Stainless steel appliances can look stunning. Indeed, most of us have seen those beautiful fridge/freezers in the store at one time or another. They look amazing, and this may be something that your client has in their home. 

Even if your client does not have a stainless steel appliance, they may have other pieces of stainless steel. At one time, it was very popular to have stainless steel teapots, gravy boats, salt and pepper cannisters, sugar bowls and so on. 

There was a time when stainless steel was all the rage and your client may well still have many pieces made this way.

When they are clean and shiny, these pieces look beautiful, but unfortunately they tarnish quickly and soon become dull and lack lustre.

Can we get them shiny again?

If you are planning to clean a large appliance you should first check the manufacturer's instructions (if they are still around) and see what the recommended method is. 

Failing that, you may want to try this method

Note: while you may read articles telling you to use vinegar on stainless steel items, this is not a good idea as vinegar has the potential to corrode the stainless steel.

What you will need

1. Rubber gloves

This to keep you from adding your own fingerprints as you clean

2. Dish soap

This will lift the surface grease and grime

3. Warm water

Use a small bowl or if you are close to the sink, use warm water there

4. Microfiber cloths

These are recommended as they will not scratch the items. Have two to wash and one to dry, ideally.

5. A sponge

Use one without the abrasive side. This will help with stubborn stains

How to get started

Clean the surface

Pop on your rubber gloves, dampen one of the cloths and wipe the surface. If you like, you can add some dish soap to this step, particularly if the items are very marked.

Using the second cloth, dampen the item and start to wipe it all over. You may need to dampen it more than once, depending on the size of the items and the amount you are cleaning.

Go for stubborn stains

You will find that most stains will come off by using a cloth and vigorously rubbing. For stubborn stains you should use the sponge combined with warm water.

Rinse

You may have to rinse several times to remove all the dish soap. This will also be easier if you do not use too much dish soap at the start. You are looking for a surface which does not contain any soap streaks.

Dry it

Use the third microfibre cloth so that there is no residual soap left to smudge the item. Ideally you should dry the item rather than let it air dry.

Final thoughts

Keeping stainless steel shiny and bright is not a difficult task when it is done frequently. Older items may take longer to come back to a shiny condition but particularly for fridges and freezers it is well worth it to see them glisten, by simply using things that are most likely already in the kitchen.

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