How to Remove Scratches From a Stainless Steel Refrigerator

Stainless-steel appliances are very popular, adding a modern, industrial look to your home. Part of their appeal is that they are durable while also being fashionable. Unfortunately, they also have their downsides. They can be a magnet for scratches and fingerprints, which are notoriously difficult to remove. Many appliance owners find themselves replacing doors and panels on their stainless-steel appliances because of the difficulty of removing scratches. Fortunately, it is possible to take out the scratches without replacing the stainless-steel components.

Things You'll Need

• Baby oil Soft cloth WD-40 Emery cloth Scratch-B-Gone Sander (optional)

Instructions

1. Use baby oil. If your stainless steel refrigerator is covered with a lot of tiny, thin scratches, a baby oil polish will mask almost all of them. This may just remove the appearance of scratches enough that you forgo trying one of the more complicated methods listed below. Always try this first and see what you think.

2. Buff it out. Spray the scratch with WD-40 and use an emery cloth. An emery cloth is a very fine, soft form of sandpaper. Going in the direction of the stainless-steel grain, gently stroke the scratch with the emery cloth. Don't apply too much pressure or you will create more scratches. Also, make sure the area remains constantly lubricated with the WD-40. This also helps prevent further scratching. This works well for large, deep scratches.

3. Try a commercial stainless-steel scratch remover, like Scratch-B-Gone. This is a kit that utilizes a process similar to in Step 2, with it's own unique brand of scratch-removing chemicals and stainless-steel buffers. See the Resource section for a link to more information about Scratch-B-Gone.

4. Use a sander to create a brushed-steel look. If your appliances are scratched beyond repair, take a sander to the entire surface, using small circles. This creates a brushed-steel appearance, which many people prefer. You can actually buy your appliances with this finish. If you do not have access to a sander, you can do it by hand with a regular, fine-grain sandpaper.

Tips & Warnings

• Constantly lubricate your sandpaper with WD-40 to prevent further scratching.

• Never go against the grain when trying to remove a scratch This will create more scratches than it repairs.

Resources

• Scratch-B-Gone