Review of effective and safe cleaning products for stainless steel cookware

Stainless steel, or stainless steel, is one of the most practical materials for making pots, pans and cutlery.

Dishes made from this metal look beautiful, are not subject to oxidation in water, and are resistant to wear and corrosion.

To avoid the formation of stains on the surface of stainless steel, you need to follow the rules of caring for it and choose the right detergents.

We'll talk more about cleaning products for stainless steel cookware in the article.

How to clean and wash inside and outside?

You can wash dishes made of stainless alloys using both special and homemade products. To clean it, gels are used based on:

• alkalis,
• surfactant,
• soap,
• natural and synthetic abrasives.

Special preparations

When choosing household chemicals, you need to focus on the composition, reviews and recommendations of the dishware manufacturer. The list of the most effective means for cleaning stainless steel includes:

Help

Help Stainless steel - washing liquid contains phosphoric and citric acid, sodium chloride and surfactants. Means suitable for cleaning:

• steel,
• copper,
• aluminum,
• chrome and nickel plated dishes.

Cost – from 50 rub. for 500 ml.

Sanitol

Sanitol Steel shine - cleaning cream effectively removes carbon deposits, grease, fingerprints and other contaminants.

• surfactant,
• coralon,
• carboxymethylcellulose and soft abrasive – chalk.

The cost of the cream is from 40 rubles. for 250 ml.

Bagi Metal Cleaner

Detergent Suitable for removing stains, scale and difficult dirt from stainless steels, non-ferrous and precious metals. The main components of the liquid are surfactants, solvents and ammonia. Cost – from 480 rub. for 350 ml.

To combine cleaning and protective properties, it is recommended to use polishes for stainless steels (HG, Dr. Beckmann, etc.).

Folk recipes

Folk remedies do not contain toxic substances and are considered safer. They are prepared from laundry soap, vinegar, mustard, soda, etc.

Soda and salt

Baking soda and salt help clean stainless steel from fresh carbon deposits, dried grease and traces of water. To clean the surface, you need to apply 1-2 tsp to it. soda powder, add a pinch of soda and rub with a damp sponge.

To soften old carbon deposits, you need to fill a frying pan or saucepan with water, boil it, and then add a few teaspoons of baking soda and salt.

Laundry soap

Homemade dishwashing detergents are prepared from grated laundry soap. They are easily washed off from the surface and do not affect corrosion resistance. stainless steel To improve the cleaning properties of soap gel, natural abrasives are added to it: soda, activated carbon, ground coffee, etc.

To remove carbon deposits from pots and pans, you need to boil them with a mixture of soda, soap, glue and water (1:1:1:25).

Mustard powder

Using ground mustard you can remove fresh traces of grease from dishes. This natural component serves as both a detergent (oil emulsifier) ​​and a mild abrasive.

For washing stainless steel you can use the following tools:

1. Mustard gel (1-2 tbsp per 0.5 l of water).
2. Mustard paste (dilute 2 tablespoons of powder to the consistency of sour cream).
3. A mixture of mustard and soda (dissolve 1 tablespoon of the mixture in a 4:1 ratio in water and beat).

Ammonia

A 10% solution of ammonium hydroxide (ammonia) is used to remove complex and old contaminants. How to use the product:

• add 10-15 drops of hydroxide per 1 liter of water, wipe the dishes with the prepared solution;
• pour in 1 tbsp. substances in 200 ml of gel based on laundry soap, apply to stains, carbon deposits and dried fat.

After using ammonia, you need to rinse the dishes thoroughly. Some sources provide erroneous information that ammonia products cause corrosion of stainless steel. However, damage to dishes can only be caused by ammonia (ammonium chloride), but not by caustic ammonia, also called ammonia.

Lemon and vinegar

Acidic products work well with scale deposits, which settles on the surfaces of pots, kettles, thermoses, etc. To remove stains, just wipe the metal after washing with a sponge soaked in vinegar or a solution of citric acid (2 tsp per 500 ml).

To clean a heavily soiled thermos flask, you need to pour a solution of 9% vinegar and warm water (1 to 3) into it, and then leave it for 1-2 hours, shaking every 20-30 minutes. Lemon and vinegar can be replaced with any carbonated drink that contains phosphoric acid (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc.).

What can't you do?

When cleaning stainless steel cookware forbidden:

1. Rub the metal with carbon steel (rusting) brushes.

   When trying to remove carbon deposits using a more active metal, galvanic couples are formed on the surface, which over time lead to rusting of the base metal.

   In turn, stainless and copper scrapers leave scratches, but do not affect corrosion resistance.

2. Use concentrated acids. Food grade stainless steel (alloys AISI304, 12Х18Н10, 10Х18Н10Т, etc.) is quite resistant to nitric acid, as well as most organic and dilute mineral acids. However, when hydrochloric, hydrofluoric or sulfuric acid is applied, the metal is destroyed. Concentrated formic and acetate acids are also dangerous for these alloys.
3. Use chlorine-based products. Sodium hypochlorite (bleach, “Belizna”, etc.) is used to remove dense deposits on the bottom of dishes, as well as for disinfection. Its regular exposure to food-grade steel leads to the appearance of rust stains, pitting corrosion and even through holes. Other products based on chlorine or chlorides are also dangerous for stainless steel. Short-term application of kitchen salt and the use of soda-salt pastes as an abrasive are allowed.
4. Use melamine sponges. Melamine foam is a good abrasive, but due to its harmful effects on health, it should not be used on food contact surfaces. For the inside of pots and pans, as well as cutlery, you should choose a safer product. The melamine sponge can be left to clean carbon deposits from the bottom and sides of containers.
5. Soak the dishes for a long time. Inexpensive pots and cutlery can be made from an alloy with an uneven distribution of chemical elements.Also, errors may be made during the manufacturing process of each item. This leads to pitting or zonal corrosion of the metal, despite the fact that classic stainless steels are insensitive to fresh water.

If only the coating of the cookware is stainless, then it cannot be cleaned with hard metal scrapers and abrasive powders.

Mechanical damage to the top layer leads to the following consequences:

• sticking and burning of food;
• loss of shine of the bottom and walls;
• intense oxidation of the base metal in places of scratches and holes (the presence of an inactive coating around the defect accelerates the formation of rust).

When cleaning pots and pans with coatings, do not remove carbon deposits with a knife or stir the contents of containers with a metal spoon or spatula.

Care instructions

When caring for stainless cookware recommended:

1. Wash or soak items immediately after preparing food.
2. Do not pour cold water into hot pots and pans.
3. Avoid overheating empty dishes.
4. When cooking food, salt not cold water, but boiling water.
5. To dissolve the fat, pour a little dish soap into the soaking solution.
6. When using natural products (for example, laundry soap, mustard), soften hard water with a small amount of soda.
7. After washing, wipe the dishes with paper or cloth towels to avoid the formation of whitish spots.
8. To remove water stains and fingerprints from the outside of pans, use glass cleaner and then wipe the surface in a circular motion.

You can polish pots and cutlery to a bright shine using a felt rag. Apply a drop of dish soap to a dampened cloth and then gently wipe the entire metal surface.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will show you how to clean stainless steel dishes until they shine:

Conclusion

With proper care, stainless steel cookware lasts a long time and does not create problems with removing food stains.

For everyday washing you can use industrial products for dishes, mustard powder, soap and soda, and to remove difficult stains - alkaline gels, ammonia and pastes based on natural abrasives.