If you have stainless steel appliances in your kitchen then you know the struggle. They may look fresh and modern when you first buy them, but fast forward a week and they’re smeared by finger prints, food grease and goodness knows what else.
Trying to clean them can be a bit touch and go too. Lots of cleaning products end up leaving a streaky finish which makes you wish you hadn’t even bothered. However, there is a surprisingly simple fix to this issue that will have your stainless steel appliances gleaming like brand new in minutes.
The best part is, it’s super economical as well. This cleaning hack won’t break the bank, and it works like an absolute charm.
How to clean stainless steel
The secret isn’t cleaning spray or scrubbing – it’s baby oil. Boots currently has baby oil for sale for £1.50, making it a cheap and easy thing to use as polish in your kitchen.
You don’t need much at all – according to commenters on Mrs Hinch’s Cleaning Tips page on Facebook, just a couple of drops will do it.
Roxanne Summers posted a picture of her baby oil to the page, saying she had tried everything to keep her stainless steel fridge polished and nothing had worked – until now.
She wrote: “I just spent 10 minutes or less with a dry towel and one towel with a few drops of baby oil on it and all my stainless steel appliances look brand new. I am in shock. I literally am in tears because I’m so excited, and those of you who have been in this stainless steel Hell like I have will understand that ”
Comments on the page agreed with her, saying they had relied on it for years.
It’s important not to use too much – just a couple of drops on a dry microfibre cloth, buffed gently across the surfaces will bring it up shining.
Make sure you only use baby oil – oils like vegetable oils or olive oils are not the same and will turn rancid on your surfaces, leaving even more mess to clean up.
Why baby oil works for stainless steel
Baby oil is primarily mineral oil which fills in tiny scuffs, lines and pores on the metal making it appear shiny.
It also masks further smears and fingerprints as it is an oil itself and so blends in with skin oils making their marks less visible. The oil also repels water which makes it easier to wipe off prints.
