How to clean and polish stainless steel surfaces — sinks, benchtops and cookware.
⏱ 2 min readEasyUpdated June 2026
Quick Answer
Always wipe with the grain (direction of fine lines). For everyday cleaning: warm water and dish soap with a soft cloth. For fingerprints and shine: a few drops of baby oil or mineral oil on a microfibre cloth, buffed with the grain. Never use steel wool or bleach.
Everyday Stainless Steel Cleaning
1
Always find and follow the grain
Stainless steel has a grain — fine parallel lines running in one direction. Look closely in good light to identify it. Always wipe along these lines, never across them or in circles. Wiping against the grain creates micro-scratches that dull the surface over time.
2
Warm water and dish soap for everyday grime
Dampen a soft microfibre cloth with warm water and a small amount of dish soap. Wipe along the grain. Rinse with clean water. Dry immediately with a dry cloth — water left to air-dry leaves spots and water marks from minerals in tap water.
3
Baby oil for polish and fingerprint removal
Put 3–5 drops of baby oil or mineral oil on a dry microfibre cloth. Rub along the grain over the entire surface in long even strokes. Buff with a clean dry cloth. This removes fingerprints, adds shine and leaves a protective film that repels future marks. Repeat weekly or as needed.
Removing Stubborn Marks
Water spots and mineral deposits: White vinegar on a cloth, wiped with the grain. Rinse and dry immediately. Or use a diluted citric acid solution.
Rust spots: Baking soda paste or Bar Keepers Friend (non-abrasive cleaner) rubbed gently along the grain. Rinse thoroughly.
Grease and cooked-on residue (sinks and benchtops): Dish soap with warm water left for a few minutes. For stubborn grease: a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a cloth.
Stainless steel cookware (pots/pans): Boil water with a tablespoon of cream of tartar for discolouration. Or use Bar Keepers Friend on the exterior for heavy staining.
Never use these on stainless steelSteel wool or abrasive scourers (scratch permanently), bleach or chlorine-based cleaners (cause pitting and corrosion), harsh chemical oven cleaners, or regular steel brushes. All of these permanently damage the protective chromium oxide layer that makes stainless steel stainless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Light scratches can be minimised by rubbing with a fine abrasive (Bar Keepers Friend or a specialist stainless steel scratch remover) along the grain direction. This blends the scratch into the surrounding grain pattern rather than truly removing it. Deep scratches in stainless steel sinks and benchtops are very difficult to fully remove at home. Professional polishing or resurfacing by a specialist is required for deep scratches on premium appliances.
Stainless steel is highly rust-resistant but not rust-proof. It resists rust because of a thin chromium oxide layer on the surface. This layer can be damaged by chlorine (bleach, salt), abrasive cleaners, steel wool contact, and sustained exposure to acids. Surface rust (orange spots) on stainless steel is usually “transferred rust” from iron particles contaminating the surface rather than the stainless steel itself rusting — clean with a non-abrasive cleaner like Bar Keepers Friend.