Cleaning Stainless Steel

[k7qz]

OK, I searched the site a couple of different ways but didn't come up with much, so a penny for your thoughts:

The nice new shiny stainless on my machine is getting spotted and stained behind the grouphead despite diligence in wiping it clean after each use.

With the machine cool, I tried a little Windex on it. This helped some. Chris Coffee suggested trying vinegar (acidic) and this helped a bit more, but it's still not perfect (It just may be the way every machine gets with use).

I'm wondering if there is anything else you super baristas use to clean the spotting/staining from your stainless?

Thanks-

[Grant]

Google is your friend.....

http://doityourself.com/clean/stainlesssteel.htm

I use vinegar myself......I avoid chemicals in my house where possible....Some warm soapy water first to remove oils may help as well.

Grant

Edit: I just re-read your note and you mentioned Windex....I have noticed a few sites say it is OK to use products with ammonia...and others say to NOT use ammonia. You may want to use Windex with care....

[k7qz]

Google is your friend.....

http://doityourself.com/clean/stainlesssteel.htm

I use vinegar myself......I avoid chemicals in my house where possible....Some warm soapy water first to remove oils may help as well.

Grant

Edit: I just re-read your note and you mentioned Windex....I have noticed a few sites say it is OK to use products with ammonia...and others say to NOT use ammonia. You may want to use Windex with care....

Interesting site Grant. I'd have never thought to use olive oil on the stainless.

The great part is you can make a nice salad dressing with the leftover oil and vinegar!

[Woofy]

Soap and water to remove built-up gunk, followed by Wenol metal polish works wonders on chrome and stainless. Wenol is available at Williams Sonoma, online. It's used for cleaning stainless cookware, is gentle on fine metal finishes and is very effective.

For daily cleaning, put 80-100 proof vodka in a spray bottle. Unlike Windex or other ammonia-based cleaners, it's food grade, is naturally anti-bacterial, doesn't streak or stink and cleans stainless beautifully. The ethanol in vodka is a food-grade solvent that's so often overlooked it's almost comical. I use this in the kitchen instead of the toxic anti-bacterial cleaners marketed by Madison Avenue. Store it in a cool, dark place like the cabinet below your espresso machine, or in the fridge.

If you must use ammonia, use non-sudsing ammonia. It's usually tinted a light blue. It doesn't have the surficants that'll streak and leave behind all sorts of additional residue you want to avoid eating. Keep it in a spray bottle in a cold place. The colder the ammonia solution is, the less it'll streak whether you're cleaning stainless or windows. Mix in a ratio of about a tablespoon or two per quart of water.

[Grant]

For daily cleaning, put 80-100 proof vodka in a spray bottle.

hehe...you just jogged my memory....I just saw that a little while ago on one of those cleaning shows on one of those home cable channels. Some finicky english lady was cleaning someone's disgustingly dirty house....and was spraying vodka all over.....intermittently into her mouth as well.

hmmm...I may get to like housework!

I'll have to try it.

Grant

[miKe mcKoffee]

A few years ago when we got our Viking range I asked the dealer what was a good product for cleaning stainless steel. Now they carried "big named appliance branded" cleaners but not what he recommended. Told me they used Zep Stainless Steel Cleaner for all their showroom SS appliances. So I got some at Home Depot and been using it ever since including for previously Miss Silvia and now Bricoletta. Great stuff for thorough periodic cleaning and polish. Click Here
Inbetween cleanings a snap, simply wipe with clean damp cotton cloth and dry with cotton cloth.

[barry]

I use vinegar myself......I avoid chemicals in my house where possible....Some warm soapy water first to remove oils may help as well.

nice to know vinegar isn't a chemical.


--barry "acetic acid, eh?"

[Grant]

heh...yeah...guess you're right....but I think you know what I meant.

I feel a bit better about cleaning my espresso machine with the same stuff I put on my salad.

Grant

[barry]

heh...yeah...guess you're right....but I think you know what I meant.

yeah, but it always touches a nerve of mine. i guess it's from my days in chem lab.


btw, i've actually had people argue with me over whether water was a chemical or not.


--barry "better living through chemicals"

[Nick]

When cleaning stuff like stainless steel, windows, Malachi's bald head, etc.... there's one little "secret" that I'm always surprised more people don't know about...

Use newspaper instead of cloth or paper towels. Just take a big page, crumple it up, and use the wad until it's saturated and then go on to a new sheet.

The little bit of ink/dust reduces streaking big-time. You have to wash your hands afterwards, but it's a small price to pay. I prefer the New York Times myself.

[HAL9000]

I prefer the New York Times myself.

