Letter 8204

Scratched and dull surface on stainless steel refrigerator door 

+ We inadvertently used the wrong cleaner on our stainless steel refrigerator. We are left with a dull and scratched surface. Is there anything that can be done to restore it to its original finish? Jody David - Hollywood, Florida ++ I am sorry to hear about your problem with the fridge. In my line of work I have learned that many chemicals can stain or scar metals. There is one solution that I know will work better than anything else. You will have to put forth some energy, but it will repair the damage better than anything else. You will have to buy a product called jeweler's rouge [link is to product info at Amazon]. You will also need a high speed buffer. It will make a mess in the kitchen, but nothing that can not be cleaned up. Jeweler's rouge is what jewelers use to clean and shine gold jewelry. It is delicate enough to leave your fridge unscratched when used. Take the high speed buffer and run it on the bar of rouge. This will apply the rouge to the buffer wheel. Have the buffer turning at a medium speed. This will help minimize the cleanup in the kitchen. Using light to medium pressure on the buffer, work a 1 ft. x 1 ft. area. keep the buffer moving and not sitting in one area to long. This will cause a burnish in the finish. After finishing hand polish with a clean terry cloth. I wish you well in your attempt. please let me know how it turns out. If I can be of further assistance, please me know. John Rudd - Sylacauga, Alabama Ed. note: Please also see our FAQ, "Repairing scratches in stainless steel refrigerator doors". ++++++ Hello Every Stainless Steel Scratch Sufferer! I was just like many of you, with a brand new $3,000 refrigerator and a number of really ugly scratches! I had a housemate move out and during the process he rubbed something across the door of the refrigerator and scratched it. It looked really terrible, as it was perpendicular to the grain, curvy and over eight inches long. I was sick to my stomach every time I opened the refrigerator because the scratch was at eye level and I saw it catching the light constantly. I looked at replacing the door at a cost of almost $800, but it seemed too costly. I was resolved to live with it until I found this site. I read all the suggestions:

1. 3M pads (grey and purple)
2. Barkeepers Friend [link is to product info at Amazon]
3. Revere copper cleaner [link is to product info at Amazon] Pot and Pan cleaner
4. Cameo [link is to product info at Amazon] Pot Cleaner
5. 00 Steel Wool [link is to product info at Rockler]
6. baking soda [link is to product info at Amazon] paste
7. Jeweler's Rouge
8. And Lastly simple Brasso Stainless Steel polish/cleaner

I selected Brasso Stainless Steel Polish since it was the least aggressive and least abrasive item on the list. I worked with a soft cloth and rubbed only with the grain. I did this three times and each time the scratch became more faint. By the last time you could hardly see anything! I am a very critical person and I was very impressed with the result. I don't think my scratches were very deep, so it may not work for severe damages. Scuffs from keys, jewelry or utensils are good candidates for this method.

I was so pleased with the result that I tackled another scratch on my dishwasher. It too was buffed out or easily blended in with the grain.

I will tell you that the Brasso Stainless Steel cleaner is also a polish. This means that the area where you work may become more lustrous that the rest of the stainless steel. To resolve this I just polished the whole panel after buffing out the scratch.

When you are done with the Brasso, follow up with Stainless Steel Magic [link is to product info at Amazon] or even WD40! to remove the fine grit and debris created while polishing. I know it's hard to believe but WD-40 [link is to product info at Amazon] really works to clean off the stainless steel. The best part about Brasso and WD40 is that they are CHEAP and they are gentle.

Good luck!

Christopher Cioff
- New Brunswick New Jersey

I am regretting the day I purchased my stainless steel gas range. But know it's too late! I need help! I have it set in an island which is hard to hide and it is getting really dull and around the gas ranges it is getting ugly brown stains what can I do to fix this?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Melly

Melly
personal - Mission Texas

Melly, here is our Christmas gift to you. Our product, Scratch-B-Gone for Stainless steel has been used on just this problem hundreds of times and with great results. Our homeowner kit will let you resurface your range top and remove those unsightly stains, and remove unwanted scratches, quickly and like a pro. Good luck and wishing you a Happy New Year.

Barry Feinman Restore It Yourself, Inc Carlsbad, California

Oh my god! Thank you so, so, much for you Brasso tip!

I stupidly scratched my Siemens fridge door with a metal sponge - daft, I realise but I was very tired after hours of cleaning

Anyway, I was convinced that I would have to live with this eyesore for years to come until I cam across this website. I didn't use Brasso, I used a similar product I already had at home (John Lewis Silver Polish - (their version of Silvo Silver Polish [link is to product info on Ebay]) and boy did it work! The circular hair-line scratches COMPLETELY disappeared. I applied it with a kitchen towel. Tentatively at first but with more gusto as I observed improving results. I finished off with olive oil and voila, my fridge was as good as new.

Good luck!

Bebe Arnos
- Aberdeen, UK

HELLO ! I have a stainless steel kitchen (cupboard doors, drawers, cooking table etc). My house-wife have just ruined it by using an abrasive sponge which has left circular scratch marks in some places, vertical ones in other. I can't change my kitchen as I only bought it a couple of years ago... I live in New Caledonia, and I don't know what products I'll be able to find here to take the scratches away or at least improve their aspect. I should be able to find brasso type of polishes. I just wanted to be a 100 % sure before trying. My kitchen is already a mess and I don't want to make things worse.
Thanks for your help.

SOPHIE GUIOMAR
hobbyist - NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA

My stainless steel fridge got etched by a CLR [link is to product info at Amazon] type product. How do I fix this one?

Jill Seifert
student - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Before you try anything else, try Brasso [link is to product info at Amazon] metal cleaner. It worked great to remove light scratches on stainless steel.

Gary Lakin
- Virginia Beach, Virginia

I used a silver pot and pan cleaner to clean my fridge and after I wiped it off I had a lot of circular marks on the door what can I use to get the scratches out

Audrey Jesso
housewife - Canada

^-- I want to contact this person and my company is a supporting advertiser of finishing.com

Hi Audrey, you can get Scratch-B-Gone throughout Canada at Reliable Parts. Our safe and easy-to-use kit will remove CLR or bleach stains and surface scratches.

Barry Feinman Restore It Yourself, Inc Carlsbad, California

I have a stainless steel fridge. I wanted to keep a calendar on it and since it's not magnetic I had the bright idea of using a suction cup. After a few a months I removed it. I cannot get the suction cup ring stain removed. Help!

Karen Heaning
home owner - Fort Pierce, Florida

September 26, 2008 OMG, the brasso worked!!Thanks for the tip. C. Beaulieu - Canada December 13, 2008 I was working and the girl said that her fridge was scrached badly top to bottom!!! And her fridge is a Kenmore type and I don't know what to do. And if I buy her a new one it will cost about $1,200. What should I do? Marcia Santos product designer - Delran, New Jersey July 31, 2009 hello please can anybody help me.... we installed a new kitchen last year which cost more than we could afford. i cleaned my stainless steel hob with a detergent, which i sprayed on and left on, then i totally forgot all about it.when i cleaned the detergent off.. it had marked my hob, it looks like it's taken the top layer off, now im left with great big black discoloured stains on my hob... please can anybody help me,my hob constantly looks dirty and im so gutted. caroline hartery home - wales

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