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Keeping stainless steel appliances clean and smudge-free can seem like a thankless job. Just when you finally get them looking perfect, someone reaches in the fridge for a snack, loads a glass in the dishwasher or pops a frozen pizza in the microwave, and in the blink of an eye, your kitchen is awash in fingerprints.
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we have rows and rows of stainless steel dishwashers, refrigerators and ranges, cabinets full of stainless steel cookware and stainless steel sinks in every lab, so we know a thing or two about keeping this them clean. When we test stainless steel cleaners in the Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab, we walk the halls in search of as many fingerprinted and grease-splattered surfaces as we can find in our Institute labs and test kitchens. And, if our appliances don’t have any marks, we add some. We check for how well each product cleans away grease, food residue and dust, how easy it is to apply and use and how easily it buffs without streaking. Here are the best stainless steel cleaners according to our tests.
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Best Overall Stainless Steel Cleaner
Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish Aerosol
- Cleaner, polish and protectant all in one
- Not great for stainless steel cookware
This aerosol was top in our test for how quickly it dissolved away greasy splatters and oily fingerprints without streaking. It was very easy to use and left our appliance fronts shiny and with very little residue to buff away. And because the formula puts down a protective transparent coating as you apply it, we found it helped repel new fingerprints or at least made them less visible.
• Cleanser Form: Aerosol
Best Stainless Steel Cleaner Wipes
Stainless Steel Canister Wipes (2-Pack)
- Darkens surfaces of stainless steel
Pre-moistened and convenient to use, Weiman’s wipes make quick work of cleaning hard-to-reach areas, like behind appliance handles and around toaster oven knobs. During our tests, we found that they did a good job at removing a majority of our soil but did not clean up fingerprints as well as some of the aerosol cleaners we tested. They are the perfect size for fast touch-ups and for cleaning and shining small appliances, the dishwasher, microwave and range. After wiping, simply buff with a microfiber cloth to shine. The protective coating they leave behind also helps repel dust, fingerprints and dirt.
• Cleanser Form: Wipes
Best Stainless Steel Cleaner for Cookware and Sinks
Cameo Cleaner
- Great for copper cookware too
- Have to mix with water to use
Whether it’s heat marks in a stockpot or bits of food burned onto a skillet, Cameo cleanser is up for the challenge. This gentle abrasive powder has the ability to cut through grime quickly and polish stainless steel and aluminum cookware to a shine without scratching, making it a favorite in both of our Cleaning Lab experts’ home kitchens. Mixed with a little water it forms a thin paste that clings to deposits to help nudge them loose, yet it rinses away easily and cleanly. It also works wonders on stainless steel sinks.
• Cleanser Form: Powder
Best Stainless Steel Cleaning Cloth
Stainless Steel Cleaning & Polishing Microfiber Cloth
- Need to use with a spray cleaner for best results
A good stainless steel cleaner only does half the job. You also need a great cloth to remove dirt and residue and buff the surface to a streak-free shine. Used with a stainless steel cleaner, Weiman’s cloth does double duty — one side cleans while the other polishes. Soft ribs on the cleaning side gently agitate and lift dirt without scratching while the polishing side buffs away streaks. In our lab, we found this cloth to be great at cleaning and polishing stainless steel appliances and sinks. Plus, its package directions were easy to follow and it continued to perform well after we washed and dried it. This Good Housekeeping Seal star cloth is large, absorbent and machine washable and dryable to reuse again and again.
• Cleanser Form: Cloth
Best Stainless Steel Cleaner for Grills
Stainless Steel Cleaner & Protectant
- Abrasive enough for tough jobs without causing damage
Outdoor grills often get overlooked when it comes to cleaning and end up needing extra muscle to look their best for when guests arrive. In our tests, Rock Doctor’s formula quickly cut through a greasy, grimy film on our test kitchen grill and left the control panel shiny and streak-free with minimal wiping. It’s great for indoor appliances, too,. After using Rock Doctor on a dull dishwasher door, we actually saw our own reflections and couldn’t mar it with fingerprints no matter how hard we tried.