A use for the NYT! If this catches on I may have to stop shorting it.

[jasonmolinari]

Use one of those microfiber cloths with some water...gets spots off stainless very well.

[dbartramr]

I maintain my stainless by applying mineral oil from time to time, and keeping it polished by lightly going over it with microfiber. I apply a very thin coat of mineral oil with microfiber, and then polish with a clean microfiber.

For streaking, I find Goo-Gone Gel works extraordinarily--apply, lightly rub of streaking or stains, and I go over it again with a damp microfiber (water only) to clean off the gel (though it's fine to leave it on since it's essentially just another oil).

Like many others at this site, I extoll the virtues of microfiber cloths. They are particularly good for wiping down the grouphead. When dry or even damp, they insulate well enough that you can run your finger clothed in nothing more than a single layer of microfiber around a fully heated E61, all around the inside of the grouphead, around the screen and gasket.

[Ozark_61]

The little bit of ink/dust reduces streaking big-time. You have to wash your hands afterwards, but it's a small price to pay. I prefer the New York Times myself.

Wow - another good use I thought it was just good for getting the kindling lit in my woodstove.

I've just used a 'slightly' damp flour sack rag to clean my SS machine. You can get them at Walmart - they make great drying rags. If it's too wet, it streaks, but if it's just barely humid, then it cleans up nice 'n purdy. Just move quick... if you pause too long, it's going to burn you! Yeah, I'm not patient enough to wait for the machine to cool down. If I'm at home, then I want the machine good 'n ready for duty. I like the vodka idea though - for the stuff in the cheap plastic bottles, it's probably cheaper than 'official' cleaners.

Geoff

[another_jim]

I've never found dirt, but rather water stains (streaks), to be the big enemy. I have a spray bottle of distilled or RO water handy. Not as cool as vodka, but less tempting too.

[cannonfodder]

Very lightly dampened micro fiber cloth cleans it all. No solvents, acids, etc... just a micro fiber towel with a very light splash of water. It cleans off espresso splashes, old grounds, water spots, and does not harm any finish.

[Psyd]

Very lightly dampened micro fiber cloth cleans it all. No solvents, acids, etc... just a micro fiber towel with a very light splash of water. It cleans off espresso splashes, old grounds, water spots, and does not harm any finish.

I just cut a microfibre cloth in half (it was getting a bit unruly) and ended up with lil bits of bright fluorescent green microfibres all over everything. Will this thing just unravel if I don't selvage the edges, or will it eventually decide that it's going to stop leaving spoor all over my nice clean SS?

[DaveC]

I have used this product for many, many years

http://www.tableauproducts.com/ca...s_Steel_Cleaner/42

I am not sure whether you can get it in the USA though?

It's a mousse, I use a golfball size spray on a damp cloth to do each half of the machine, rub gently, damp cloth to wipe it off, then dry with tea towel,buff with microfibre cloth. It contains silicon oil (a recognised surface treatment for stainless), is very slightly abrasive, you wouldn't think it was abrasive, but it is (a lot less abrasive than jewellers rouge). Its fine for brushed or mirror finish stainless. I have hard water and it removes water spots, marks (all sorts of crud). A can will last a year or two.

I have tried all sorts of products, but nothing comes close to this.

[Alex_chef2000]

Google is your friend.....

http://doityourself.com/clean/stainlesssteel.htm

I use vinegar myself......I avoid chemicals in my house where possible....Some warm soapy water first to remove oils may help as well.

Grant

Edit: I just re-read your note and you mentioned Windex....I have noticed a few sites say it is OK to use products with ammonia...and others say to NOT use ammonia. You may want to use Windex with care....

There is a Commercial Stainless Steel Cleaner from 3M. You can buy it in any restaurant supplier store. Simple and the best.


Regards from Mexico,



Alex.:

[RegulatorJohnson]

hi everyone.

i was noticing the same issue on my SS behind the PF area. i use a microfiber cloth soaked with water from the hot water tap. but i still get the scratches.

a possible fix?
have you seen the invisible shield ipod protectors? check out the video demos of them hacking ipods with keys and not damaging them. seriously check them out you will be truly amazed. no shite!

http://www.shieldzone.com/movie/index.html

the stuff was first used//invented to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades. what kind of abuse does a helicopter blade take? when you put it on an ipod it is protected but you cant tell by looking at it. also the scratches fill in and disappear as well.

this is a local company. they will cut out any shape i can draw on the puter. i was going to draw one up for my pulser and get it cut. seems like it could be a good idea.

and it peels off fairly easy and leaves behind no sticky booger residue!

and if you have an ipod buy this stuff. trust me

jon