How do you clean stainless steel?

Question

i have brougth this hip flask with engravment on for my boyfriend but it needs a good clean, its stainless steal,
whats the best product to clean it with?
thank you xxxx

Answer 1

ordinary washing up liquid hot water and a scouring sponge and a dry cloth

Answer 2

To clean and polish cookware, try Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami. Any very mild abrasive cleaner and a damp soft cloth or sponge is great on stainless. It won't scratch like a more abrasive cleaner (Ajax, Comet) will. Add a little water to the powder and make a paste, then apply it with the sponge, wipe and rinse well. Be sure to buff it dry so there's no water spots. Cream stainless steel cleaners/polishes do work but I find them too oily and has taken me a few applications to determine just the right amount to use. Try to stay away from acids (or bases) like bleach or ammonia as they can pit the metal over time, which makes the problems worse. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Above is right, bleach is more than adequate to clean stainless steel...but be aware that SS comes in over 30 different grades, the cheapest and lowest in nickel content can actually corrode and the best and highest nickel content will be bright and clean with just soap and water...and there is a HUGE price difference between them. That's why some SS knives never seem to stay sharp and others you never seem to need to sharpen...you get what you pay for.

Answer 4

I soak stainless steel spoons in washing soda which works well. For really difficult things like a burnt saucepan Astonish is marvellous and the ingredients appear pretty benign. The Kleeneze people sell it or I recently found some at Pound World and stocked up.

Answer 5

Use baking powder mixed with a bit of warm water to make a thick paste. Then just give your flask a rub with the paste and a clean cloth. Works wonders and it's more environmentally friendly. Nice idea for a pressie by the way

Answer 6

i use soda crystals to clean my stainless steel sink in the kitchen. its about 80p for half or full kilo at supermarket. wet it sprinkle on leave and rub of with news paper. if you want to do the outside it helps but if u wanna do the inside it doesnt. i have had half a dozen thermos's and have found the only way to keep em clean is to wash out straight away, never leave overnight dirty. maybe try picking up a bottle brush from poundstore and use that with fairy liquid just make sure u rinse alot as suds are hard to get out of that shaped container

Answer 7

When my stainless steel teaspoons get grubby, or my sink gets dirty I just use bleach water. I'm sure it would clean your flask up a treat.
Dilute some bleach in a bowl and emmerse the flask for about half an hour. Then rinse and dry

Answer 8

Cameo cleaner is the best... you can usually get it at wal-mart, or your average dollar store. It works great on anything stainless steel. Best product I've ever tried for cleaning it. =)

http://www.amazon.com/Cameo-Aluminum-Stainless-Steel-Cleaner/dp/B0006M64ZM

Answer 9

_THINGS YOU'LL NEED_

. Warm water

. Soft cloths or sponges

. Mild detergent or ammonia solution

. "Bar Keepers Friend," "Comet," "Ajax" or similar abrasive cleaners

. Brillo is good for lightly buffing stainless steel e.g. Pots

_STEPS_

1. Attend to stains as quickly as possible. Stainless does not hold stains easily, but it's best to clean up spills and the like as quickly as possible. While it will probably be possible to remove a stain after it sets, it will require more work and potentially damaging cleaners.

2. Fill a sink or bucket with warm, soapy water or a weak ammonia and water solution. Stainless steel is durable, but can be sensitive to harsh cleaners, so for routine cleaning, use a gentle detergent, such as dish soap. Dilute the detergent with very warm water. It is better to have too little detergent than too much.

3. Soak the object to be cleaned in the soapy water. If you are cleaning something small, such as a stainless pan, you can soak it to help remove burnt-on food or other stains if necessary. For really tough jobs, soak overnight. For larger objects or lightly soiled dishes, skip this step.

4. Wet a soft towel or dish cloth in the soapy water. If you've soaked the stainless steel, you will probably need to change the water now so that it is clean and warm. Whenever possible, avoid using an abrasive cloth on stainless steel. Instead, get a soft cloth or nylon sponge, dip it in the water-detergent solution, and wring it out thoroughly. If you prefer to use a cleaning brush, choose one with soft bristles.

5. Scrub the stainless steel. Take your cloth and softly scrub the surface. It is typically not necessary to press very hard. If the stainless has a polished finish, scrub with the finish, not against it, and avoid scrubbing with a circular motion. Rinse and wring out your cloth frequently to keep it damp and to avoid smearing potentially abrasive contaminants over the surface of the steel.

6. Rinse thoroughly with warm, clean water. Using a clean cloth or sponge, wet and wipe down the stainless. Be sure to remove all the detergent residue--it can leave streaks and a rainbow-colored discoloration.

7. Repeat if necessary. The gentle cleaning should take care of most dirt and contaminants, but if stains persist, repeat the process. Be patient--persistent scrubbing will usually win out over even the toughest stains.

8. Apply a mild abrasive cleaner. Only apply an abrasive product after you've exhausted your patience (and your arms) scrubbing. Start by trying a paste of water and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or "Bar Keepers Friend." Rub the paste onto the stainless with a soft cloth. Again, exercise patience, scrub well and rinse thoroughly.

9. Go all out. If the combination of soaking, detergent and a mild abrasive didn't work, you're going to have to get serious. Apply a more caustic abrasive cleaner such as "Ajax" or "Comet." To do this, wet a cloth or sponge with hot water, put the abrasive on one side and, moving in the direction of the stainless grain, apply the abrasive side of the cloth to the stainless.

10. Flip the towel over to the side without the abrasive, and remove the cleaner you just applied (again in the direction of the grain). Keep this towel hot and damp, but not dripping wet.

11. Rinse thoroughly and dry. Immediately after wiping off the abrasive cleaner, rinse well using clean, warm water. Dry the stainless using a second cloth, again rubbing with the grain.


_TIPS_

- Clean often. You probably regularly clean stainless steel dishes, but most people let contaminants build up on larger objects. The more frequently you clean, the easier cleaning will be and the less chance you will have of contaminants damaging the stainless steel's protective film.

- Use a dishwasher for stainless steel dishes. Dishwashers are perfect for cleaning small stainless objects. They use very warm water, gentle cleaners, and are persistent and gentle in their "scrubbing."

- For really tough rust stains or heat discoloration, apply a 10% solution of nitric acid (aqua fortis). This is generally only for industrial use.

- If you just can't get a stain out by soaking and gentle cleaning, you may just want to leave it. An isolated stain or discoloration is preferable to the potential damage to the finish that could result from applying a harsh chemical to the stainless.

- Another things that might be good is Sodium Crystals. it's good on sterling silver and it could work on stainless steel. Place hot water from a kettle into a basin based with aluminium foil then apply 2-3 spoons to water and mix then place stell into water. (Works well with silver necklaces, studs and rings)

- To remove burn marks from steel try squirting a bit of ketchup or purree on that particular spot and leaving for about 15 mins then rinse or wipe off. The acidity in tomatoe is good with cleaning metal

_WARNINGS_

1.Be careful when mixing any types of cleaners. Don't mix "Bar Keepers Friend" with vinegar or Skin So Soft oil.

2. Do not apply bleach to stainless steel. Stainless is sensitive to chlorine, and contact with bleach will result in staining and damage to the protective film.

3. Nitric acid is a highly caustic chemical and should not be used if you are not familiar with proper handling and disposal techniques.

Answer 10

stainless steel cleaner the have the wipe on with a cloth or the spray on available at any walmart or loews, home depot