The Quickest, Cheapest, Easiest, BEST Way to Get Those Irritating Smudges Off Stainless Steel

Like many of you, I have slowly been replacing the outdated appliances in my kitchen with newer, stainless steel models. And it wasn’t long before I started asking myself how this so-called steel had the audacity to call itself ‘stainless’ when no matter how much I scrubbed or what kinds of household cleaners I used, mine always, always looked like this:

I mean, ew.

For years, I reconciled myself to the fact that my stainless steel would always have smudges on it, no matter how often I cleaned– until that fateful day when a friend mentioned to me that she got rid of the smudges on her stainless steel appliances with… olive oil.

“Olive oil?” I laughed, waiting for a punchline.

“Yep. Olive oil,” she said. “A little bit on a dishrag will get rid of every last smudge.”

I nodded knowingly, and then I went right home, put a dab of olive oil on a dishtowel, and went after the smudges. Within SECONDS, my oven looked like this:

Did you ever? Those smudges came right off, and my oven looked brand new!

And while this may seem to some of you like the most mundane, boring blog post ever, I have to tell you that this is one of those small little housekeeping tips I discovered that’s made life at least 10 times awesomer. Because I had been hating those smudges for years– and suddenly, they were gone, in one fell swipe! I felt like Martha F. Stewart!  (The ‘F’ is for ‘Freaking.’ I’m told she doesn’t like people to know about it.)

You will find, I later discovered, LOTS of tips online regarding the care and maintenance of stainless steel – and surprisingly, most of those tips recommend other products that don’t work as well for various reasons. Stainless steel cleaners are expensive, have chemicals, and smell bad. Baby oil and mineral oil are a popular option, but let’s face it–  most of us don’t keep either one on hand. Vinegar gets the surface clean, but it totally didn’t work on my smudges.

But olive oil? Everyone has olive oil! In their kitchen! WHERE THE STAINLESS STEEL LIVES!

It’s a no-brainer, people.

Try it, and see if you don’t agree.
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