Stainless steel takes a light touch

Stainless steel appliances: They’re eye-pleasing, sleek and darned near a cliche these days.

But that ubiquity means a lot of people are wrestling with the same problem: how to keep stainless steel clean, ward off scratches and keep a notoriously touchy surface factory-fresh.

Deservedly or not, stainless steel has picked up a reputation as something of a dirt magnet.

“It is a surface that requires a certain amount of attention,” said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor at Consumer Reports. “A good way to understand that is to go to the appliance section at a store and look at the appliances. And you’ll see they often do have fingerprints all over them.”

If there’s one silver lining to this, it’s that manufacturers of appliances and household cleaning products have heard the concerns and fired back with waves of cleansers, coatings and stainless steel alternatives.

When approaching stainless maintenance, think loosely of your car, said Scott Bennett, kitchen and bath designer at a Kansas City Home Depot.

After all, a lot of the current wave of stainless cleaning products can act a bit like a car wax, Bennett said. One product he recommends is Stainless Steel Magic, which he said minimizes fingerprints and gives a polished look. Simple Green’s Stainless Steel One-Step Cleaner & Polish is another winner, he said, and both cost just a few dollars.

Also similar to car maintenance: Stainless steel responds better to dedicated stainless cleaning products, Bennett said.

“You can use other cleaners or just soap and water,” he said. “But it will probably leave streaks and water spots. If you just take a damp cloth and wipe it down, you’ll have streaks, and you’ll do nothing to prevent fingerprints.”

Others say it comes down to personal preference.

Jeff Adams of the Mop Bucket cleaning-supply store, said if you want a glow, an oil-based stainless steel cleaner is the way to go. But oil-based products can dull as soon as water hits the surface.

For a more natural look, Adams said he prefers non-ammonia glass cleaner or a water-based stainless cleaner.

“It’s not going to give you a great shine, it’s just going to clean it and remove smudges,” he said.

Whatever you use, don’t overdo it, he said. Fingerprints, smeared surfaces and grease buildup come largely from using too much stainless steel cleaner — and the more you use, the more money you’re spending.

Consumer Reports has found few differences among cleaners and recommends consumers pick the least expensive option available, Kuperszmid Lehrman said.

Another cleaning key: Use a lint-free cloth. Paper towels will work fine, but lint-free microfiber probably will produce the best results.

Still too much of a hassle? Consider eschewing stainless altogether in favor of faux-stainless veneers.

Unlike most true stainless-steel refrigerators, they have the benefit of being magnetic (meaning the family fridge can once again become an art display and open-air filing cabinet). And faux-stainless veneers are less expensive than true stainless. That price discrepancy may grow more noticeable in coming years as the prices of raw materials for stainless steel go up.

Still, true uncoated stainless stands head and shoulders above the other options when it comes to scratch repair because you can sand it.