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Elizabeth
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Apparently, the obsessive need for cleanliness that comes with pregnancy is kicking in early this time. I have been so out of it that my kids have been cooking and "cleaning." Before this pregnancy, I had new stainless steel cookware. Now I have stained steel cookware. How to clean?
Stay tuned for more cleaning and organinzing questions.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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MacBeth
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Vinegar.
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Dawn
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Yes, I was going to say vinegar too ... Home Comforts has a recipe for a homemade stainless steel cleaner:
"Fill pot with water and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Bring to a boil; then simmer for an hour. This will remove mineral deposits."
Later on it says:
"Although some manufacturers advise against it, the interior of most stainless steel pots can be scrubbed with steel-wool scouring pads or Scotch-Brite Rescue pads, always scrubbing with the grain of the finish. Bon Ami can be used. Use a commercial cleaner for stainless steel to remove stubborn stains."
Hope that helps. 
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Cheryl
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Do any of you have stainless steel appliances? Do you find them easy or hard to clean?
We will need to buy appliances for our new house. Unfortunately, I like the off-white colored ones and my husband likes black. We heard stainless steel is hard to clean.
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Cheryl
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PDyer
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Cheryl wrote:
| Do any of you have stainless steel appliances? Do you find them easy or hard to clean? |
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I have a stainless steel dishwasher. I use Weiman Stainless Steel cleaner and polish to wipe it down periodically (translated, when I can't stand looking at the fingerprints anymore ). Weiman's works well and smells pretty good too. Hope this helps.
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Erin
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For my stainless steel surfaces I find the Enjo kitchen glove good.
Elizabeth wrote:
| Apparently, the obsessive need for cleanliness that comes with pregnancy is kicking in early this time. |
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Elizabeth I have missed this news somehow! I am absolutely excited and thrilled. Wow this makes my night. I'll be praying. 
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Molly Smith
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For my tough stainless steel surfaces--like the stove backsplash and range hood--we use Stainless Steel Magic and a wash cloth. For the easy surfaces, like the ovens, fridge and dishwasher we just use Windex.
I absolutely hate my stainless steel cookware. Before I cook anything, even just boiling pasta, I spray cooking spray on the inside. It helps, but I finally bought two nonstick frying pans for things like eggs.
Good luck!! I'll be watching for miracle products!
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Natalia
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I just bought a new set of stainless steel dinnerware and the dishwasher always leaves spots in them - I'll try the vinegar and see if that removes the spots.
Thanks,
Natalia
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momtomany
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| Posted: March 04 2006 at 11:29am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Apparently, the obsessive need for cleanliness that comes with pregnancy is kicking in early this time. |
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Elizabeth, I must have missed this too. How wonderful!!
Prayers for a happy, healthy pregnancy!
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Mary Ann in PA
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BrendaPeter
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 5:42am | IP Logged
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Cheryl wrote:
Do any of you have stainless steel appliances? Do you find them easy or hard to clean?
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Hi Cheryl,
We don't have stainless steel appliances, but I've heard that cleaning the fingerprints (exponential when you have little ones!) is a full-time job. What colors are your countertops & cabinets? We went with black appliances & have light maple cabinets & dark green marbled countertops. Too dark, imo. I should have gotten lighter countertops or off-white appliances.
HTH!
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Brenda (mom to 6)
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kristina
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As far as cookware goes, we do not have any stainless. For our appliances. counter tops and granite table, we use Shaklee Basic H for everything. It does a decent job for basic, safe, cleaning.
I do admit  , though, when company is coming I get out the Method brand (from Target) granite cleaner (it does not even smell terrible) for the table and stainless wipes for the stainless island drawers and the stainless edges of our black stove. They are supposed to be environmentally friendly, but they are hardly cost effective so that is why they are only used when we are expecting company. I also like their minty smelling window cleaner, too. Reading their bottles gives me a funny feeling that I am supporting a culture/lifestyle that I would probably be opposed to, but I am only speculating. I don't even want to know because I like these products.. sigh.
Blessings,
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Mari
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I found some cloths on the web e-cloth- they are super. I have been using them for several years now and they are just great. You can cut out use of loads of products. They are particularly great on stainless steel and glass - try the glass polishing cloth almost dry or spray water and use....
The best thing is that we get a clean house and do a bit for the environment! 
Happy cleaning!!
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Mari, mother of 2 loving daughters aged 8 and 10
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JennGM
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I got my April issue of Martha Stewart Living and found two Q&As that applied to some discussions in the forum. The answer was so unique to everywhere else I've read, so I had to share.
Cleaning Stainless Steel
Q. How do you remove fingerprints from a stainless steel appliance?
A. Plain old glass cleaner often does the trick. If this doesn't work, apply a little dish soap and warm water with a sponge or soft cloth, then dry with a clean cloth to guard against streaking.
