Stainless Steel Polish

There are many alternatives out there, but the best way to clean and polish stainless steel is with a specialized stainless steel polish.  Many people are reluctant to add yet another chemical to their cleaning repertoire, and that’s understandable in this age of eco-friendliness.  However, multi-purpose cleaners may clean multiple materials, but they won’t do so nearly as well as a cleaning product made for one material and one material only.
If you look on the web to find out how to polish stainless steel, you will find multiple sites claiming that vinegar works well as a stainless steel cleaner and polish.  The sites are quite specific, reporting that cider vinegar and white vinegar work equally well, as if that were the concern.  Some of those same websites also advise users to clean and polish stainless steel with a mixture of olive oil and baking soda, or a paste made from baking soda and water.  Some sites suggest Cream of Tartar and vinegar mixtures, and still others suggest using both vinegar and baking soda together.  Some advise users to scour stains away using a soap-infused steel wool pad.  Others advise prospective scrubbers to NEVER use steel wool pads, because they will scratch up the stainless steel surface of whatever you are cleaning.   Is it any wonder people are confused?
The truth is, vinegar has such a small amount of acetic acid in it that it really won’t clean away anything that water alone won’t clean.  Using anything with steel wool is a terrible idea, because it definitely will mar the beautiful stainless steel surface you are presumably trying to protect.  Using olive oil mixed with anything else will leave behind an oily olive oil shine that will look nice, but will feel oily and will attract dirt and who knows what else.  And mixing vinegar with baking soda will produce water, carbon dioxide gas (the bubbling) and sodium acetate salt dissolved in the water, which is not known for cleaning qualities.
The best approach to stainless steel polishing is to use a product specifically formulated to be a stainless steel cleaner and polish.  Sheila Shine is a well known polish and surface preservative for stainless steel.  English Custom Polish produces a polish for stainless steel that is recommended by the British Museum, and in the U.S. the 3M Corporation manufacturers a stainless steel polish and cleaner that is authorized for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants.  That brings us to a very important consideration when cleaning and polishing stainless steel items: is the item used in a kitchen?  If so, then whatever you use MUST be safe for use with food products.  Many specialty cleaners contain products contain petroleum distillates and should not be used on surfaces that could come into contact with food, so be sure to look at the label when buying a specialty cleaner or polish for stainless steel, especially cookware.

There are many alternatives out there, but the best way to clean and polish stainless steel is with a specialized stainless steel polish.  Many people are reluctant to add yet another chemical to their cleaning repertoire, and that’s understandable in this age of eco-friendliness.  However, multi-purpose cleaners may clean multiple materials, but they won’t do so nearly as well as a cleaning product made for one material and one material only.

If you look on the web to find out how to polish stainless steel, you will find multiple sites claiming that vinegar works well as a stainless steel cleaner and polish.  The sites are quite specific, reporting that cider vinegar and white vinegar work equally well, as if that were the concern.  Some of those same websites also advise users to clean and polish stainless steel with a mixture of olive oil and baking soda, or a paste made from baking soda and water.  Some sites suggest Cream of Tartar and vinegar mixtures, and still others suggest using both vinegar and baking soda together.  Some advise users to scour stains away using a soap-infused steel wool pad.  Others advise prospective scrubbers to NEVER use steel wool pads, because they will scratch up the stainless steel surface of whatever you are cleaning.   Is it any wonder people are confused?

The truth is, vinegar has such a small amount of acetic acid in it that it really won’t clean away anything that water alone won’t clean.  Using anything with steel wool is a terrible idea, because it definitely will mar the beautiful stainless steel surface you are presumably trying to protect.  Using olive oil mixed with anything else will leave behind an oily olive oil shine that will look nice, but will feel oily and will attract dirt and who knows what else.  And mixing vinegar with baking soda will produce water, carbon dioxide gas (the bubbling) and sodium acetate salt dissolved in the water, which is not known for cleaning qualities.

The best approach to stainless steel polishing is to use a product specifically formulated to be a stainless steel cleaner and polish.  Sheila Shine is a well known polish and surface preservative for stainless steel.  English Custom Polish produces a polish for stainless steel that is recommended by the British Museum, and in the U.S. the 3M Corporation manufacturers a stainless steel polish and cleaner that is authorized for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants.  That brings us to a very important consideration when cleaning and polishing stainless steel items: is the item used in a kitchen?  If so, then whatever you use MUST be safe for use with food products.  Many specialty cleaners contain products contain petroleum distillates and should not be used on surfaces that could come into contact with food, so be sure to look at the label when buying a specialty cleaner or polish for stainless steel, especially cookware.

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