Most Effective Ways To Clean & Protect Stainless Steel

By Author: Andrew Bain
Total Articles: 72
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Stainless steel is very popular for commercial kitchenware as it’s easy to clean, durable, and highly aesthetic. But it also requires a considerable amount of maintenance as it can be prone to rust if not properly taken care of.

The good news is, it isn’t too difficult to care for stainless steel, so we have prepared some of the best ways to care for stainless steel cookware, flatware, sinks and so on.

What are the different types of stainless steel?

There are various types of stainless steel, but the ones that are more popular in the market are:

300 series stainless steel: this type of stainless steel is made with a mixture of chromium
400 series stainless steel this type is more durable than the 300 series. It is made up of a combination of nickel and chromium. It also has more corrosion resistance.

How to properly maintain stainless steel items

Use cleaning materials like microfibers, mild cloth, plastic washing pads, or sponges. Do not use steel wool, wire brushes, scrapers, or anything that can scratch the steel surface.
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... Wash the steel in line with the polish lines. If you check the stainless steel, you will find the grains running in a particular direction that is used in making them.
Clean them with the appropriate cleaning material. Use cleaners that contain non-chloride chemicals, alkaline or alkaline chlorinated chemicals.
Routinely sanitize and disinfect stainless steel. Be sure to use industry-recommended sanitizers. However, before you sanitize your stainless steel items, be sure to remove any large food containers, by pre-soaking or pre-washing, then rinsing thoroughly. After that, apply the sanitizing agent on the infected area, wet it, and leave it to drain and air dry. Don’t remove the sanitizer from the area.
Reduce the use of hard water on your stainless surfaces. To do this, you can get a water softener, which is your best option. But if you don’t have an effective water softener, avoid hard water to stay on your stainless surface for a very long time.

Stainless steel kitchen equipment

If find that some of your stainless steel equipment is corroding, determine the cause of the rust; if it is caused by scratches, deposits, chemicals or water. Knowing the reason for the rust is essential to implementing the right cleaning technique to prevent it from happening again in the future. This is particularly important for 2 door fridges and 2 door freezers which are known to rust if they’re not cleaned on a routine basis.
Remove the rust with a scratch; Use a pad. Don’t add any liquid to the pad; just gently massage it gently with the piece of stainless steel.
After that, add a cleaning paste to the area using a microfiber or soft cloth.
Using another damp towel, rub it on the surface to remove the remaining powder or paste.
Use stainless steel polish often to remove corrosion from your stainless steel until the area is restored.

Stainless steel flatware

Clean out any leftover food from the flatware as soon as you can. Then soak it for about twenty minutes. You can pre-soak it with any soaking solution of your choice.
Avoid using hard water and detergents rich in chlorides. Then wash your flatware after soaking them.

Stainless Steel Cookware

Avoid adding salt directly to the cookware as it can result in pitting. It is better to add salt to boiling water.
Use plastic, rubber, or wooden utensils when cooking as they will avoid causing damage on the surface.
Wash the utensils with your hands and sanitize the cookware before using them.

Conclusion

Stainless steels are made of many different materials, with each individual steel having a variety of different compositions. Commercial kitchen equipment is extremely expensive and protecting the equipment from premature rusting is essential. This article has revealed a number of effective methods that can be employed to successfully protect steel-based kitchenware from unwanted damage and deterioration.

Managing director of leading Australian cleaning company, Worth Every Cent Cleaning.