My mom has told me so many times that she’d never, ever want stainless steel appliances in her kitchen. She hates that they have to be wiped down all the time in order to look clean, whereas her older white fridge doesn’t show smudges and fingerprints and basically always looks clean.
Well, I’m on my third kitchen full of stainless steel appliances, and I admit it: They do tend to keep a “record” of every single time they’ve been touched. But I (and many, many other people) enjoy the aesthetic of stainless steel enough that I’m willing to put up with the upkeep. However, that doesn’t mean I relish the increased cleaning required by it, or the messy appearance between maintenance sessions. I want my stainless steel finishes to look clean quickly and stay clean as long as possible.
While it’s definitely possible to use DIY cleaners and polishes for upkeep, I’ve found that the most efficient methods for cleaning stainless steel appliances, pots, and pans, are products specifically designed for the task. And trust me, I’ve tried plenty. Here are my top four favorite stainless steel cleaning finds of all time:
1. Weiman’s Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish
I first found out about this cleaner when I saw my friend’s absolutely gleaming stainless steel fridge. Weiman’s Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish is a spray that cleans and polishes in one go. It comes with a microfiber cloth and leaves your stainless appliances sparkling. One thing I don’t love about it is the strong chemical odor, but boy, does it work well. I don’t use it all the time, but when I want the kitchen to look especially good, I open the windows and doors and bust it out. (The brand also makes wipes, which beat out dozens of other brands in a cleaning showdown.)
2. E-Cloth Stainless Steel Cleaning Cloth Set
When I first tried the E-cloth stainless steel cleaning cloth, I couldn’t believe my eyes. You just wet the cloth and wipe down your stainless steel, and messes melt off. You follow up with the polishing cloth and the gleam is unbelievable, especially considering not a single product was used other than the cloth set and water. This is my go-to for daily cleaning of my appliances.
Bar Keepers Friend is my desert island cleaning product, and for good reason. It’s so incredibly versatile — you can use it on everything from shower walls to stainless steel cookware — while also powerful, gentle, and extremely affordable at under $3 a container. I always have a container of BKF under the kitchen sink and use it multiple times a day for my pots and pans, and for scrubbing out my stainless steel sink nightly.
The only drawback of Bar Keepers Friend is that it’s messy to use on stainless steel appliances. It’s a powder, and while you can make a paste to use it on the fridge or microwave, the product still requires the extra steps of wiping down and then buffing dry. You can also opt for the newer soft cleanser version, which comes in liquid form. I’ll never give up BKF for my cookware and sink, but I do keep a few other things on hand for my appliances.
4. Lifeproof Ceramic Coating
Lifeproof Ceramic Coating is a total game-changer if you have stainless steel appliances. While not a cleaner technically, it keeps you from having to clean as often. This means you can enjoy a smudge- and fingerprint-free fridge for up to a month without constant cleaning. I have five kids and our kitchen is extremely busy, to put it mildly. This Lifeproof spray, which comes with a microfiber cloth, has made it look like I clean my stainless appliances every time someone touches them, and I love that. It can also be used on fixtures around the house, from glass to countertops, making it cost-effective even with its $30 price tag.
Do you have a go-to product for keeping your stainless steel sparkling? Let us know in the comments below!
