stuff at the restaurant with window cleaner and towels. Spray it down and dry it in the direction of the grain.

Kathie

 

We cleaned the stainless at the restaurant with rubbing alcohol and a soft cotton cloth (we used white undershirts for cleaning rags). It cleans & shines & never left streaks.

 

Window cleaner and soft cotton cloth to clean, then a few drops of OLIVE OIL on a different cloth and polish it. It won't show every fingerprint and mark if you polish it with olive oil

 

When dd2 worked fast food she said they cleaned their stainless with pickle juice.

Of course they probably had a LOT of pickle juice.

 

I use vinegar.

If your appliances become dull, as they will through normal use, you can bring back their showroom shine by using vinegar. White or cider vinegar dabbed onto a damp cloth will bring back the shine of stainless steel while protecting the coating of the steel. Vinegar is also an excellent cleaner and will help remove smudges and other marks that may show up on your appliances through normal wear and tear.

http://www.stainless-online.com/cleaning-stainless.htm

^^More pointers here^^

 

I would use white enamel paint. That is the easiest surface to keep clean in a kitchen. Black enamel shows dirt, even though it's black, go figure. Stainless steel appliances were invented by someone who doesn't cook.

 

I use either alcohol or vinegar whichever is handy at the moment. I think the alcohol works better but that's just my opinion.

 

I use alcohol or vinegar too. You can get a gallon of distilled water (or make it if you have the proper equipment) fairly cheaply, and dilute the alcohol or vinegar because it really isn't needed at full strength. Just keep whatever you decide on in a spray bottle for quick cleanups, it will last quite awhile. Every couple of weeks or so I will use a stainless steel polish spray after cleaning, just to make it resist fingerprints. I use orange oil, it leaves a nice scent in the air after.

 

Speaking of SSA's? I wonder why they have become so popular? They are obviously hard to keep clean. As for me, I still like white.

 

I have all stainless steel in my new house, at first it was driving me crazy trying to keep it looking good. The polish that came with it just made it look even worse.
I found a great stainless steel cleaner at Sam's. It's called Sprayway and all you do is spray a little on a rag and you can keep your appliances looking great with little effort. It is an oil based cleaner and I think that is the trick to being able to keep your ss appliances looking great.

 

We use a windex type cleaner, and wipe/polish with the grain, or the stainless steel cleaner if the client provides it(we can only carry certain chemicals, OSHA yada yada). The stainless steel cleaner does have an oiliness to it...if you spill anything on it CLEAN IT OFF ASAP!!! things will make a stain/corrosion/mark--seems like BBQ sauce is the worst, which I know it has vinegar--which I thought was responsible for the stain, but since some of you use vinegar, now it's back to the drawing board.

So yeah anything like mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, get it off quick!!! hmmm, actually, you know how ketchup/mustard/vinegar will clean a copper pot, maybe the vinegar is actually CLEANING the SS somehow instead of a "stain"--I'll experiment on my BBQ and get back, it's got plenty of BBQ sauce stains(can't experiment on client's stuff!).

ANybody try carb cleaner(ha!)

 

vinegar works for just about everything..also those counter wiping clothes work pretty good too..we have all stainless and never have any problems.

 

vinegar is alkaline, right? must be the acid of the tomatoes etching the SS? or the sugar?

 

My information on my new stove said to remove tomato products ASAP from the stainless steel AND enameled (black) cook top or it would etch the finish. I ended up buying a set of burners (plug in kind on each side) and a raised burner (1.5 inches) and use that when I'm canning. Still very careful with the black top when I'm cooking regular meals (spagetti, etc.)

 

pledge works great as does windex.

 

vinegar is alkaline, right? ...

no, it's acidic.
vinegar = acetic acid
from wikipedia-

Dilute acetic acid produced by natural fermentation is called vinegar.

 

I went to lowes and got the stainless steal grill cleaners, comes in a spay bottle.
My mom has worked in commercial kitchens for years and that is what they use.

Works great, and don't worry about things 'eating' through the finish

 

I went to lowes and got the stainless steal grill cleaners, comes in a spay bottle.
My mom has worked in commercial kitchens for years and that is what they use.

Works great, and don't worry about things 'eating' through the finish

I was going to suggest this. We use it on all of our stainless steel and like the results.

 

no, it's acidic.
vinegar = acetic acid
from wikipedia-

thanks... I thought it was, then was seeing people use it, and knowing tomatos are acidic, thought maybe it wasn't...anyways, yes, tomatoes are death to SS!

 

When my dh had a restaurant, they cleaned the Stainless appliances with mineral oil.