How do I clean the outside of a kettle and other steel appliances?

Stainless steel has a directional grain, and both cleaning and buffing need to follow it. Wiping across leaves visible marks that catch the light, which is why steel appliances so often look worse after cleaning than before.

What you'll need

• Two microfibre cloths
• Washing-up liquid
• White vinegar (optional)
• Olive oil for finishing (optional)

Step by step

1. Find the grain direction — usually fine parallel lines running one way.On a kettle it often runs vertically; on an oven door, horizontally.
2. Wipe along the grain with a barely damp cloth.Barely damp. Excess water leaves marks as it dries.
3. For grease, add a drop of washing-up liquid to the cloth rather than the surface.Applying to the cloth avoids concentrated patches that then need extra rinsing.
4. For hard water marks, wipe with a little white vinegar, then rinse.Water marks are mineral deposits, so acid removes them and detergent does not.
5. Buff dry immediately with a second, completely dry cloth, along the grain.This is the step that prevents streaking.
6. Optionally finish with a tiny amount of oil on a cloth.A few drops buffed in resists fingerprints for a while. Too much attracts dust.

Tips

• Dedicated stainless steel sprays work well but a damp cloth and a dry cloth handle most of it for nothing.
• Fridge doors and dishwashers usually have a horizontal grain — check before you start rather than after.
• Never use bleach on stainless steel: chlorine causes pitting and permanent staining.

Common mistakes

• Wiping across the grain — It leaves visible streaks that catch the light from every angle.
• Using a scourer — It scratches the finish permanently and the scratches then hold dirt.
• Letting it air dry — Whatever is dissolved in the water dries onto the surface as spots.

Questions people ask