How to Properly Clean and Care for your Stainless Steel Products
It is a common misconception that the term stainless steel means it cannot rust or discolour. This term is misleading – stainless steel is better described as corrosion resistant due to the high levels of chromium in its chemical make-up. All grades of stainless steel must never be taken as maintenance free, as surface deposits can cause staining and discolouration. Therefore, all stainless steel products should be kept clean. We recommend a regular cleaning schedule to keep your products in perfect condition.
Hand Operated Wash Fountain
The properties of stainless steel differ from ordinary carbon steel due to the chromium content. Carbon steel rusts when exposed to air and water, whereas the chromium content in stainless steel protects it from the outdoor environment.This makes it an excellent choice for our outdoor drinking fountains, bottle fillers and catering sinks. This higher level of chromium creates a passive surface layer of chromium oxide. This blocks oxygen diffusion and corrosion of the surface, which helps prevent any corrosion or discolouration from occurring. This surface layer is too thin to be seen, smooth to the touch and quickly reforms if the surfaces have been scratched or damaged.
There are a few different grades of stainless steel. The most popular, and the ones that Acorn Thorn Limited uses for our products are grade 304 and grade 316. Grade 304 is the most popular and versatile grade of stainless steel. You may know it by its old name of 18/8, which is given from its chemical make-up – 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This grade is used for most of our products, including our range of catering sinks, stainless steel bowls and drinking fountains. On the other hand, grade 316 has a higher corrosion resistance due to the addition of the element molybdenum, which strengthens the chemical make-up. Due to the salt in the environment, this grade is most popular for use with products in seaside locations, for example a special range of our outdoor bottle fillers and beach showers.
Inset Basin and Cross Head Taps
There are many different factors that can affect the maintenance of stainless steel products. To properly care for your products, you must ensure that surface contamination and the formation of deposits is prevented. For example, if the products are going into a new building, minute particles of dust or iron from building work can be deposited which can become a factor in causing discolouration of stainless steel fixings. In addition to new buildings, industrial factories that deal with concrete (and the dust associated with it) can produce corrosive deposits. This also includes areas with naturally occurring conditions such as marine environments. We recommend daily cleaning for these locations, as your stainless steel products will look brand new for years to come. In terms of working environments, if the environment has unusual conditions, for example, if it is unusually humid such as swimming pools, this may increase the speed of discolouration, hence the care and maintenance of the products may be required to be more frequent. For this kind of environment, we recommend daily cleaning to keep your stainless steel products in their best condition.
Many modern processes use cleaners such as anti-bacterial sprays and sanitizers for hygienic purposes. However, this is definitely counterintuitive – these products are safe for use, however if they are used incorrectly (warm or in their concentrated form) they can cause discolouration and corrosion on the surface of any stainless steel finish. Likewise, bleach and bleach-based products must not be used with stainless steel products. If this should happen, the solution must be removed with copious amounts of water and thoroughly dried.
Stainless Steel Beach Shower
When it comes to the actual cleaning and maintenance of stainless steel products, there is a list as long as your arm of products that you should definitely not use. This list includes: bleach, anti-bacterial cleaners and sanitizer sprays, as stated above. This is due to the harmful chemicals that are present in these products, including sodium hydrochlorite. Under NO circumstances must these products be used on stainless steel products. Instead of these harsh chemical based cleaners we recommend using these products for these different problems that can occur:
* General cleaning: we recommend a mild soap detergent with a soft sponge or cloth. Once wiped over, dry thoroughly with a dry cloth.
* Fingerprints: for greasy fingerprint marks, we recommend a soap and warm water solution with a soft cloth, or an organic solvent such as acetone or alcohol. Rinse with clean water and ensure the area is dry.
* Scratches on brushed satin finish: for slight scratches, we recommend using Scotchbrite pads. For deeper scratches, ensure polishing is along the grain of the stainless steel finish. DO NOT use ordinary steel wool as the iron particles can become embedded in the finish, which can cause further problems. Clean thoroughly with mild soap and detergent.
Key Things to Take Away:
-
Do NOT use bleach or highly chemical products
-
Make sure you have the correct grade of stainless steel for your location – seaside locations require grade 316 to protect it against the marine environment
-
Keep all surfaces clean and free from debris to prevent surfaces deposits from building up
-
Make sure you are using the correct cloths and tools – soft cloths are best to avoid further marking the stainless steel finish
Sources:
https://www.acornthorn.co.uk/careandmaintenance