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Keep Your Stainless Steel Fridge Shining With These 6 Cleaning Tips

How to Clean a Stainless Steel Fridge

The sleek, shiny surface of a stainless steel fridge tends to lend itself to a feeling of luxury. When you own a stainless steel fridge, you might be concerned about any scratches and stains that may ruin the look of the finish. We have you covered with some tips for how to clean a stainless steel fridge.

Keeping stainless steel clean is fairly easy. After all, it is stainless, which means it should be impossible for marks to stay on permanently. However, it is possible for certain spills and messes to leave permanent scratches or stains if they are not addressed quickly. If you own a stainless steel fridge, here are some cleaning tips.

The Basics of Cleaning Stainless Steel

Keeping your stainless steel fridge clean is important to maintain its elegant feel. Often, the fridge’s surface attracts fingerprints, spills and food splotches. Sometimes you might even see scratches accumulating on your stainless steel fridge. Regular cleaning can help maintain the beauty of your fridge’s finish.

To clean stainless steel, you need a soft cloth and a mild detergent. You also need to ensure you rinse the surface properly and dry it afterwards to avoid watermarks. Doing this regularly can ensure that there is less opportunity for the surface to stain, and that scratches are less likely to occur when trying to scrape off dried-on dirt.

How to Remove Stains

The most common stains you might see on your stainless steel fridge are most likely the result of liquids spilling down the door. Alternatively, if food is dropped on the floor near the fridge, it may splash up onto the door, detracting from its beautiful finish. If you do not wipe these spills immediately, you may end up with marks.

To remove these marks, you can use dishwashing detergent and a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub them off. For tougher stains, use undiluted vinegar instead of dishwashing detergent. What is most important here is that you rinse the detergent or vinegar off the fridge and dry it with a soft cloth to avoid making new stains.

How to Remove Fingerprints

The fingerprints on your stainless steel fridge are most likely to appear near the handle and may be large smudges. Removing the fingerprints can restore the shiny surface while also helping your fridge appear more welcoming. Since human skin is oily, fingerprints will not come off in a simple wipe down with water.

To cut through the oily residue left by fingerprints, you need to use mild dish soap, vinegar, lemon juice, or a streak-free glass cleaner.
By cutting through the fat in the fingerprints, you are likely to remove them rather than spread and smudge them. You can use a sheepskin cloth to polish the fridge when you have cleaned off the fingerprints.

Using Household Items

If you have decided to clean your stainless steel fridge door on a whim, you do not need to be too concerned about buying special cleaning products. To clean a surface with only water stains, use a soft cloth dipped in soapy water. For fingerprints, use a soft cloth dipped in vinegar.

To remove dried food stains or grease, make a paste using baking soda and hot water. Rub the paste onto the fridge with a soft cloth and let it sit for about five minutes. Afterwards, wipe off the paste with another soft cloth. If there are scratches, use a soft cloth and light oil to polish the steel. Be sure to wipe off excess oil with a clean, soft cloth.

Store-bought Cleaning Products

For anyone who is more determined to use specialty cleaning products, you can find a wide variety of commercial stainless steel cleaners. For all-round surface cleaning, a spray cleaner is the best option.

You spray it onto the fridge and then wipe it off with a soft cloth. The cleaner not only removes stains and smudges, but it also polishes the surface to a high sheen.

Alternatively, keep stainless steel wipes nearby to wipe up messes as they happen. The wipes are convenient and can cut through oils left in fingerprints, while also polishing the steel. These are great if you want to cut down the amount of time you spend cleaning the fridge’s door.

How to Remove Dried-on Food

Dried-on food can be a mission to clean off. For starters, you do not know what food it is. However, if you do not get this food off the stainless steel surface, it could lead to stains and permanent damage, like scratches.

You can use a stainless steel cleaner that is designed for all-round cleaning. A stainless steel cleaning kit is a good starting point for this since it contains all the polishes and cloths that you may need, as well as instructions. An alternative method is using household items like vinegar and baking soda.

How to Repair Scratches on Stainless Steel

When stainless steel scratches, it makes the surface dull and can allow more area for dirt to get trapped, which can make your stainless steel fridge look dingy. When buffing out scratches, it is important to go with the grain of the steel. Going against the grain can scratch the surface even more.

Once you have found the grain, determine the severity of the scratches. For light scratches, rub some whitening toothpaste over the scratch using a soft cloth.

Continue this process until the scratch is buffed out. For deeper scratches, sand with the grain using wet sandpaper. Finish it off by choosing fine sandpaper and then buffing as you would for a mild scratch.

In Conclusion

Maintaining your stainless steel fridge’s beautiful surface does not need to be an endless process. Regular cleaning with appropriate products can reduce the need for more demanding processes like scratch buffing.

When cleaning your stainless steel fridge, it is important to identify what you aim to clean, as well as what cleaning aids you have or need to get. Most importantly, wiping the fridge with a soft, damp cloth and then drying it with a soft cloth after washing it with detergent can help prevent new stains from forming too soon after cleaning.