A stainless steel refrigerator looks and feels great in your kitchen. It makes your kitchen look sleek and expensive with its smooth, matte finish and keeps bacteria at bay with its non-porous surface. It has an overall appeal that makes it a must-have in any kitchen.
The benefits, fortunately, don’t end there since stainless steel is also known for being durable and rust-resistant despite everyday wear and tear. While this may be the case, it doesn’t make the fridge completely resistant to rust, damage, and stains. When the protective film covering your stainless steel appliances get scratched, the steel underneath becomes exposed and vulnerable to chemical and water damage.
You’re probably stressing out on how to maintain your shiny and gorgeous refrigerator. Well, don’t worry about it because we have a couple of hacks that might do the trick. Keep these tips in mind so that you can maintain not just your fridge, but other stainless steel appliances, as well.
Look for the Grain
“Grain” is present in leather as well as stainless steel. According to experts, this should be your guide when polishing or wiping your refrigerator.
The grain is positioned either vertically or horizontally and has what you call the “brushed” appearance. Cleaning or rubbing stainless steel appliances in the direction the grain runs allows you to give them that extra shine.
Things to Avoid
Before we get into cleaning our prized stainless steel refrigerators, here are a couple of things we should steer clear of:
- Products that contain chloride or chlorine bleach
- Products that contain chemicals corrosive to stainless steel, such as jewelry polish
- Cleaning when your fridge is still hot or warm; wait until it’s cool to the touch before doing so
- Steel wool and steel brushes must not be used since they can scrub off the protective layer that keeps the steel from getting exposed and vulnerable
What You Need to Know About Cleaners
Now that we’ve given you the lowdown on the things you shouldn’t be doing when cleaning your stainless steel fridge, let’s move on to the cleaners you should be using for this activity.
The first thing you need to do is read the owner’s manual or check the manufacturer’s site for a list of other cleaners to avoid. You could get a fridge, for example, that shouldn’t be cleaned using a glass cleaner.
Other manufacturers would even tell you to steer clear of grout cleaners that contain muriatic acid for cleaning the kitchen floor as the fumes coming from these solutions could damage stainless steel finishes.
Getting Started
Cleaning any refrigerator, whether it’s a mini-refrigerator, a top freezer refrigerator, or a fridge with a reversible stainless steel door, starts with a once-over. This helps determine how much cleaning needs to be done and what you would need to ensure an efficient cleaning process.
This roughly 10-minute review of your fridge and its contents will help you determine the following:
- Expired food and leftovers that need to be thrown out
- Stains and spills that need to be scrubbed away
- If the door seal or gasket needs to be wiped so that the cold is kept in
- If any fingerprints need to be buffed away
- If the coils are getting dirty and need to be cleaned
What to Prepare
You’re finally going to clean your fridge, and it’s time to get everything ready. Make sure you have all the cleaning supplies needed to get your stainless steel refrigerator sparkling.
- A soft cloth and diluted vinegar to deal with limescale
- Mild acetone solutions, such as those used to remove nail polish, to deal with sticky tape residues
- Baking soda to effectively absorb tea or coffee deposits and make the stains easy to wipe away
- Microfiber cloths to absorb most of the water while not scratching the surface of your stainless steel appliance
Get It Spotless and Sparkling!
Scratches are often best left to the experts. However, if you’re really determined to remove the minor ones, you simply need to apply toothpaste on them and buff gently using a soft-bristled toothbrush. This works like magic on those superficial and tiny surface scratches that are just annoying to look at.
Giving your stainless steel refrigerator that extra shine is possible with a simple home remedy. All you need to do is add a couple of drops of olive oil on the surface of your stainless steel fridge and wipe it all over using a soft cloth. This would be the final touch to complete your kitchen’s modern, sophisticated look.
Final Thoughts
The effort you put into cleaning your stainless steel refrigerator depends on several factors, including the frequency in which you do some minor cleaning, the amount of food you put in your fridge, and the mess you typically make when handling the appliance. Whatever the case, you must prepare the right cleaning supplies and avoid solutions that damage the protective film covering the steel.
Knowing what to prepare, what to avoid, and reading the owner’s manual should allow you to maintain your fridge’s sparkle throughout its lifespan.