Cleaning Stainless Steel Vanities

Stainless steel vanities are a beautiful and stylish addition to your homes bathroom. These vanities add a touch sophistication and modern style to your bathroom and can create a unique statement about your home for all who visit. Of course, along with the beauty that stainless steel brings, there are also some special considerations to keep in mind that will keep it looking great for a long time to come.

First you need to know that the unique look of stainless steel comes from the fact that it has naturally occurring scratches that provide its shimmer and shine. These scratches provide the light reflection that makes stainless steel glow. You also need to understand that stainless steel is not the same as unmarkable steel. It is possible if you clean the stainless steel of your vanity top the wrong way, you could darken or pit the finish of the bathroom vanity top.

When you are starting to learn how to care for your stainless steel vanity you will want to pick up a few things. You will need a pack of steel wool scrubbies, some non-breaching cleanser, some baby oil and some old newspaper. These are the only things that will want to use to clean your stainless steel vanity.

Start out by wiping down the vanity with a mild window cleaner to break down the dirt on the surface. Once you have wiped it clean and it has dried completely, then grab a steel wool scrubby and your non bleaching cleaner. Using a piece of newspaper smear a thin layer of the non-bleaching cleanser on the surface in a small section. Now using the scrubby work in a motion consistent with shape of the surface.

If you are working on a straight edge areas then rub in long strokes with very light pressure, in large open areas use large sweeping semicircular motions, s-curves and figure eights that overlap each other. In rounded areas such as the sink bowl use small tight circles and spirals and for convex areas if you have any, use loose corkscrew motions. Once you have scrubbed down everything with the wool pad, and have wiped it all with soft clean cloths and cool water you should let the surfaces dry well before polishing.

When the surface is completely dry you are ready to start polishing. This is a very simple process which is very much like the cleaning process. Take a bowl and fill it half full of baby oil. Put a medium sized piece of newspaper wadded up into the bowl and let it soak up a moderate amount of the baby oil. Now rub the wet newspaper all over the surface in the same manner that you used with the steel wool.

It's ok if the surface is extremely wet you want the oil to soak into the tiny scratches and grooves of the surface. Once you have coated the entire surface with the oil, get clean dry newspaper and buff the remaining oil off. Once the process is complete you will have a vanity counter that glows and shimmers with the light and you will have the advantage of your bathroom having a light fresh scent of baby oil.