How to Clean Stainless Steel with Vinegar

Whether pots and pans or kitchen appliances, stainless steel has always been popular for cooking. It's healthier to use than aluminum or Teflon, but keeping it clean and shining can sometimes be a chore. Following are some healthy, non-toxic and natural ways of keeping your stainless steel clean and shiny.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vinegar
• Table salt
• Baking soda
• Dish Scrub Sponge (sponge on one side, scrubber on the other)
• Dish soap
• Spray bottle
• Water

1. 
   Vinegar

   To remove hard water stains from teapots or pans, pour ½ cup of vinegar into at least 4 cups of water. Boil it for 10-15 minutes, then let it cool down. Pour out water and wash, using a small amount of dish soap and a scrub sponge.

2. 
   Baking Soda

   To remove cooked food from the bottom of pots or pans, first try to remove what you can. Then pour vinegar in the pan so it covers the bottom. Sprinkle in baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Swirl it around and let it sit for 2 minutes. Pour it out and wash as usual.

3. 
   Table Salt

   As the bottom of your good cookware turns black with age, a simple cleaning technique is to pour vinegar over the bottom of the pan then sprinkle with table salt. Let it sit for 1 minute and then, using the scrubbing side of your dish sponge, rub it in a circular motion. Rinse and repeat if necessary. The copper or stainless steel bottom will return to looking like new.

4. Keeping your stainless steel shiny can be a battle. Place ½ cup of vinegar into a standard spray bottle with just a couple of drops of dish soap and then fill with warm water. Use this spray on all your stainless surfaces to keep them shiny and streak-free.

Tips & Warnings

• To help keep my pans clean, I spray them with Olive Oil Pam before cooking. This makes them almost Teflon like. I’ve found food doesn’t stick and it makes clean-up a breeze.
• To freshen a room, place a small bowl of vinegar on the counter and let it sit. Within a few hours, smells should disappear. This works well if you also have smoky smelling clothes, place a small bowl in your closet to remove unwanted odors.

[innovationz]

on 9/27/2009 Very helpful. Thank you!! (5 stars and recommendation)