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Stainless Steel Cleaning Tips

Over time, the interior and exterior of stainless steel cooking items tends to build up a film that it often seems no amount of scrubbing can remove.

It requires special care to look its best.

Rinse your pieces under warm running water and use a mild soap such as dishwashing liquid to remove surface dirt.

Resist the urge to submerge. Less is more when it comes to cleaning this metal.

Wear gloves to protect your hands from the metal polish and the metal from fingerprints.

Cotton is best, but rubber works as long as you wash a new pair first. (Any sulfur that remains on the gloves could tarnish the silver.)

Always test a small area first to make sure the polish is compatible with your piece before tackling the entirety.

This metal is aptly named, thankfully. It resists stains, but it can retain oily fingerprints. You can throw (or even gently place them) into your dishwasher.

If marks persist, wash by hand with phosphate-free dish-washing liquid to remove stains, or use club soda to remove streaks or heat stains.

Avoid abrasives - they'll destroy the surface sheen.

Cooked-on food or grease can be removed by gently scrubbing it with a paste of baking soda and water and a soft rag or nylon scrubber.

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About the Author

Tara Aronson is a native Californian. Having grown up in San Diego, she studied journalism and Spanish to pursue a career in newspaper writing. Tara, whose three children - Chris, Lyndsay, and Payne - are the light of her life, now lives and writes in Los Angeles. She also regularly appears on television news programs throughout the U.S.