• Cleanser Form: Spray
Best Stainless Steel Cleaner for Stains and Rust
Stainless Steel Brightener
- Great for getting rid of old marks on stainless steel
- Have to use a separate cleaner and polish too
Despite its name, stainless steel can stain. Scratch your fridge or dishwasher and in a short time you’ll begin to see tiny rust marks where the protective coating has been damaged. Using high heat can cause a stainless steel cooktop or pan to yellow or discolor. Affresh is a clear liquid specifically formulated to target these marks, not a regular cleaner or streak remover.
Apply some to a dry cloth or paper towel and dab the stain. Let it sit for several minutes, then wipe or lightly scrub in the direction of the grain. Finally, rinse with water or a damp cloth and dry. Affresh completely removed or significantly lightened some very old mystery marks on the front of a microwave in our GH Cleaning Lab in just one application.
• Cleanser Form: Liquid
Best Plant-Based Stainless Steel Cleaner
Stainless Steel Cleaner Kit
- Cleans black stainless steel
- Comes with a microfiber cloth
With over 11,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, it’s safe to say that Therapy is a consumer favorite, so we put it to the test in our Lab. Not only did we find that it brightened and shined up a very streaky stainless steel freezer door, its plant-based ingredients include a lavender and vanilla essential oil blend — so it smells amazing while you are using it — and coconut oil to impart a protective shine. Included in the kit is a 16-inch square microfiber cloth for cleaning and buffing.
• Cleanser Form: Spray
Best No-buff Stainless Steel Cleaner
Perfect Stainless Stainless Steel Appliance Polish
- Easiest spray polish to use from our lab testing
If you have lots of stainless steel to clean up in a hurry, Hope’s is your best bet. Its self-polishing formula dries quickly without streaking and without the extra buffing that some cleaners need to impart a shine. And it works with just a paper towel — no extra cloth required. Hope’s is our go-to for shining up our stainless steel backsplashes during photo shoots and it’s from the same company that makes one of our favorite window cleaners, too.
• Cleanser Form: Spray
How we test stainless steel cleaners
The Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab is continually testing stainless steel cleaning products (often in conjunction with all the stainless steel dishwashers, toaster ovens and ovens we test). We test how well stainless steel cleaners clean grease, fingerprints, food residue and dust off stainless steel surfaces across all of our Institute labs and test kitchens.
We evaluate other performance parameters like polishing ability. If the cleaner leaves a protective coating on the appliance surfaces, we test how well it protects from new fingerprints and grease. The polishing abilities of each stainless steel cleaner are measured using a device called a gloss meter that measures the amount of projected light that is reflected off of a freshly polished stainless steel surface.
In addition to judging each cleaner on its performance, we also evaluate ease of use, including how messy it is to apply and use, how easy it is to buff out without streaking and how convenient the product packaging is to use. Like with any cleaning product, we also review the label for clarity of the directions and any safety warnings that may be required based on the ingredients.
What to look for when shopping for the best stainless steel cleaner
Choosing the right stainless steel cleaner is much simpler than shopping for a new refrigerator or stove for your home. Still, a stainless steel cleaner is important to keep your appliances looking brand new long after you install them. Here are a few things to consider to choose the best cleaner for your appliances.
✔️Surface type: You don’t want to use the same stainless steel cleaner on your refrigerator that you use on your outdoor grill. Some stainless steel surfaces, like grills, require more abrasive formulas than your kitchen appliances do. A formula that’s too abrasive can cause damage that no cleaner, polish or mineral oil will be able to buff away.
