Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Cleaning Stainless Steel appliances



We have 3 stainless steel appliances in our home - oven, dishwasher and fridge. And a 1 and 2 year old... I know, I know. But 2 our of the 3 came with the house when we bought it!!! And they sure are pretty when they are clean (ok, that's almost never!)!

Anyway, so I've been testing a lot of products lately. All purchased from the local grocery store or from Target.

My personal fave would have to be the Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Cleaner Starter Kit. It comes with pads (qty of 6 I think, you can then purchase additional packs) that attach to a little hand held thingy. You wipe away with the grain, and TADA! Beautiful! NO streaks! You can also remove the pad and use it by hand to clean up harder to reach spots. I have been truly amazed by this product. It's the only one that does NOT leave STREAKS on my fridge!!! NO STREAKS! I found this at Target, in the 'laundry' aisle, NOT with the cleaning stuff... ???!?? You can also find it at Drugstore.com
And a little tip - keep the pads tightly sealed in the package as directed. Or they will dry out. 

I realize that stainless steel finishes can vary per appliance though, so sometimes I think it might be a matter of finding what works in your own home.

I have also tried Method's Spray and microfiber cloth (each sold separately). Smells great, and I really like Method's line of cleaning supplies, but I wasn't too impressed. Worked ok on my dishwasher (has a duller matte finish), but left horrible streaks on the fridge.

Let's see... What else have I used?!??!
Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes, and Weiman Stainless Steel Spray. The wipes - not so good. The spray - worked well, but only when I buffed the fridge like mad for an hour with a soft cloth after applying.  I know some will say that the 'buffing' is the key to beautiful stainless steel. But with the 2 kids running around the kitchen, who has time for that!?! 

I'll stick with the Scotch-Brite stuff!