When I was a kid, Grandma's kitchen was yellow, white, and chrome. And you couldn't get a friggin HARLEY or a chrome plated fuel injected hotrod to sparkle the way her pots n' pans did. I do not exaggerate - a thoracic surgeon could crack a patient on her kitchen table without the least bit of fear of infection. EVERYTHING was flawlessly clean.
My wife is a working woman and I never really pitched in to help as much as I should have. So I am sitting here looking at cookware that is stained and unsightly. They're clean... but they don't sparkle the way Grandma's did. I have gone to work on them with basic soap, water, elbow grease and road rage.
I am simply going to have to learn how household cleaners and solvents work.
Brillo or SOS pads and a lot of elbow grease.
ReplyDeleteUse Bar Keeper's Friend
ReplyDeletehttps://www.barkeepersfriend.com/
That, and some judicious elbow grease will have stainless steel looking bright and shiny again.
I'll second both Barkeeper's Friend, and the elbow grease. Especially the elbow grease. It took a while to get them in this state, it'll take a while to get them out of it.
DeleteI'll THIRD Barkeeper's Friend! 'Stuff works really well, and doesn't scratch everything up! My wife discovered it as a way to clean the stainless cooktop on the stove.
DeleteAs for grandma keeping everything hospital clean, ...people had to do SOMETHING before the advent of cable...
More. Elbow. Grease.
DeleteYep. And the best way to keep your stainless shiny? Clean it every fucking time you use it. Don't let shit get burnt on it.
ReplyDeleteStart spotless, end spotless. Otherwise you're going to need a good fine abrasive cleaner and some varying grades of steel wool.
Our local stores tell me this is not available to them anymore:
ReplyDelete* Cameo stainless cleaner
* Cameo copper cleaner
I've used these on a set of 40+ year-old Revere ware and there's none better. Although . . . a mixture of ketchup & mayonnaise will also clean copper pretty well!
Avoid any steel products, such as steel wool. Any rust on the scrubbing pad will tarnish, if not rust, the stainless. That, and scratch the finish.
ReplyDeleteI use scotch-brite and bon ami, plus elbow grease.
ReplyDeleteI have a deep and abiding respect for abrasives and fine finishes. Do not ask me how I came upon it...
ReplyDeleteI see. Tell me, does the discovery of this deep and abiding respect for abrasives have anything to do with the dent in your Old Lady's cast iron skillet?
DeleteAsking for the helluvit.