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So I finally put my new listing up, we built a 600 SF guest house from the ground up and it took 14 months to finish, then sat empty another month and a half because I needed to get the outside steps finished so guests did not have to hike up through the dirt mud and snow. I listed it a few days ago and already have six bookings the first is coming today:)
So I had the housekeepers give it a good scrubbing, it had not been cleaned really since we built it, just wiped down and swept that sorta thing. I have a stainless steel fridge, stove and sink. The sink already has water spots that the housekeepers did not get out, I am thinking bar keepers friend or something similar? what products do my fellow hosts use on the SS? Any tips or tricks to keep it clean?
Borax! I promise. I put it in one of those plastic ketchup/mustard picnic bottles with the spout. I cut the end to make the whole a little larger. Wet the sink and “spray” some borax all around it. Let it sit a few minutes if it’s really bad but then just scrub with a microfiber or scrubby sponge. Sparkling clean! This works great for stainless pots and pans too.
As a reference, I am familiar with Barkeepers Friend (and have it too) but the Borax is even better for steel and definitely not as hard on your hands, etc.
Edit to add: I wouldn’t use the Borax or the Barkeepers Friend on the fridge or stove as those are coated or polished - it’s different than sinks. The trick to the stainless appliances (and steel actually) is always polishing with “the grain”. We use microfiber cloths and a vinegar and water spray to clean, scrubbing in the direction of the grain. If you want to shine it up, you can use just a tiny tiny bit of olive oil on a soft cloth and rub it with the grain.
I use plain old fashion vinegar on my SS appliances at home. The only drawback is that it smells like smelly feet so it’s necessary to open the windows to air out the smell.
I use Magic Eraser and water most the time. Sometimes vinegar water if working on hard water spot areas. In the sink I sometimes use bar keepers friend or Comet or a little clorine bleach if there are coffee or wine stains or I want to santize because I had raw meat nearby. For appliance surfaces just magic eraser and a 3M stainless steel microfiber polishing cloth (I swear that cloth is better and different) to buff dry. That is the key step to shiny stainless. If there is a greasy residue I’ll use a little ammonia.
What I never, ever use are any of the “stainless steel” polishes or “cleaners” in a liquid spray bottle.
Also if you get some damage there are stainless steel restoration kits (or maybe just use steel wool depending on the damage).
I agree that cleaning the SS sink is different that the SS appliance. I’ve had good results with Barkeepers friend on the sink, and I’ve used Weiman’s SS cleaner/polish on refrigerator and dishwasher. I tend to use the polish when needed (maybe every other cleaning) and just use some window cleaner on the alternate times … depends how mussed up the SS is.
Weiman’s can usually be found it at “the W” or Home Depot
Thanks, the first guest will be here soon. It has been a labor of love and I am glad to see the money coming in the other direction, into my account as opposed to out of my account! At least in relation to the 2nd unit.
Perhaps you have a “brushed” finish and so it is not noticeable but it’s explicitly recommended to not use a magic eraser on stainless steel (or any shiny surface) as they do leave scratches. I’m a big fan of them but have seen them leave scratches. I’m only mentioning it as it sounds like @RiverRock as new appliances.
I use baby oil on my ss sinks. Been doing it for more years than I care to share. Learned it in college when I worked on weekends in a dental office. Keeps them in great shape!
Haven’t seen this mentioned, but it DOES work! SHAVING CREAM! Smear a nice layer on and let sit for a couple minutes, then start cleaning it off. gets fingerprints and gunk off brushed SS easy!
Just get the cheapest kind you can (NON menthol, non aloe, etc. Just plain)
Yes, all my stainless has a brushed finish and I use the magic eraser on all of it. But yes, it’s a melamine abrasive. I’d love to tell you about the time I used the one in my shower on my face. It looked like I had a sunburn and people still tease me about it.
Off topic, but since when do we stay on topic? My first guests in the new cabin checked out this morning and reported that the shower was barely warm… The guy was a plumber and told me exactly how to fix it, the anti scald feature in the valve needed adjustment. He said had he had an allen wrench he would have done it himself. That and the damn arc fault expensive breakers that I had to put in tripped and the had dead plugs in the bedroom:( They were super good about it and I fixed the shower and am picking up 3 new breakers tomorrow and replacing the arc faults.
Learned it in college when I worked on weekends in a dental office. Keeps them in great shape!
