If you don’t know how to clean stainless steel appliances, then today we will teach you how to do it easily. I remember when fingerprints and water stains decorated the surfaces of my dishwasher, oven, and refrigerator. Stainless steel!

Adding insult to injury are harsh chemical cleaners that promise to return our stainless steel appliances to their showroom origins. With these cleaners’ hefty price tags and their stinky nature, why own something made of stainless steel? Do we want those adorable toddler mouths and fingertips coming into contact with breakable gadgets, covered in chemical cleaners?

Here’s, we discuss on how to clean stainless steel appliances without harsh chemicals for a flawless finish!

Step 1: Understand the direction of the surface

Just like wood, steel also has a grain. These are the very faint ridges that can be found on the surface of your appliance. An entire sheet of steel will have the same grain direction. That said, an appliance will usually have other steel parts, like handles and knobs. These other pieces may have a different direction grain, so make sure you are aware of this.

Will your appliance be ruined if you don’t clean with the grain? No. Nothing dramatic will happen! That’s all. If you clean perpendicular to the grain, more cleaning residue (mixed with whatever dirt is already on the steel) can work deeper into the small cracks in the grain. For optimal shine, it’s best to go with the grit.

This rule applies to any cleaning agent you use on any stainless steel part.

Step 2: Gathering Supplies

  • 2 non-abrasive cleaning cloths. I went with 100% cotton because it has almost no residual lint. However, in the past, I’ve used regular paper towels, which worked fine (they leave a bit of lint behind)
  • Dish soap.
  • Baby oil ( johnson’s baby) or any mineral oil.

Step 3: Cleaning

Mild and quite adorable, soap is amazing for fighting grime on dishes… and appliances! Who knows? This step will clean excess oils from the steel and make polishing much more enjoyable!

Apply a small amount to your cleaning cloth. Rinse with a small amount of water, just enough to dampen your rag. Wipe along the grain line of your appliance. For stronger fingerprints, you may need to go over the area several times. When you have finished thoroughly cleaning an area, blot up any watermarks with a dry towel.

Step 4: Polish

This is the rewarding part.

Put a “small” amount of mineral oil or baby oil on your second rag. A couple of drops will be more than enough! Similar to cleaning, follow the grain of your steel and move in any direction. Polishing the steel in this way will give you optimal results.

Step 5: It’s Done!

Your stainless steel is stainless again!

Your rag, on the other hand, needs to be thrown in the washing machine.

To enjoy!