If you follow me on Instagram, you probably have seen pictures of my refrigerator in my cleaning routine pictures. Every time I post one of them, I am asked how I get my stainless steel to look so shiny. How do I keep those pretty appliances looking new and not smudgy and full of fingerprints? If your house is anything like mine, they are covered in the latter more than they have that sleek showroom look. I’ve tested and tried just about every brand on the market and have come to the conclusion that not all stainless steel cleaners are created equal AND not every brand works on every stainless steel appliance. Different appliance brands use different grades of stainless steel and they react differently with various cleaners. I can attest to this in my home because different products work on each stainless appliance. This is why I set out to find something that worked on all of my appliances.

 

What’s the best way to clean stainless steel appliances?

The first thing you need is a SOFT cloth to apply your preferred cleaner to the appliance. My preference is a microfiber cloth – most specifically, a Clean Mama HOME Polishing Cloth. Of course I’m biased, but I researched and searched for the PERFECT microfiber cloths and then had them made for my line. These cloths WORK!

 

Through my research, testing, and trial and error, here are my top 3 favorite ways to clean stainless steel appliances – every single method uses a microfiber cloth for the application.

 

 

HFW steel pipe

My Top 3 Methods for Cleaning and Polishing Stainless Steel:

Choose one method – these are my favorites:

water (applied to the cloth) + microfiber polishing cloth

white vinegar (applied to the cloth) + microfiber polishing cloth

Williams-Sonoma Stainless Steel Cleaner (sprayed on stainless steel) + microfiber polishing cloth

Other methods to try:

club soda – spray on stainless and wipe in the direction of the grain

olive or baby oil – apply to a dry cloth and buff in the direction of the grain

window cleaner – some people swear by this technique – I suggest using a non-ammonia window cleaner

Application Process:

Apply water or cleaner to a microfiber cloth and clean quickly. Quickly buff away any residue. Don’t let the cleaner dry on the stainless before buffing it in to the surface. I recommend using a microfiber cloth that is designed to be used on stainless steel.

When applying cleaner you need to wipe your cloth in the DIRECTION OF THE GRAIN of the stainless steel. This is because dirt can get trapped in the grain of the stainless steel. This method not only cleans better, but your stainless steel will appear much cleaner this way. I keep a little stack of microfiber cloths in a kitchen drawer with my bar mop cloths so I can easily wipe appliances as necessary.