Cleaning Stainless Steel from the Inside Out

cleaning the stainless steel in your kitchen

In the late 1960s and into the 70s, the favorite colors for our appliances were earth tones which really meant they were different shades of brown. You would find kitchens with Avocado Green, Harvest Gold or Almond appliances. In the 1980s, black fronted appliances became the rage. The black shiny surfaces were very difficult to keep clean and showed every streak and smear. Late in the next decade stainless steel started to appear in designer kitchens. Stainless is a favorite in kitchens even today.

Stainless steel was discovered in 1913 by Harry Brearley of England. It was known as “rust-less” steel. This was the first stainless steel. Even though stainless steel is rust proof, it is not oxidation proof. When the metals in stainless steel are exposed to oxygen, they oxidize and leave a film or stains that need some special care to remove. Let’s look at different ways you can clean your stainless steel.

Daily cleaning – One of the easiest ways to keep your stainless steel clean and “print” free is to use a microfiber cloth and water. The best type of microfiber is a very fine woven cloth made especially for cleaning windows. Start by using a clean microfiber cloth, wet it with water, and wring it out completely. Wipe over the entire appliance and then dry the appliance with a large looped (dry) microfiber cloth. Your stainless steel will be print, streak, lint, and smear free.

Deeper cleaning – If you have a stainless steel stove, you need to use a gentle degreasing cleaner to remove the grease before following the daily cleaning regimen. A quick DIY recipe for a degreaser is to mix distilled white vinegar with a drop or two of dish detergent and place the mixture in a spray bottle. Remove the control knobs on the stove by pulling them straight off, then spray with the degreaser. Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe the area with a damp, large looped microfiber cloth. Once the stove is grease free, follow the daily cleaning method above.

Deepest cleaning – If you find your stainless steel doesn’t look clean after wiping it with a microfiber cloth, you may have oxidation that needs to be removed. You can use a tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a ¼ teaspoon of olive oil and rub it in the direction of the grain of the stainless steel. You will notice your sponge turning black. That is the corrosion being removed from the stainless steel. Rinse the cleanser completely from the metal and dry with a microfiber cloth. Once the stainless steel is dry, apply a very light coat of baby oil over the surface of the appliance. This will seal the metal and will temporarily stop the oxidation process. If the appliance starts looking cloudy or has a film, you can applying more baby oil before going through the entire scrubbing process.

Interior cleaning of stainless steel appliances – When cleaning the inside of any appliance, using little or no cleaner is recommended. Instead, use a microfiber cloth and water which will thoroughly clean the inside of all your appliances.

A tip for the microwave - When cleaning the microwave, you can place a tablespoon of lemon juice into a glass of water and microwave it until it starts to steam (2 to 4 minutes.) Once you see the steam, turn off the microwave and let the steam and lemon juice sit on the walls and floor of the microwave. The acid in the lemon juice will work to loosen food particles inside the microwave. Wipe the entire inside of the microwave with a wet, large looped, microfiber cloth. Make sure to let the interior air dry before closing the door.

For more information from DIY green cleaning expert Leslie Reichert, visit https://www.facebook.com/GreenCleaningCoach/

Today's high-end appliances take expensive specialty cleaners to keep looking brilliant - or DO they? Leslie Reichert has some green cleaning techniques that work just as well, and you probably have them on hand right now.

Cleaning appliances can be a struggle. Since there is a growing number of cleaning products manufactured specifically for each of the different finishes available today, like stainless steel polish, porcelain scrub and even glass-top stove cleaner, you could buy a dozen different products just to clean your appliances! Instead let me show you some DIY ideas for cleaning appliances. With a few simple ingredients and some microfiber cloths, your appliances can be perfectly maintained for just pennies.

Cleaning the stove

The stove is one of the hardest appliances to clean. Burnt-on food coupled with spattered grease make cleaning this surface a chore. If you have a glass-top stove, try using my “green” scrub. First, use a flat utility blade to scrape off burnt food, taking care not to cut your fingers. Next, sprinkle the scrub powder onto the glass surface. Using a damp sponge, work in circles until all grease and stains are loosened. Finish by wiping the glass-top clean with a damp microfiber cloth.

Green Scrub Recipe

1 cup baking soda
1 cup table salt
1 cup borax
8 drops pure essential oil for fragrance

Mix well and place in a shaker container

Cleaning the oven*

Typical oven cleaners contain toxic chemicals and fumes that are very dangerous – potentially damaging your lungs, your skin and even the food you cook in your freshly cleaned oven. Even if you rinse the oven really well, there will still be some off-gassing that happens the next few times you use your oven. Instead, let’s use the power of science to clean your oven. Start by sprinkling some baking soda over the base of the oven. Then fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar and lightly spray it over the baking soda. The mixture will start to foam, just like the chemical oven cleaners. This foam will lift off anything stuck on the oven, without using toxic chemicals. Continue to spray the vinegar onto the baking soda frequently, until the foam has done its work. Soon the mess will wipe right off.

*Do not use this method if you have a self-cleaning oven.

Stainless steel appliances

There is a daily fight with fingerprints left on stainless steel appliances, in large part because the people putting the fingerprints ON the appliances are not the ones wiping them off! But stainless steel can actually be cleaned very easily. For daily wiping of fingerprints, use a finely woven microfiber cloth – the same type of cloth your eye doctor gives you for cleaning your eye glasses – to keep your stainless steel looking great. To protect stainless steel from fingerprints in the first place, use a light coat of organic olive oil over the entire appliance. The oil will actually work to repel the oils on your fingers. It will keep your stainless steel looking great for a week or more. After a week, wipe the surface with a microfiber cloth and reapply.

Black appliances

Black appliances look stunning, but just like a black car they show every water spot and piece of dirt. Clean them daily by wiping with a damp, fine woven microfiber cloth. Wipe the entire appliance then let it air dry. The microfiber cloth will remove all dust, dirt and water spots and leave it looking perfect.

Granite countertops

Nothing is more beautiful in a kitchen than a granite countertop. Light colored granite with lots of veins, always look clean. Dark brown or black granite, however, seems to highlight streaks and smears. No matter the color avoid typical granite cleaners, which contain oils that make the counters look foggy. Instead, clean the counters and remove bacteria using a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide. If the counters just need a wipe, use plain water with a dry microfiber cloth to restore the surface to a perfect clean look.

Tag: stainless steel

Cleaning Stainless Steel from the Inside Out

Green cleaning works on appliances, too!