How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances (Without Streaks)
Here’s how to clean stainless steel appliances: wipe with warm water, a few drops of mild dish soap and a soft microfiber cloth, always with the grain. Wipe again with a clean damp cloth and buff dry right away. Check your finish first, since black stainless and fingerprint-resistant coatings need soap and water only.
Stainless steel is tough, but its surface dulls easily. Most of the streaks, cloudy patches and smudges we see on kitchen appliances come from the cleaning itself: too much product, the wrong cloth, or a cleaner the appliance maker specifically warns against. The routine below follows the care guidance published by Whirlpool and GE Appliances. It works on refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges and microwaves.
What you need to clean stainless steel appliances
- Two or three microfiber cloths. One to wash, one to rinse, one to dry and buff. Microfiber lifts oil without scratching. Keep them clean and lint-free with our guide to washing microfiber cloths.
- Mild liquid dish soap. A few drops in a bowl or bucket of warm water is plenty. Whirlpool and GE both recommend warm, soapy water for everyday cleaning.
- Baking soda. GE suggests mixing it into a paste with water for heavier soil on traditional stainless.
- A nonabrasive sponge for dried food on range fronts and handles.
- Optional: a stainless steel polish, for traditional (uncoated) stainless only, and only if your appliance maker allows it. More on that below.
Skip these, whatever a viral hack says: paper towels and newsprint, steel wool, scouring pads and abrasive powders, ammonia, bleach, oven cleaner, and anything acidic, including vinegar and citrus-based cleaners. Whirlpool lists all of them as cleaners that can damage stainless steel, and says damage caused by them isn’t covered by warranty.
First, check which stainless finish you have
Most guides skip this step, but it decides which products are safe. Look up your model number in the owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s website.
- Traditional stainless steel. Bare metal with a visible brushed grain. It shows fingerprints easily. It’s the only finish that can take a stainless polish, and only on the metal itself, not on plastic trim or door gaskets.
- Fingerprint-resistant or coated stainless. The spec sheet usually calls it fingerprint-resistant or smudge-resistant. A clear protective coating sits on top of the steel. Whirlpool says to clean these finishes with mild soap and water only. That means no polishes, bleach, window sprays, ammonia, or acidic and vinegar-based cleaners.
- Black stainless steel. A colored coating over the steel. GE warns that traditional stainless steel cleaners and polishes will ruin this finish. Use mild dish soap and water. GE also advises keeping magnets off the finish.
Not sure? Treat the surface as coated and use soap and water. It’s safe on every finish.
How to clean stainless steel appliances: step by step
- Find the grain. Look closely at traditional stainless and you’ll see faint parallel lines, usually vertical on refrigerator doors and horizontal on dishwasher and oven fronts. Every wipe should follow those lines. Wiping across the grain pushes grime into the texture and leaves swirl marks.
- Mix your solution. Add a few drops of mild dish soap to warm water. More soap doesn’t clean better. It just leaves more residue to streak.
- Wash. Dip a microfiber cloth, wring it out until it’s barely damp, and wipe with the grain from top to bottom. Work in sections about the width of the cloth so the surface doesn’t air-dry before you get to it.
- Work on stuck-on spots. For dried food or grease on traditional stainless, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it with a nonabrasive sponge, and rub gently along the grain. Don’t scrub hard, and don’t use the paste on coated or black finishes.
- Rinse. Wipe the whole panel again with a second cloth dampened in plain water. This removes soap film, the most common cause of streaks.
- Dry and buff immediately. Use a dry microfiber cloth, again with the grain. Whirlpool notes that water left to dry on stainless can discolor it, because minerals such as iron in tap water stay behind on the surface.
- Polish only if allowed. If your appliance is traditional stainless and your manufacturer approves a polish, put a small amount on a cloth, not on the appliance, and buff with the grain. Keep it off gaskets, plastic and trim. If you’re unsure, skip it. Soap, water and a good buff give a clean, even finish on their own.
How to clean a stainless steel refrigerator
The refrigerator collects more handprints than anything else in the kitchen, and it’s also where manufacturers are strictest. GE’s care guidance says not to use stainless steel cleaners or polishes on its refrigerator exteriors at all, whether the finish is traditional, black or fingerprint-resistant stainless, and to avoid vinegar and other acidic cleaners. If you own a GE, or can’t confirm what your maker allows, stick to soap and water.
- Doors: follow the steps above, working from the top of each door down so drips land on dirty areas, not clean ones.
