Reach For Flour To Get Stainless Steel Appliances Looking Good As New

Cleaning and polishing can be a drag, but everyone can agree that the feeling of staring at a shiny sink or appliance is second-to-none. One polishing hero is probably already sitting in your pantry — flour. It might sound funny at first, but flour actually contains some neat properties that can make your stainless steel appliances sparkle.

Flour is simply finely-milled grain, and while it feels soft and powdery to the touch, its texture is still mildly abrasive due to protein levels. As a result, it's able to pick up tiny bits of dirt and its natural starchiness absorbs them like a powdery sponge. Stainless steel is notoriously difficult to polish as continuous use causes scratches that ultimately dull its shine. Flour works so well because its fine texture allows it to get into those tiny grooves and buff them out. This is a time-consuming process, but the results are worth it. 

One important note is that this step comes right at the end of the cleaning process. Clean your appliances and sinks as usual, and make sure to dry well. Any excess moisture will cause the flour to congeal, which won't necessarily stop it from polishing, but it won't be as effective. Wipe the flour away with a rubber scraper or paper towel, but don't wash it down the sink. The flour will clog up your pipes and repeat behavior will eventually cause problems.

Unfortunately, flour is a bit of a one-hit-wonder as a cleaning product. There is no evidence to suggest it polishes granite, ceramic, or glass particularly well, but metal is a whole other story. Any kind of metallic surface in your kitchen, from cutlery to sinks, will respond well to flour. Most manufacturers use stainless steel anyway, but a copper pot or cast iron skillet will turn out equally shiny with this gentle abrasive. 

Luckily, flour isn't the only cleaning agent waiting in hiding in your pantry. Lemons, baking soda, and vinegar are pretty much all you need for a well-stocked eco-friendly cleaning cabinet, and they're pretty cost-effective, too. Baking soda, in particular, really takes care of grease like nobody's business, which is great news for people who are sensitive to chemical cleaners. Flour can also be incorporated with some or all of the above ingredients to form a paste, which can be used on a variety of materials, including more niche ones like brass.