8 Tips for Removing Fingerprints from Stainless Steel

It’s clear that stainless steel appliances are not going away any time soon. I love the way they look— stainless steel appliances add instant modernity to any kitchen, and their reflective surfaces make smaller kitchens look bigger. One of the things I don’t enjoy about it, however, is how easily stainless steel appliances get dirty with fingerprint smudges, so I decided to research and try out a handful of techniques.

Surprisingly, most of the things I tried worked fairly well, to similar results, but none of them kept fingerprint marks away for too long. I had to clean my appliances regularly — about once a week — but if you clean on a regular basis, getting rid of fingerprints from your appliances should not take more than a few minutes.

Here are some tips for keeping your appliances free of fingerprint smudges:

1. Clean with mild soap and water, using a soft cloth.
2. Clean with white vinegar and a damp soft cloth.
3. Clean with soda water.
4. Polish with a clean, soft cloth and a dab of olive oil or baby oil.
5. Polish with a clean, soft cloth and lemon juice.
6. After cleaning with mild soap and water, polish with a sheepskin cloth.
7. After cleaning with mild soap and water, use furniture polish—wipes are the most convenient.
8. Clean with Windex or another streak-free glass cleaner.

Do you have any more tips? What do you do to keep your stainless steel appliances in tip-top shape?