Cleaning Stainless Steel

I have a thin stainless steel that has smudges on it and I cannot get them cleaned off. What is a good cleaner to use for stainless that would work on rust and dirt between microscopic defects in the steel?

Reply to
W
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Bar Keepers Friend

Reply to
Steve W.

On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:28:03 -0700, the infamous "W" scrawled the following:

Run on down to Wally World and pick up a tube of MAAS.

It's good schtuffs, Maynard.

-- The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man. -- Euripides

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Try Sheila Shine (I bought mine at Ace Hardware).. joel in rust central

Reply to
joelblatt

I tried the MAAS and that does get off the old rust. It does however leave some kind of polish/residue behind on the steel. What used to be a very dull stainless finish becomes a shiny finish. Do you know how to get off the MAAS completely so we can return to the dull finish?

Reply to
W

What's that Lassie? You say that W fell down the old rec.crafts.metalworking mine and will die if we don't mount a rescue by Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:28:03 -0700:

Scotchbright pad. Red or white(fine-veryfine).

Reply to
dan

The active ingredient in Barkeeper's Friend is Oxalic Acid.

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It works quite well in removing rust stains from stainless steel.

Reply to
cavelamb

On Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:42:25 -0700, the infamous "W" scrawled the following:

Wirebrush (see Tawm) or belt sandah, of course.

I dunno. Ask MAAS to suggest a cleaner.

-- The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man. -- Euripides

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Usually, one passivates stainless (forming the oxide layer) with an oxidizing acid. I always used dilute nitric acid. Probably it's not a 'residue' that changed the appearance, but the removal of an oxidized layer.

Reply to
whit3rd

The problem is that MAAS is a metal POLISH not a cleaner. Bar Keepers Friend is just a stainless cleaner. It doesn't change the appearance of the stainless but it does clean off the crud.

If you use it on cooking pots make SURE you rinse it very well.

Reply to
Steve W.

That is a really important point and thanks for making it. It looks like Bar Keepers Friend is actually an acid, so I guess that is re oxidizing the surface of the metal?

Can we just wipe it off with alcohol?

Reply to
W

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