Get A Streak-Free Shine On Stainless Steel Appliances With An Easy Cleaning Hack

Over the years, stainless steel has remained one of the most beloved materials for appliances. It's durable, affordable, and sleek, making it both a practical and stylish choice in any home. However, even with all of these advantages, there are some downsides to this beloved finish. For one, it can show greasy finger prints quite easily, and things like food splatter, hard water, and dust build up over time. That's why it's important to regularly clean and polish to keep it looking great, especially because allowing messes to sit on the surface can require abrasive scrubbing later on, potentially causing scratches on the stainless steel. That doesn't mean you need to run out and buy an expensive stainless steel polish — all you need to buff away messes is a spent dryer sheet. 

In recent years, many people have wondered whether it's time to ditch dryer sheets, preferring not to use single-use or fragranced laundry products. But you can use them to polish up your stainless steel, so they aren't really single use in the end. Dryer sheets are coated with fabric softener, which helps to condition the stainless steel as it buffs away any buildup, and thanks to its antistatic properties, can even prevent dust from settling back onto the surface. 

First, you'll want to properly clean the stainless steel appliances, because otherwise, you'll just be moving the mess around. Use your preferred stainless steel cleaner to ensure there's no dust or food debris on the surfaces. Allow the appliances to fully dry before proceeding to the polishing stage. When your dryer cycle is done, pull out any spent dryer sheets — it's time to make that stainless steel shine. Anywhere you notice residual smudges or fingerprints, just gently buff away at them with your dryer sheet. You can get a lot of polishing action out of a single sheet, so don't hesitate to use the same one for your fridge, stove, sink, and so on. 

The dryer sheets should make quick work of polishing, so you may want to even use them to polish up any chrome faucets around the home, including bathrooms. Once you've polished to your heart's content, just discard the dryer sheet as normal. If you have a lot of stainless steel appliances, save up your dryer sheets so you always have them ready to go. Plus, there are lots of incredible uses for dryer sheets around the home, so you'll never want to be without a stock of them.