How to clean stainless steel so your appliances look brand new again

Look in any Aussie kitchen, you’re bound to find a few stainless steel appliances. Not only is it a super durable material and is resistant to stains, we reckon it looks pretty schmick and can really elevate that boring looking toaster.

However, keeping stainless steel looking clean and fingerprint free can be a bit of a challenge. We’re sure we’re not the only ones who’ve noticed smudges and water spots, as well as the odd food stain and grease mark all over our stainless steel fridge, oven, microwave, cooktop, kettle, toaster, sink…

So to make your stainless steel appliances look brand new again, we share all our best tips and tricks.

How often should I clean my stainless steel appliances?

It’s really up to you, how much time you have and how often you use the appliance. You can also sync this up with everytime you deep clean your kitchen. This can mean once a month, four times a year, or any time you notice fingerprints (thanks to grubby little hands!) or there’s a spill.

With frequent cleanings – say like once a week or once a fortnight – you’ll be able to maintain your stainless steel good’s original appearance. If you have a stainless steel benchtop, we would recommend cleaning this every day, or at least giving it a quick wipe down after preparing your meals to pick up any crumbs and to avoid buildup.

What is the best thing to clean stainless steel?

If you’ve ever used a standard household cleaner to wipe down your stainless steel appliances, you may have noticed a hazy residue left behind. That’s because common products aren’t actually designed for use on these materials. To get your kitchen shining, it’s important to choose a cleaning product that is specifically formulated to use on stainless steel. Here’s what we recommend:

How do you remove tough stains from stainless steel?

Follow our step-by-step guide for cleaning your stainless steel appliances:

Step 1

Spray the surface of your fridge, oven, microwave or whatever appliance with Universal Cleaner. If you prefer, you can also spray Universal Cleaner onto a Universal Cloth before cleaning smaller items like toasters or kettles. Be sure these are unplugged, too

Step 2

Take a Universal Cloth and use it to wipe your appliance clean

Step 3

For tougher stains and marks, use the non-scratch scrubby corner on the microfibre cloth and a bit of elbow grease

Step 4

Repeat when necessary

What not to do when cleaning stainless steel

Avoid harsh abrasive products like scouring pads and steel wool as this can scratch the surface
Don’t use bleach or cleaners that contain ammonia

Why use Koh cleaning products for stainless steel

When it comes to cleaning your kitchen and more importantly, the surfaces and appliances where you prepare food, chemicals are an automatic no-no. The last thing you want to be doing is accidentally ingesting cleaning formulas that could potentially cause harm to you and your family.

That’s why Universal Cleaner is the perfect choice. It’s eco-certified to the GECA cleaning standard, and even recommended by the national Asthma Council Australia’s Sensitive Choice™ program so you know it’s good for you and good for the planet. Not only that, Universal Cleaner has been created to specifically remove stains and marks from stainless steel (among a whole host of other things), so you’re left with a clean and shiny appliance, without that weird hazy finish some cleaners have.