We've spent far too much money on bottles of stainless steel cleaner that claim to wipe out smudges. We haven't had much luck—only buyer's remorse. But did you know you can use a super inexpensive product from the drugstore that does a better job? Several of you smarty pants mentioned it in this post.
It's.... baby oil.
We read about this trick on a website a while ago and haven't yet tried it, but a family member swears by it. The baby oil isn't meant to clean dirt and grime off of the surface; you'll need to use a wet cloth for that. But once it's clean (and still covered with fingerprints), wipe on a thin coat of baby oil. The oil will erase the smudges and keep it shiny longer.
We've read about some people using mineral oil instead of baby oil; we'd imagine any type of oil would create that polished finish. But baby oil is easy to find and cheap.
Does anyone out there use this trick? Do you ever get a greasy feel? How does it hold up to fingerprints?
Related: Trend Watch: Is White the New Stainless Steel?
(Image: Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, from Melissa Clark's Revamped Kitchen)
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Baby oil IS mineral oil.
When I was young, I worked in a Big Box store and we always used Pledge or furniture polish for stainless steel and plastic. During the "wipe down" at night we had a can and cloth and it worked wonders. And if you are wondering, yes there were tons of fingerprints and lets say lots of other interesting things.
Yeah, no fingerprints, but your fridge is covered in grease. Ick.
Just a word of warning. We had a seriously faulty stainless steel fridge that we cleaned using the "approved" cleaning product, and when we called to complain that it was rusting they accused us of using a not approved product. I would check your warrenty before using anything on your stainless steel.
When my mom got a new stainless steel sink the first think the guy who installed it said was before you run any water in the sink be sure and wipe it down with baby oil. It helps clean and seal the surface and the sink was still shinning many years later!!! Not so sure about using it on the frig as I find just a cloth with water works about as well as anything.
so last friday my big, shiny, french door/2 drawer samsung fridge was delivered. they had to take the storm door off to get it in, and the door was propped open a bit. unbeknownst to me, the neighborhood stray, mr. kitty, wandered into the house. by the time i noticed him, he was backed up to the fridge & was letting loose with a 'welcome spray.' he skedaddled pretty quick when i yelled.
i wanted to kill that cat, but turned instead to my friend, google. a cotton ball saturated with white vinegar did the trick. thank you google, thank you, vinegar!
No finger prints but dust accumulates on the grease after a few weeks....then you have to use soap to take the grease AND dust off.
I just use stainless steel cleanser/polish. I think it costs like 3 bucks. I'm sure its full of petroleum products like mineral oil but it doesn't leave it greasy at all.
I use Pledge and it works perfectly. I have one spray can to clean just about everything in the house. It was a happy accident that I found ho well it worked on stainless steel appliances while I was cleaning cupboards. If you rub it/wipe it, it doesn't leave a greasy feeling at all, but it is super smooth/slick.
The oil of babies? Eeeewww
I use scrubbing bubbles to clean fingerprints off mine -- works great. I do a lot of gluten-free baking, so my worry with the baby oil is that the slightly oily surface would attract the particles of tapioca starch that are always around in the kitchen!
Windex works.
Use a hot, barely soapy dish cloth, and a clean dry cloth to dry.
When I was in college, I worked as a janitor for two terms. We were issued a smelly mineral oil type substance called Sheila Shine, for drinking fountains and elevator panels - both stainless. Worked like a charm and kept fingerprints from developing. God knows what was in it...
@pleiovn - I lol'd. Thanks.
@Mama Gigi. We had rust spots on our stainless steel fridge, which came off with bicarbonate of soda. I used a nylon sponge (rub along the grain), and finished with baby oil. It looks brand new again.
The point is not to coat your stainless steel so that the oil is what's shiny--the oil just helps to remove other oil-based stains like fingerprints (which are resistant to being removed by a water-based product on a grained surface) and to mask scratches by filling them and creating continuity between scratched and unscratched surface. You buff most of it off; if the surface is still oily to the touch you should give it another run-over with paper towels. Products with a high solvent content like windex will also break down oil-based stains but will leave more residue because everything is all broken down into little bits whereas the oil sort of rolls all the oils together in bigger clumps that are easier to pick up with a cloth or paper towel. Also, as earlier people said, it helps seal the surface and keep it from absorbing anything new.