cleaning stainless cutlery

[Sandra Bodycoat]

Hi I have a stainless steel cutlery set that has or what appears to be rust marks, how can I get rid of these? thanks sandra

[Sawney Beane]

There are polishes for stainless steel. I might try a scouring pad first. The industrial solution is to soak it half an hour in 10% nitric acid in a glass container.

Not all stainless steel is the same, and knives may rust before flatware. Leaving stainless in contact with acidic or salty foods can start rust. So can soaking it in contact with steel. Some say stainless should not be washed in a dishwasher. However it's washed, it should be towel dried.

[Piper]

Use a soft scrub cleanser. Only takes a little.

I always wash mine in the dishwasher and let it dry there, too. It always looks sparkling clean. I do use Jet Dry, which helps keep it from spotting.

-- Piper

[Sawney Beane]

Strong detergents *could* harm some kinds of stainless steel. Otherwise, the two possible problems in a dishwasher are that the stainless may be in contact with other steel items and it may stay wet, at least at spots. "Rinse and Hold" is especially bad.

Years ago we had a set of stainless flatware that did fine in the dishwasher except that sometimes there would be a rusty stain on the blade of a table knife. Those blades must have been a different alloy. I think scouring powder would remove those stains.

[Piper]

I think the blades are different because I get those little stains sometimes, too, and can never figure out where they come from.

I have read that you shouldn't wash any kind of silver along with stainless in the dishwasher, weather it be solid or plate. Does something to the silver, but I can't remember what.

-- Piper

[Muvin Gruvin]

daughter was recently married and got new cutlery as wedding gifts....think she is the one who told me the insert recommend avoiding lemon scented dishwasher soaps as it is hard on them. Hard to find dishwasher soap without citrus.

[Piper]

Interesting, and a lot of them do have citrus.

-- Piper

[Sandra Bodycoat]

[Piper]

Welcome.

-- Piper