Maintaining The Stainless Steel Shelves In Your Kitchen

Stainless steel shelves and back splashes add a clean, polished look to a kitchen. Lightweight yet strong and durable, stainless steel kitchen shelves are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Although dirt and streaks are more noticeable, stainless steel is easy to clean and shine. That makes it a practical shelving material for kitchen organizing and storage.

Wiping Away Tough Grease

The tools and supplies you need to clean the dirt and grease from stainless steel shelving and back splashes are few and simple. A damp paper towel, wet sponge, and liquid dish detergent are all you need to remove grease and grime. Use a mild dish detergent that contains orange oil to cut through the grease.

Start by rubbing a damp paper towel over the shelves to loosen the top layer of grease. Wipe the shelves again with a clean paper towel to remove the worst of the grease. Wash away remaining grease with a sponge soaked in a solution of hot water and dish detergent. Hot water does a better job than warm water at lifting grease from surfaces. Wet the sponge again with clean soapy water and continue wiping until all the grease is gone.

Once you've removed all the grease, use a clean sponge soaked in warm water to rinse away any soapy residue that remains on the shelves. The shelves will lose their luster if you allow the soap to dry.

You can also clean the shelves by soaking a microfiber cloth in water. Avoid the use of abrasive cleaning cloths and cleansers, even on tough stains, as they can scratch a stainless steel surface. Microfiber cloths or terry cloth towels are soft and non-abrasive.

Always wipe in the direction of the grain to remove dirt or smudges. If you rub against the grain, you can scratch the surface. Drying the shelves with a clean soft cloth or dry paper towel prevents water spots and streaking.

Bringing Out the Shine

There are several cleaning techniques you can use to restore the shine to stainless steel shelves. After you wash the shelves, splash them with a few drops of baby oil or vegetable oil. Wipe with a soft cloth. Repeat until you achieve the desired shine. Baby oil also helps hide minor scratches.

For a gleaming, streak-free finish, dampen a soft cloth with club soda and then rub the surface of the shelves. Wipe dry with a clean cloth and buff to a shine. Glass cleaner also works well to remove smudges from stainless steel surfaces.

Another method for shining the shelves is to rub in a few tablespoons of dry flour with a soft cloth. Rinse off the flour and dry the shelves.

To remove fine scratches, mix a paste of baking soda and water. Rub over the area and then wash away the residue before drying. 

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