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I was wishy-washy about putting stainless steel in our kitchen, because I’m actually a fan of white appliances. Gasp! It is true. I had to be convinced to go stainless steel. One thing that made me super nervous were the greasy fingerprints, which I noticed on all the display models at the store. (Maybe I should email this post to those stores?)
There are three little ones running around this house, which means there are thirty fingers actively leaving their marks all over my home and stainless steel appliances. It will be very soon when baby is adding his ten fingerprints to the mix. Children live here and I don’t mind being reminded. Still, it is nice to clean the appliances in the kitchen and give the children a clean slate for their finger smudge art. Right?
And my cleaner costs me less than 25 cents for two full bottles. And it is organic, non-toxic, fume-free and completely safe for me and my kids. In fact, I use the same cleaner to wash my fruits and vegetables. Shut the front door! Yep.
First, so greasy fingerprints clean nicely with a degreaser. That makes sense, right? You just need to make sure you have a degreaser that is safe for your stainless steel and it is an easy clean.
Step 1) To clean my fridge, I start by cleaning the water-spout. Please don’t forget the water-spout! Clean that thing like you think I’m going to personally come to your house and inspect. Whew, thank you. I use an old toothbrush to really get in there.
Step 2) Give that fridge a good degreasing. I completely smother my fridge in degreaser and wipe that bad boy. Those greasy fingerprints disappear. Important: I clean in a side-to-side motion, with the grain of the stainless steel.
Step 3) Shine the fridge with a dry cloth and a bit of window cleaner. And voilà! Beautiful!
Let’s review in picture form for you visual types.
And now, let’s see how it worked.
Now that is some very clean stainless steel!!
Now for the best part. The window cleaner costs about 1 cent per bottle when made from the Basic H concentrate and to make the degreaser is about 22 cents. And their aren’t any nasty fumes. And it works.
Let’s see that beautiful stainless steel fridge one more time. Imagine all of your different stainless steel appliances looking this clean. You know, at least until the kids come home from school.
What do you think? How do you clean your stainless steel?
If you’re interested in this cleaner, you can get it here. Or the entire nontoxic cleaning line here. I still have plenty left in my bottle I bought two years ago, it is by far the best cleaning bang for your buck. See this Youtube video of when Basic H2 was one of Oprah’s favorite things.
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I use Pledge/furniture polish to clean my stainless fridge – not only does it remove grime and fingerprints, but it prevents new ones!
I LOVE Basic H! I will never ever use anything else. It has saved us a TON of money. I use it for everything (carpets, counters, toilets, glass, mirrors, even bathing my dog), and I’ve had the same bottle for over 18 months now. It’s crazy. No more Pledge and windex and scrubbing bubbles and dog shampoo and lysol kitchen… just the one bottle! Thanks so much for introducing it to us. It’s like liquid gold.
I love Basic H2 on stainless steel too!!! It does such an amazing job without all those harmful chemicals around my little ones and in the air I breathe! I also love using Basic H on the inside of the fridge because I know that it won’t contaminate my food with toxins! And yes, it is the best bang for your buck. I’ve had my bottle for two years also and still have some left!!
I used to use a popular brand of stainless steel cleaner, but I now use Basic H. I have asthma and aerosol cleaners are terrible for your lungs. I will never go back. Plus basic H is much much cheaper than the products I was using.
Basic H2 Is amazing! I love how it saves me money and I only have to buy it like every 2 years or so. It lasts me so long and cleans everything in my home safely! My son has special needs and respiratory problems, and I love knowing that it is safe for him to breathe in our home!! Thanks for the tutorial, Mary! Love it!
I always forget the water spout! Ekk! Now I need to go clean my fridge ASAP!
I use Basic H too on my fridge and in my fridge. It works wonders. I used to use those nasty smelling Clorox wipes…but they gave me such a horrible headache (and with a super small kitchen there is not much ventilation). Not anymore! Love Basic H for everything!
I LOVE Basic H!! It works, has NO CHEMICALS and it saves us money….there is nothing better!
Thanks for this post!
Bonnie 🙂
Great idea with the toothbrush, Mary! I clean the heck out of the water spout but always use my pinky finger and the towel or vegetable brush. I love the Basic H for my stainless steel too, my family has been using it since we were kids. It is so much safer with the kids around and for me for that matter, it cleans better than the expensive chemical based cleaners and is way better on the wallet too!
And again my twin sister, we think alike lol. My toothbrush is one of my favorite little cleaners! I love Basic H on my stainless steel-it’s why I purchased nothing more than Basic H and those cute little bottles at first! I found it off Thrifty Decor Chick’s website, she uses it for hers too and I was amazed at how cheap it is! The bottle lasted me three years.
Looks amazing! Stopping by from Watcha work up Wednesday
Selene @ restorationbeauty.com
To clean the water tray, put it in the sink, pour white vinegar in and let the chemical reaction begin. The vinegar will dissolve the buildup all by itself. Using something abrasive will scratch the tray.
I do love the look of stainless steel but it is such a pain to keep clean 🙂 Loving how easy you make it look! Thanks so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout!
I just came across your website after googling basic h for cleaning stainless steel. I purchased a bottle to use on my quartz counter tops and general cleaning. I tried the 1/4 tsp/16 oz water ratio. I’ll have to try your suggested degreaser ratio! Keeping my fingers crossed. Do you know if it can safely be used in a Shark steam cleaner for floors? Thanks Ali
I don’t have experience with the Basic H in a Shark steam cleaner, but I do use it to mop. Good luck! 🙂
Is the Basic H2 antibacterial?
If you are looking for a germicide type cleaner, I’d suggest Shaklee’s Basic G. It is what I use for bathrooms and doorknobs. 🙂 Let me know if I can help!
What is basic h
It is my favorite all-purpose cleaning concentrate. I mix a little of it with water to clean almost anything. 🙂