- Handles: these carry the most grease. Wrap a soapy microfiber cloth around the handle and wipe its full length, then rinse and dry the same way.
- Water and ice dispenser: wipe the recess and drip tray with a soapy cloth, then dry. Hard water deposits show up here first, so dry it completely.
- Door gaskets: wash the rubber seals with warm soapy water and dry them. Never put stainless polish on gaskets.
How to clean a stainless steel dishwasher
Dishwasher fronts have a horizontal grain, and the top edge often has a control panel. Dampen the cloth instead of spraying anything onto the door, so liquid can’t work its way around the buttons or into the seam at the top. Wipe the handle and the strip below it, where drips from the counter collect, then rinse and buff dry. If your controls sit on the top edge of the door, open it slightly and wipe that edge too.
How to clean a stainless steel range, cooktop and oven door
- Let everything cool completely. Cleaning warm stainless bakes residue on and can leave marks.
- Lift off the grates and burner caps and wash them separately in hot soapy water.
- Wash the cooktop and range front with soapy water and a microfiber cloth. For cooked-on spatters on traditional stainless, use the baking soda paste with a nonabrasive sponge, along the grain.
- Clean the knobs and backguard, where grease mist settles. Many knobs pull straight off for washing, but check your manual first.
- Rinse and dry every surface, then put the grates back.
Never use oven cleaner on the outside of a stainless range or oven door. Whirlpool and GE both list oven cleaners among the products that damage stainless steel.
How to clean a stainless steel microwave
Over-the-range microwaves collect cooking grease on the underside and handle. Wipe the door and handle with a barely damp soapy cloth, keeping moisture away from the vents and keypad, then rinse and dry. Don’t forget the bottom panel above the cooktop. Grease rises onto it every time you cook, and it’s easy to miss because you can’t see it when you’re standing.
How to fix streaks, water spots, rust and scratches
Streaks
Streaks are almost always leftover product. Rewipe the panel with a microfiber cloth dampened in plain water, then buff dry with the grain using a completely dry cloth. If the streaks come back, you’re using too much soap or polish, or letting the surface dry before you buff.
Water spots and cloudy patches
These are mineral deposits left by water that dried on the surface. Wash with soapy water, rinse, and this time dry right away. On a coated finish, avoid vinegar even for a stubborn spot. Manufacturers warn that acids can damage the coating.
Rust spots and tarnish
Small orange spots on traditional stainless are usually surface rust, often from iron particles or splashes. GE suggests a liquid cleanser containing oxalic acid, such as Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser. Apply it with a soft cloth along the grain, then rinse it off thoroughly. Use it on traditional stainless only, never on black stainless or coated finishes. For more detail, see our guide on how to remove rust from stainless steel.
Scratches
Cleaning won’t remove a scratch, and steel wool or abrasive pads will make it worse. If an appliance is badly scratched, contact the manufacturer before you try a repair product, especially on a coated or black finish.
Why we no longer recommend vinegar, lemon or olive oil
Older advice, including an earlier version of this guide, suggested vinegar sprays, lemon juice, or a coat of olive oil to make stainless shine. We’ve dropped that advice. Whirlpool and GE both list vinegar and acidic or citrus-based cleaners among the products to avoid, and neither recommends oil. Oil also leaves a film that holds dust and fingerprints, so you end up cleaning more, not less. Warm soapy water, a rinse and a thorough buff is the method appliance makers stand behind.
Frequently asked questions
Appliance makers say no. Whirlpool lists vinegar-based cleaners among the products that can damage stainless steel, and GE advises against vinegar and other acids on its refrigerator exteriors. Use mild dish soap and warm water instead.
It’s best to avoid it. Whirlpool’s guidance rules out window sprays on fingerprint-resistant finishes, and many glass cleaners contain ammonia, which Whirlpool says to avoid on stainless steel in general. A damp microfiber cloth and a dry buff remove fingerprints without the risk.
For everyday cleaning, use warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, applied with microfiber and dried right away. It’s safe on every finish. Use a baking soda paste for heavier soil on traditional stainless, and a stainless polish only on traditional stainless when your manufacturer allows it.
Use very little soap and wipe with the grain. Rinse with a second damp cloth to remove the soap film, then buff dry right away with a third, completely dry microfiber cloth. Streaks come from residue or from letting the surface air-dry.
Warm water, a drop of dish soap and a microfiber cloth handle almost everything. For stuck-on food on traditional stainless, a paste of baking soda and water works well. Skip vinegar and lemon, which manufacturers warn can damage the finish.
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