There are also many stainless steel cleaners on the market. Most contain oils or waxes that dissolve fingerprints and leave a thin, oily film on the surface that disguises new prints. But because oil attracts dirt and dust, surfaces treated with these products can appear darker and dull over time, says Catherine Houska, consultant to the Speciality Steel Industry of North America (SSINA), a trade group that represents companies that make and use stainless steel. If you notice this, switch to the glass cleaner or soap.
If marks remain after cleaning, they may be something other than fingerprints. Possibilities include stains left by water that dried on the surface, and rust, often caused by cleaning products that contain chlorine. Gently scrub these spots with baking soda. If staining is severe, try a commercial rust-fighting powder contained oxalic acid.
Some companies apply clear epoxy or other coatings to stainless steel so that fingerprints will be less noticeable. There also are coatings you can apply yourself, but Houska does not recommend them because they are likely to peel or turn yellow within a few years. Other manufacturers create surface textures, such as ridges, that combat fingerprints by reducing reflectivity and the surface area where prints can land. Contact SSINA to find a stainless steel fabricator who can add this texture to existing appliances.
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From Nov. '98 issue was this advice for cleaning pots and pans:
"Conventional wisdom holds that pots and pans should be given a good soak. But every metal has different properties and requires special care. Stainless steel is prone to stains from heat and hard water. To remove them, apply white vinegar with a soft cloth and rub. Always dry thoroughly after washing to prevent a film from forming. Never soak stainless steel cookware, this will result in pitted surfaces."
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For more information and the study of stainless steel see Speciality Steel Industry of North America (SSINA).
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 18 2006 at 6:51pm | IP Logged
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jenngm67 wrote:
"Conventional wisdom holds that pots and pans should be given a good soak. But every metal has different properties and requires special care. Stainless steel is prone to stains from heat and hard water. To remove them, apply white vinegar with a soft cloth and rub. Always dry thoroughly after washing to prevent a film from forming. Never soak stainless steel cookware, this will result in pitted surfaces."
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For more information and the study of stainless steel see Speciality Steel Industry of North America (SSINA). |
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This was timely; I was planning to soak my pots and pans tonight  . But, my problem isn't the marks from heat or water; I could live with those. It's cooked on grease from sauteeing...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Karen T
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Mari wrote:
I found some cloths on the web e-cloth- they are super. I have been using them for several years now and they are just great. You can cut out use of loads of products. They are particularly great on stainless steel and glass - try the glass polishing cloth almost dry or spray water and use....
The best thing is that we get a clean house and do a bit for the environment!
Happy cleaning!! |
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You can buy plain old microfiber towels in the automotive section of Walmart, or sometimes at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. that I would speculate are just as good (not having seen these ecloth things up close)
I bought a set from the Solutions catalog years ago and they are wonderful. I use them for dusting, scrubbing and put them on my Swiffer sweeper thingie, instead of disposable wipes to throw away! Great for picking up pet hair!
Anyway, they do have to be 100% microfiber, not mixed with terry or something.
Karen T
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Karen T
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I have stainless steel appliances and the directions specifically state NOT to use glass cleaner or 409 type sprays. They included some small samples of stainless steel polish but most of the time I just clean with a wet washcloth, occasionally adding a dab of soap and rinsing well (and drying to prevent streaks) but if I want perfect shine I pull out the polish.
Karen T
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JennGM
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Karen T wrote:
| I have stainless steel appliances and the directions specifically state NOT to use glass cleaner or 409 type sprays. |
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I know, I do too, so that's why I thought MS answer was interesting...or different. I have accidentally used Windex with no problem.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Bridget
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Elizabeth wrote:
| But, my problem isn't the marks from heat or water; I could live with those. It's cooked on grease from sauteeing... |
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My stainless pans are from a restaurant supply store. They are heavy duty, not all that pretty, but indestructable. I clean baked on anything off them with steel wool pads. Shines them right up, no scratching. It might be worth a try in a small patch.
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Molly Smith
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jenngm67 wrote:
| I know, I do too, so that's why I thought MS answer was interesting...or different. I have accidentally used Windex with no problem. |
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I hadn't seen anything that told me not to use windex on my ss appliances. I've been doing it now for over six years and it has not caused any problems whatsoever. I would think that regular use over six years would reveal the problem if there was one. What's supposed to happen?
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Molly Smith in VA
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chrisv664
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We recently remodelled our kitchen and everything is stainless steel. I use Glass Plus for the granite counter tops, and one day when I was in a rush spritzed it on the dishwasher and found it works better than any other cleaner,including the expensive Stainless Steel Magic I'd been using. I think around here its cheaper than windex and has no ammonia, which makes it safe for the granite.
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Chris
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Cleaning stainless steel
