Cleaning Stainless Steel Surfaces

That stainless steel pipe you bought a week ago had seen better days, and it is already dirty to begin with, but maybe you don’t have a choice but to buy it anyway, since it is the last fitting you need to connect the rest of your pipes. Still, that pipe needs cleaning first for good measure, and just using water may not be very effective.

Stainless steel surfaces in your home must be regularly cleaned to maintain its integrity and keep it looking sharp. Different stains require different solutions to clean them off. Every six months, routine cleaning of stainless steel should be done around your house.

You can clean them with soap, mild detergent or ammonia solutions in warm water. Before doing this, it is best to brush off any excess dirt or dust with a soft nylon brush, only then can you proceed to clean the metal and rinse it later with clean water. Do not use steel wools or carbon steel brushes as articles embedded on the metal can cause rusting.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints are one of the most common marks you will see on stainless steel surfaces. Soap or detergent with warm water is all you need to clean off the prints. Alternatively, you can also use commercially available solutions or hydrocarbon solvents to attend to the problem.

Oil and grease

Are your stainless steel tools stained with oil and grease after working with your car for some time? Isopropyl alcohol, acetone or methylated spirit is your answer, though the simplest way to clean oil and grease is a solvent with a non-scratching cloth to wipe the liquid with.

Coffee and stains

Accidentally spilling your favorite coffee or tea onto a stainless steel table at home? You might be reaching for that tissue to wipe off the stain, but there is a more effective way to remove them from the surface.

In the case of a coffee stain, use a sodium bicarbonate solution (baking soda) with warm water. For tea, a sodium carbonate solution (washing soda) with warm water. These are easy to get in supermarkets or so. If the surfaces are too large to soak either solution, use a sponge or soft cloth to wipe them.

Next time, drink on a coaster or wrap your table with a cloth.

Localized rust

Localized rust stains on stainless steel can be treated with an oxalic acid solution, which is applied with a soft cloth. Leave the solution on the metal for at least a few minutes after you have finished applying. While you are reading fun facts or so in your phone, the contaminating particles will be dissolved from the surface.

After that, rinse away the solution with clean water.

Structural damage

If a stainless steel surface or object in your house sustains a damage that dents, cracks or breaks it, do not even attempt to hammer it back into shape if it is dented. You just cannot, and even if you can somewhat access a spot to do that, it isn’t that easy to just hammer it and call it a day.

Remove the surface or object and either have it repaired by a professional or just replace the metal with a new one. Any rust visible on the damaged metal should be cleaned off as soon as possible.