How to clean stainless steel in the kitchen: sink, oven and appliances without streaks or scratches

You can clean the outside of a stainless steel fridge, oven, dishwasher and cooker hood with a soft microfibre cloth dampened in warm water with a drop of washing-up liquid. Wipe along the grain, then wipe the surface with clean water and dry it straight away with a dry cloth. Streaks come mainly from dried water and product residue. Do not use scouring pads, abrasive powders, chlorine-based products or silver cleaners on stainless steel.

Why streaks and scratches stay on stainless steel

Streaks on stainless steel usually have three causes: water drops that have dried and left minerals behind, washing-up liquid residue that nobody wiped off, and grease from fingers. That is why simply wiping the surface with a damp cloth is not enough – rinsing and drying are what matter.

Scratches are caused by hard objects and coarse tools. The British Stainless Steel Association (BSSA), in its overview of stainless steel cleaning methods, warns that knives and some abrasive products can leave scuffs and scratches on the surface, and that they are most visible on the draining area of a sink.

Rusty spots on stainless steel are usually not corrosion of the material itself. According to the BSSA, it is common for small particles of ordinary steel to get onto the surface, for example from a scouring pad or from a sponge you previously used to scrub iron cookware. Once the iron contamination gets damp, a rust stain forms.

How to tell the grain direction

Most stainless steel appliances have a brushed (ground) finish with fine parallel lines. Look at the door up close and at an angle against the light – you will see the lines as a fine “fibre”. The direction may differ on each appliance, for example vertical on the fridge and horizontal on the oven.

We recommend always wiping in straight strokes along these lines. Circular motions leave arcs that are visible against the light. Strokes along the grain blend in with the lines. Mirror-polished stainless steel has no grain direction, but even there, wiping evenly in one direction gives a better result.

If a light scratch needs to be disguised with an abrasive pad, the BSSA advises matching the new “pattern of lines” to the original finish and always starting with the finest product. Do not try this on an appliance under warranty or with an anti-fingerprint coating, and follow the manufacturer's instructions instead.

Tools and products

• two microfibre cloths – one for washing, a dry one for buffing,
• a soft sponge without an abrasive side,
• warm water and ordinary washing-up liquid,
• methylated spirit or isopropyl alcohol for greasy marks,
• a mild cleaning cream without abrasive particles for limescale in the sink,
• optionally, a stainless steel spray used according to the label instructions,
• rubber gloves.

In its guide Cleaning and maintenance of stainless steel sinks, the sink manufacturer Franke recommends soft cloths, especially microfibre, and warns against using the abrasive side of sponges. The BSSA lists as suitable mild creams containing soft calcium carbonate or citric acid, not pastes with abrasive additives.

Step by step: fridge, dishwasher and oven (outside)

1. Let the oven cool down completely. For appliances with a touch panel, switch on the child lock or control lock, if they have one, so that nothing starts by accident.
2. Wipe off dust and crumbs with a dry cloth so that you do not spread them over the surface when washing.
3. Soak the cloth in warm water with a drop of washing-up liquid and wring it out well so that it does not drip. Wipe from top to bottom and along the grain.
4. Go over the handles, door edges and the area around the controls separately – this is where most grease collects. For stubborn marks, put a little methylated spirit or isopropyl alcohol on a cloth. Test it first on a hidden spot, for example on the side edge of the door.
5. Wipe off any washing-up liquid residue with a clean cloth dampened in water only.
6. Immediately buff the surface dry with a dry microfibre cloth, again along the grain.
7. If you wish, apply a thin layer of stainless steel spray according to the label and buff it. Spray the product onto the cloth, not directly onto the control panel.

For ordinary dirt, the BSSA describes the same principle: soap or washing-up liquid in warm water, a soft cloth or sponge, rinsing with clean water and drying.

Fingerprints

For fingerprints, the BSSA suggests washing-up liquid with warm water, or a solvent such as methylated spirit or isopropyl alcohol. According to the same overview, there are stainless steel sprays that clean the surface and reduce new fingerprints. Some appliances have an anti-fingerprint coating from the factory. For those, check in the instructions which products the manufacturer permits.

Oven, hob and cooker hood (outside)

Wash the stainless steel door and panel of the oven in the same way once the oven has cooled down. The greasy film from cooking usually comes off with warm water and washing-up liquid; resistant marks respond to spirit. The inside of the oven is a separate subject – we describe it in the article how to clean an oven. For a stainless steel cooker hood, wash the casing along the grain and deal with the grease filter separately, following the guide how to clean a cooker hood filter.

Stainless steel sink

Franke recommends wiping the sink after each use with a damp soft cloth and washing-up liquid, rinsing it with clean water and drying it, so that no water deposits form on the surface. Limescale can be removed with a cleaning cream applied to a damp soft cloth.

If small brown spots appear in the sink, Franke gives iron particles from the supply pipework or from scouring pads as a possible cause. Check the aerator on the tap too. Remove the spots with a mild cream, then rinse and dry the sink.

The BSSA also warns that soaking a stainless steel sink or dishes for a long time, for example overnight, in a bleach solution is not advisable. Kitchen salt and concentrated mixtures of salt and vinegar can cause pitting corrosion over time. That is why it is a good idea to wash stainless steel after preparing food.

What damages stainless steel

If bleach or toilet cleaner does splash onto stainless steel, immediately rinse the spot thoroughly with clean water and dry it. The BSSA stresses that thorough rinsing is very important.

Safety when cleaning

• Read the product label before use and follow the dilution instructions.
• Ventilate while working, especially when using spirit and sprays.
• Wear gloves.
• Never mix products containing chlorine with acids or ammonia. The Toxicology Information Centre (TIS) warns, in its section on commercial products, that mixing them may release chlorine gas. You will find details in the article which cleaning products should never be mixed.
• Test every new product on a hidden spot first.

According to TIS, most products, including washing-up liquids, are hazardous to the eye, and an affected eye must be rinsed with water for 5–10 minutes or more. If you suspect poisoning, call the TIS emergency lines on 224 91 92 93 or 224 91 54 02, which operate 24 hours a day.

How often to clean stainless steel

Handles and areas with fingerprints only need wiping as required, for example during regular kitchen cleaning. The whole surfaces of appliances usually need washing once a week, and it is a good idea to rinse and dry the sink after every use. The inside of the fridge has its own procedure, which we describe in the article how to clean a fridge.

If you want the whole kitchen, including the appliances, done in one go, you can include it in a deep cleaning, which Úklid 1-2-3 also offers. You will find the indicative scope and price on the page how much deep cleaning costs.