Many folks with so-called “stainless steel” appliances feel like they’ve been lied to. Few surfaces are harder to keep smooth and shiny than stainless steel. Does it actually ATRACT fingerprints?

The truth is, you can, in fact, have stainless steel that lives up to its name. Here’s your guide to cleaning stainless steel appliances for a beautiful, like-new finish that lasts.

Key Takeaways

• Cleaning and protecting stainless steel are different steps. Combination products can leave residue that attracts spots.
• Oils and mineral-oil-based polishes shine appliances, but worsen smudging and dust buildup.
• A degreasing cleaner, followed by a hard protective coating (like Flitz Ceramic Sealant), gives longer-lasting shine.
• Microfiber cloths lift contaminants, rather than smearing them around.

Why Stainless Steel Looks Dirty So Fast

Are stainless steel manufacturers just gaslighting us? Why does stainless steel seem to get dirty so quickly? Especially in the kitchen! Kids' prints, paw prints, food stains, water spots, all seem to collect on your stainless steel appliances fast. Keeping them shiny can feel like a job of Sisyphean proportions.

Okay, first of all, think of stainless steel as steel that stains less, not steel that’s stain-proof. It’s an important differentiation. At least, one that will make you feel better about those fingerprints, pawprints, and the like (it’s not just your household).

Stainless steel appliances attract:

• Airborne cooking oils
• Hand oils (fingerprints)
• Dust and pollen
• Water minerals
• Cleaner residue from products

It’s not a matter of washing your hands before you touch the refrigerator. It’s not dirt so much as oil-bound grime that smears around the surface instead of lifting off and disappearing.

Before you change your appliances, give them the Flitz treatment to help them finally live up to their reputation.

The Problem with Many Stainless Steel Cleaners

Many products on the market combine cleaner and polish. These products contain oils like mineral oil, paraffin, aliphatic oils, and petroleum distillates.

The secret about these ingredients is they’re great for shine, but shine doesn’t mean protection. Often, these ingredients can make your stainless steel appliances look great at first pass, but then they actually attract fingerprints and hold dust.

It’s not your imagination—these layers of grime build up over time. Each time you clean, it becomes harder to get that sparkly, shiny, ultra-clean looking finish. Products can rob stainless steel of its luster and make it tougher to get back.

How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances the Right Way

Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. There’s a right way to clean stainless steel appliances so they’ll stay beautiful and protected over time. Use the power of Flitz to get the finish you deserve to see in your kitchen.

Step 1: Degrease Appliances First

Flitz Stainless Steel & Chrome Cleaner will help break down all those built-up oils and much of what collects on your appliances. A dedicated stainless steel cleaner and degreaser like Flitz is made to remove food residue, smudges, oils, and environmental grime that come along with every kitchen.

Spray Flitz Stainless Steel & Chrome cleaner onto the surface of your appliance and wipe it with a quality microfiber cloth. Looking for a hot tip? Consider the Flitz 30-Ct Microfiber Roll. You’ll get a fresh microfiber towel for each use, and they hold up to cleaning.

If you prefer, go for a Flitz Microfiber Polishing Cloth, which you can pop in the wash and reuse time and time again. (Just no fabric softener or heat, please!)

If you’ve been using oil-based products for a while, you may need to repeat the process a few times until the surface feels and looks completely residue-free.

Step 2: Polish Your Stainless Steel

Once the stainless steel is truly clean and residue-free, you’ll apply Flitz Paste Metal Polish (or Flitz Liquid Metal Polish). Here’s the deal—Flitz polish is different. It’s not an oily polish like most of those on the market.

Instead, Flitz Paste Metal Polish protects. It forms a micro-thin layer that leaves behind a hydrophobic (water repellent) finish. Flitz Polish helps your stainless steel appliance resist fingerprints and repel moisture, reducing future cleaning for months (not just until next Saturday).

Flitz works best when you buff it lightly with a Flitz Microfiber Cloth. The 30-ct Microfiber Roll also makes cleaning a breeze. Apply Flitz Polish to your clean stainless steel appliances for shine and protection!

Step 3: Add an Additional Layer of Protection

Save yourself the stress of keeping stainless steel stain-free by giving it the full Flitz treatment. Our Flitz Stainless Steel Polish and Protectant keeps your stainless steel protected with a nano-ceramic formula.

Start with a clean and polished appliance, and then spray the Flitz Stainless Steel Polish and Protectant onto the surface. Wipe with a Flitz microfiber, working in the grain direction. Let it sit for a few minutes, so you can get an extra shine, and then buff to a flawless finish.

You’ll lock in the protection and enjoy a streak-free, polished finish for the long haul. Make it extra convenient by picking up the full Flitz Stainless Steel Appliance Kit. You’ll get all the products we’ve discussed here—so you can tackle those smudgy appliances once and for all!

Why Microfiber Cloths Matter for Stainless Steel

Let’s take a moment to sing the praises of microfiber. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why you would use anything else. You see, towels and old rags take up space, look ugly, and get stiff and weird.

Moreover, old towels and rags push dirt and grime around without lifting it. They can leave behind a lint trail and cause streaks. The same goes for paper towels, which tend to leave paper towel residue on the surface, so it never looks perfect.

Microfiber cloths, on the other hand, hold onto those surface contaminants so you can lift them right off. They reduce the risk of streaking and improve product performance. If you want to extend the protection life of your polish job, microfiber is a game-changer.

Flitz has a variety of microfiber cloth options to choose from, including:

• Flitz 12” x 12” Microfiber Cloth 2-Pack
• Flitz 30 ct. Tear-Away Microfiber Roll
• Flitz Hunter Orange Microfiber Cloth 4-Pack
• Flitz 16” x 16” Premium Microfiber Polishing Cloth

No matter which microfiber cloth you choose, it’s up for the job of cleaning and polishing any stainless steel appliance you put in it’s way.

Common Stainless Steel Cleaning Mistakes

There are a few common stainless steel cleaning mistakes you might not even be aware of. Stainless steel isn’t so high maintenance—it’s misunderstood.

Using oil-based polishes and cleaners repeatedly leaves behind grime and attracts even more contaminants to your stainless steel surface. Once you ditch the other cleaners and polishes, you’ll notice a big difference right away.

Always clean stainless steel with the grain. If you scrub across the grain, it will leave streaks behind. Don’t skip the cleaning or degreasing either. Applying polish and protectant over a dirty surface locks in the exact residue you want to get rid of.

Finally, don’t use abrasive pads with stainless steel. Once it gets scratched, it’s tough to recover. Be gentle on your stainless steel finishes by choosing the right Flitz products that are made for keeping your stainless steel spotless!

If you feel like you’re endlessly polishing your stainless steel, put down the paper towels (or the old rags). More importantly, put down the store-brand spray and get yourself some Flitz. Remove that oil-based grease and grime, without leaving behind residue. Then make your future self happy by using polish to shine and protect.

Cleaning your stainless steel is a heckuva lot easier with Flitz!