✔️Application style: Stainless steel cleaners most often come as sprays, powders or wipes. Which you opt for all comes down to convenience. Powders need to be mixed with water to form a paste so they require an extra step. If you’re looking to make cleaning a one-step process, go for a wipe that requires no extra tools and can be disposed of immediately after use. Looking to reduce your environmental footprint? Ditch the wipes and paper towels for a washable microfiber cloth that you can reuse whenever it’s time to give your appliances a quick polish.
✔️Polish: Some stainless steel cleaners only clean surfaces without bringing back the shine they had when you first bought them. If you’re looking to make your stainless steel sparkle again, look for a product designed to polish as well as clean. Plus, if your cleaner leaves a protective film over your appliances, you won’t have to worry about cleaning fingerprints and greasy stains so often!
✔️Scent: The all too familiar chemical smell that many cleaning products leave lingering on the surfaces we clean — some of us love it and others don’t! If you prefer a more pleasant smell in your cleaning products, look for a scented option that masks the cleaner smell with scents like lavender, vanilla or other floral notes.
Do you really need a stainless steel cleaner?
Appliances need gentle, non-abrasive cleaners to avoid scratches and help preserve the protective finish the manufacturers put on them. If you want to make your own homemade stainless steel cleaner, baking soda is a gentle abrasive, so it’s great for cleaning stainless steel sinks, cookware and even for removing coffee residue from inside a stainless steel thermal carafe or travel mug. But for the routine maintenance of stainless steel appliance fronts, we prefer products formulated specifically for that job, like the ones we recommend. They are non-abrasive and often provide a protective coating to help keep appliances cleaner longer.
The one instance where we do recommend using baking soda is if tiny rust spots start to appear on your refrigerator or dishwasher front. This means that the coating applied at the factory has been damaged and the exposed metal underneath is starting to rust. If this happens, apply a paste of baking soda and water to the spots with a soft cloth. Rub briskly in the direction of the grain, then rinse well and buff dry.
What not to use on stainless steel
Harsh abrasives like scouring powders, steel wool, ammonia and bleach should never be used on your stainless steel appliances. These abrasive cleaners will damage the protective coating of your stainless steel appliances and cause scratches that no amount of buffing in the direction of the grain will be able to repair.
Cleaners formulated for ovens and outdoor grills are much too abrasive to use on stainless steel appliances and cookware. These cleaners are specially formulated to remove food bits that have been burned onto your grill at extremely high temperatures. That requires more cleaning power than the typical messes on the stainless steel appliances in your kitchen. The stainless steel used to construct grills is made to withstand a lot more force than the polished surfaces of your appliances.
When it comes to cleaning stainless steel cookware, no matter what cleaner you use, pots and pans should be thoroughly rinsed after cleaning to prevent any residue from contaminating your food. Stainless steel polishes — which are formulated to leave a protective shine on the surface of your stainless steel appliances — should not be used on the inside of your pots and pans. Instead, opt for a residue-free cleaner like our pick for the best stainless steel cleaner for cookware, Brillo’s Cameo Cleaner.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Carolyn Forte brings 40+ years experience as a consumer products expert to her role as Executive Director of Good Housekeeping’s Home Care and Cleaning Lab. After earning a B.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences from Queens College, City University of New York and a brief stint as a Textile Analyst in the retail sector, she joined the Good Housekeeping Institute. Carolyn has deep analytical testing and editorial writing expertise in categories like appliances, cleaning, textiles, and home and organizational products. She oversees the work of the Home Care and Cleaning Lab, produces all the cleaning and home care advice for Good Housekeeping in print and digitally and has authored numerous special Good Housekeeping publications like books and bookazines. Carolyn often speaks as a consumer expert to industry and is regularly interviewed as a leading industry expert on national and local television programs and in print and digital news articles. For the past three years, Carolyn has been partnering with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits.
Executive Director, Home Care & Cleaning Lab
Carolyn Forte, a consumer products expert, is the executive director of the Home Care & Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees all testing, research and editorial production involving cleaning appliances and products, like vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, detergents and more.
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