How To Clean Stainless Steel Using Baby Oil (2024)

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Cleaning stainless-steel appliances can be such a chore. Shiny surfaces just always seem to attract stubborn fingerprints, hard water stains and water marks. It’s important to exercise proper maintenance of all your kitchen appliances, but a little elbow grease will go the extra mile when you clean stainless steel using baby oil.

How To Clean Stainless Steel Using Baby Oil

When we moved into our St. Louis house it was the first time I ever had come in contact with stainless steel appliances. Growing up we had the mustard yellow painted refrigerator that was then updated to classic white. In college I had whatever came with the apartment and it was never stainless. Same with the first year of marriage, it was just the apartment fridge. My husband and I did purchase new appliances when we bought our first home (in San Antonio), but even then it was the white appliances that were on sale so it’s what we got. Stainless steel is just so much more expensive and I’m not even sure why, because they can be a pain to take care of. But they sure do look pretty (when clean). And this appliance material has become very popular!

Why are stainless steel appliances so popular?

Stainless appliances became really popular in the 1990’s. Previously these types of appliances were more on the industrial level and often only found in commercial kitchens. The material itself has a sleek look to it. It’s naturally resistant to stains, smells and bacteria which makes it a great choice for having in the kitchen. The durability factor of the type of metal only went on to add to the popularity.

What are the cons of stainless steel appliances?

• More expensive.

• Typically only go well with other stainless steel so you don’t want to mix and match.

• Most are not magnetic.

More cons of stainless steel appliances.

Stainless steel surfaces are notorious for water spots and a common misconception is that you need an expensive special cleaner to maintain the shine. While there are tons of cleaning solution options out there on the market, it’s mostly the expensive stuff. Sure I started out spending the serious cash on cleaning product that was recommended by the appliance store (never on the commercial stainless steel cleaner level), but that only lasted so long. I figured there had to be a better way that was also more economical. This method of cleaning kitchen appliances is such a good idea and the best thing is a little bit goes a long way!

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Before the clean stainless steel using baby oil method:

Brace yourself. Look at those smudges!

Using Baby Oil To Clean Stainless Steel

No need for a special stainless steel cleaner when you can use baby oil. This is by far the easiest way to clean the surface of your stainless steel. It’s perfect for everything including the kitchen sink… stainless steel sinks that is!

What you’ll need:

• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Baby oil
• Dry cloth (An old t-shirt is the perfect soft cloth for making rags!)
• Reusable spray bottle (optional)

What you’ll do:

Step 1: Use a soapy sponge to clean off any stubborn stains or stuck-on food that has built up.

Step 2: Poor a small amount of baby oil on the soft cloth. For best results this is where you can optionally use a spray bottle. Simply pour the baby oil into the spray bottle and wet cloth with the oil this way. It’s a great way to make sure you are using a small amount of oil, not all in one concentrated area.

Step 3: Wipe on the surface of the appliance making sure you wipe in the direction of the stainless steel grain. Yes, just like wood has a grain there is a grain of the metal. So you’ll want to always wipe with the grain. Starting from the top and then working your way down the appliance is a good way to keep track of the area you’ve already done.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 & 3 as needed until you have a beautiful, smudge free appliance staring back at you!

After:

It’s easy to clean those stainless steel smudges the dandy way!

Seriously guys, I can’t believe how easy this was! I’m actually looking forward to having to do this again. They’re so pretty and I’m not horribly embarrassed when company comes over.

I hope you’re having a fantastic start to your weekend!

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*** updated in February 2023

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This post could contain affiliate links or be sponsored which means I earn from advertising. Also as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. More details here.