http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-clean-stainless-appliances.html
Eco-Clean Stainless Appliances
By Annie B. Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
Who is sorry to say goodbye to those avocado colored refrigerators in favor of shiny stainless steel ones that
instantly give your kitchen a gourmet makeover? A rare retro fanatic might be. But the old ones were sure easy to clean! Not so with stainless steel. Learn how to be contemporary and clean, too.
Like marble counter tops and no-wax floors, cleaning stainless steel appliances isn’t as simple as you’d think. An all-purpose cleaner doesn’t do the trick for any surface like it did in the “old” days. So, while I’m envious of my friends who have stainless steel appliances in their kitchens because there is such a gourmet look to the space, I also notice that those same friends compare notes about what appears to be the bane of stainless steel owners, streaks and fingerprints.
New stainless steel is protected for a number of years by a chromium film that protects the metal from rusting, staining, and even tarnishing. But if you don’t keep up with the stains as you go along, the film can be compromised and actual repair after that is difficult.
Here is a stainless steel cleaner that is as good for everyday cleanup and the more heavy duty cleaning that is sometimes needed:
Ingredients
˝ cup baking soda
?A few squirts of a green liquid soap or detergent.
Place the baking soda in a bowl and add enough liquid soap or detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop some of the mixture onto a sponge and scrub the stainless steel. Rinse well.
After cleaning with the above soft scrub, some people like to bring the stainless steel to a high polish by rubbing the surface with straight household vinegar. I’ve found that just rinsing the soft scrub well does the trick.
Stay away from all chlorine-based products on stainless steel.
A nice aspect of clean stainless steel is that the reflective surfaces pick up the look of the rest of the décor as in a mirror, always fitting in, neutral in a way.
Watch for a new trend of non-shiny metal appliances such as those made with brushed chrome, nickel and pewter, but beware of pewter because I’ve never figured out how to remove stains from it, and I’ve tried.
More from Annie B. Bond (3244 articles available)
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19 comments
add your comment »I HAVE FOUND THAT GOOD OLD SOAP,WATER AND
CLEAR WHITE VINEGAR DOES AS GOOD A JOB AS
JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE. THE WHITE CLEAR
VINEGAR IS STILL THE BEST COFFEE POT CLEANER AND YOU ONLY NEED A COUPLE OF CLEAR
RINSES RUN THRU TO FINISH OFF THE JOB.
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why is this inappropriate?
This baking soda/dish detergent method (I assume by "green" you meant "natural," like Method or Seventh Generation) works very well. But it can be a little harsh for everyday cleaning--it might even scratch some stainless steel finishes. For gentler everyday cleaning, you can just use plain water on a soft cloth, or add dish detergent to the water for a little extra cleaning power. To remove grease, rubbing alcohol works well. Just make sure you rinse the alcohol off when you're done. There are more tips (and detailed cleaning instructions) at How to Clean Stainless Steel.
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why is this inappropriate?
This baking soda/dish detergent method (I assume by "green" you meant "natural," like Method or Seventh Generation) works very well. But it can be a little harsh for everyday cleaning--it might even scratch some stainless steel finishes. For gentler everyday cleaning, you can just use plain water on a soft cloth, or add dish detergent to the water for a little extra cleaning power. To remove grease, rubbing alcohol works well. Just make sure you rinse the alcohol off when you're done. There are more tips (and detailed cleaning instructions) at How to Clean Stainless Steel.
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For years I clean my Stanless Steal sink with elbowgrease and Backing Soada and nothing else.
Diana Fry
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When it said a green liquid soap did it mean something such as Palm Olive Dawn
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I'm with Natatia N.-- Like her, we've used just a bit of olive oil on a clean soft rag or towel after wiping the stainless steel with whatever soap/cleaner...doesn't take much...the stainless steel looks flawless.
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"Stainless" refers to the fact that is doesn't rust. Chromium is one of the alloying elements, and the fiflm refered to is a layer of chromium oxide. There are many standard grades of stainless steel, each with specific strengths and weakneses. The kitchen is a place where a stainless product can ealily come into contact with something incompatible.
If the surface is highly polishe beware of abrasives. Most comercial cleaners have some form of oil in them. Lower grade stainless (308) will attract a magnet and show rust. 316 will not attract a magnet.
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The best thing for cleaning stainless steel is quite simple - we use BABY LOTION, use a soft clean cloth, apply the baby lotion and rub away, you will be amazed its as simple as that
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If you bought it always best to use what manufacturer says to use as for pots and pans as soon as washed towel dry and use a little olive oil or cooking oil spread around pan with paper towel or if you have a can of spray and they do have olive oil spray in can use it also works great on cast iron fry pans no rust
georgiegal
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We have found that good old soda water seems to put a sparkle on our old stainless steel sink - might be worth giving it a try...
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