Before you bought your stainless steel appliances, your friends and family probably warned you, saying that you would constantly be cleaning them because every time they get touched, a mark would be left, especially since you have kids—right?
They weren’t lying, it’s true. But it’s not only the kids, adults leave fingerprints too and stainless steel appliances store all of the evidence for everyone to see.
Most people think that the best way to clean smudges on stainless steel is to buy special disposable one-use wipes or fancy overpriced sprays—both of which are filled with chemicals that aren’t good for you or the environment. So why bother when there are natural cleaning products sitting in your kitchen right now? There is really no need for those store-bought cleaning products when you can make your stainless steel shine (and save money!) by using just one natural ingredient you already have: olive oil!
Yes—olive oil! I know the first thing that came to your mind is “but that will leave an oil slick on my appliances!” If you follow the steps below, I promise you, it won’t.
Here is the before close-up of a particularly bad area:
(my youngest apparently likes to play patty-cake with the fridge)
Here is how I fix it:
1. Using a soft cleaning cloth and water or vinegar, wipe down the appliance. Wait for it to dry.
2. Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil onto a different cleaning cloth. (A cut up old t-shirt works great for this!)
3. Going with the grain, rub the oil into the surface. If you miss spots, the surface will appear streaky, so be sure to wipe down the entire area without missing any spots.
4. When finished, there should not be any oily residue at all. If there is, go back over with a clean, dry cloth and wipe up the excess.
Close up of that same bad area shown above:
Quick, eco-friendly, and cheap! No disposable cleaning cloths or sprays can ever compete with that!
Looking for more green cleaning tips? Learn how easy it is to clean your glass-top stove using two natural kitchen ingredients!
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