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Stainless Steel Benchtops – A Great Option for Your New Kitchen

Stainless Steel Benchtops – How to care for them

After many questions and concerns from clients about stainless steel benchtops, I’ve decided to put together some information to help you decide whether or not you’d like stainless steel to feature in your new kitchen, and if you already have it, how to live with it.

I guess many people choose a stainless steel benchtop in their new kitchen for it’s industrial look and strength and of course it’s durability, but don’t forget, like any kitchen benchtop material it needs regular maintenance to keep that stylish brand new look for many years to come. Thankfully, to keep your new stainless steel benchtop shiny and looking great you only have to follow a few simple instructions. Before cleaning any item, you should always check with the manufacturer’s booklet on maintaining your stainless steel surface. Stainless steel comes in a variety of finishes and you should always be careful with the materials and cleaning aids you use.

What should you avoid

The most obvious rule would be scratching the surface. Almost all of the scratches that appear on stainless steel surfaces are not from the things we use on them, usually it is the dirt that sticks to the surface that does the most damage.

Spills and grime are part of cooking in the kitchen and can’t be avoided, but they need to removed carefully with a soft cloth as soon as possible. Spills on your kitchen benchtop will dry and harden quite quickly, then when you try to clean it with a soft cloth you start rubbing and the dirt will start to crumble, this along with your soft cloth acts like a sandpaper on your kitchen benchtop. This is the main reason that stainless steel stoves and sinks become scratched after use, as they are exposed to baked on and stuck on dirt and grime.

The best way to clean stainless steel is to use a damp soft cloth and warm water. Most of the dust and grime can be removed this way, but if a little more elbow grease is required, you can add a small amount of mild detergent to the warm water.

How To Remove Stubborn Stains

If you have tried using warm water with mild detergent and this doesn’t remove the stain, then you could try some vinegar or rubbing alcohol (manufacturer guidelines permitting). Once the stain in removed from the stainless steel you should still go over it with the warm soapy water and then a complete dry treatment to maximise the safe cleaning effect.

Finger marks

We use our hands to open doors of kitchen appliances, this usually causes finger marks on the stainless steel surfaces, particularly around the handles. One of the overlooked areas when cleaning these is the other side of the appliance. We often forget that when we open the door of an appliance, we leave finger marks not only on the front surface but on the side and back surfaces aswell. To help prevent these finger marks, stainless steel cleaners are available in most supermarkets and these help to prevent this by applying the product to the surface periodically.

If you take the time to follow some of the above instructions, you will ensure that your stainless steel surfaces will continue to shine in your kitchen for many years to come.

What’s So Great About Having A Stainless Steel Benchtop

Well, firstly they do ooze style and sophistication in the right design. You will never have to worry about burning it with a hot pan, or chipping it, and that moulded sink you loved…..well with stainless steel it’s simple to mould any size sink you’d like. It can be custom made to any size and comes in many different finishes, it is also very easy to clean and has great antibacterial properties.