How to Polish Stainless Steel Tubing

Stainless steel tubing is not often considered decorative, but this doesn't mean it has to look grungy. Whether you are a contractor working on a home or commercial project, or you are simply a home owner making improvements to your home, you can easily enhance the appearance of your work.
Polishing stainless steel tubing will add a little extra time to your project, but the products used are simple and cheap. Polishing will make the home or commercial building look newer, fresher and more inviting.

Things You'll Need

• Microfiber cloths
• Liquid soap
• Baking soda
• 2 small buckets
• Water
• Mineral oil or baby oil

Instructions

1. Fill one small bucket with warm water and add a few drops of liquid soap. Fill the other bucket with clean warm water. This is the rinse water. If you are near a sink, you can just use the sink instead.

2. Dip a microfiber cloth into the soapy water and clean the stainless steel tubing well. This is to remove any debris that may scratch the tubing and interfere with shine.

3. Place a clean microfiber cloth into the rinse water. Rinse off soap residue from the stainless steel.

4. Add 1 tsp. of baking soda to the wet cloth. Rub this over the tubing using even, short strokes (you will probably need to add a little more water to the cloth occasionally). Rinse all the baking soda off using a fresh cloth dipped in the rinse water.

5. Dry the stainless steel tubing thoroughly. Place just a few drops of baby oil on a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Rub this into the tubing, using circular motions for best results.

6. Buff the tubing with another clean, dry cloth until the tubing sparkles.

Tips & Warnings

• For very small pieces of tubing, try using toothpaste on a wet cloth to polish it instead of baking soda and baby oil.

• Make sure to work the oil very well into the tubing; otherwise, dust in the air will stick to it, ruining the shine you worked hard to achieve.

Resources

• Microfiber cloths