Stainless steel is one of the most popular materials used for making kitchen appliances. That’s because it’s quite durable, corrosion-resistant, and easy to sanitize. However, stainless steel appliances, especially your refrigerator, can still get rust or scratches on them. Will those pesky scratches ever go away?
You can buff out scratches on your stainless steel refrigerator. You can try using refrigerator polish, sandpaper, baking soda, and various oils. Scrub lightly and always follow the grain with your rag or brush. Clean the area afterward with a wet cloth and apply a bit of polish.
Let’s take a look at the different kinds of scratches you might find on your fridge and how you can go about buffing them out using tools you can find at home or nearby. Your fridge will look new in no time!
Is It Possible to Buff Out Scratches on a Stainless Steel Refrigerator?
Yes, it’s possible to remove both fine and deep scratches from stainless steel appliances, including refrigerators. However, you’ll need a few products and supplies to get it done.
Below are the items needed to buff out scratches from stainless steel:
- A clean, lint-free rag or cloth
- Wet and dry sandpaper
- Stainless steel polish
- A sanding block
- A soft-bristled brush
- Cleaner
How to Buff Out Refrigerator Scratches
There are many household cleaning products that you can easily purchase and use to remove light scratches from your refrigerator, including Comet, Copper Cleaner, and Revere Stainless Steel. They usually come in dry powder form, which you can mix with water and apply to your refrigerator to get out scratches.
Also, stainless steel manufacturers usually have their own cleaners that you can purchase and use to remove scratches. Just apply a little of the cleaning product to a clean piece of rag and gently scrub the affected part of your refrigerator.
You can also apply a refrigerator polish, such as Weiman’s Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish (on Amazon), to the affected areas to conceal the scratches or apply it after cleaning those scratches to maintain the stainless steel shine.
For deeper scratches that won’t come off with a household cleaner, sandpaper is an excellent option. Consider using a high-precision product, like these sandpaper sheets from Lanhu (on Amazon).
To use sandpaper properly, first, figure out the direction of the grain of the stainless steel. It can be either horizontal or vertical. If you look closely at your refrigerator, you will see tiny lines running one way or the other. Those lines are known as the grain of stainless steel.
You should also notice how deep the scratches are on your refrigerator. If the scratches are not too deep, you should use fine sandpaper to buff the area. If the scratches do not come off after using the light sandpaper, use coarser sandpaper. Do not forget to keep your focus area scrubbed and your sandpaper wet.
When buffing the affected area, make sure you follow the grain. Do not scrub the sandpaper against the grain. When satisfied with the result, clean the area with a wet rag, again following the grain. Lastly, apply a rubbing compound to the affected area.
What Should You Use to Buff Out Scratches on a Stainless Steel Refrigerator?
You can use kits such as the Rejuvenate Scratch Eraser Kit (on Amazon), which contains all you need to get rid of scratches in one place.
But if you don’t have time to get a kit, there are many items you can find around your house that you can easily use to buff out scratches. You can use various oils like olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and even whitening toothpaste.
To remove scratches from stainless steel using oils, follow these steps:
- Start by applying some vinegar to the affected part of your refrigerator. When doing this, make sure to follow the grain of the stainless steel.
- Apply some olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil to a clean cloth and gently scrub the affected part of your refrigerator. Again, follow the direction of the grain while scrubbing the area.
- When you’re satisfied with the removal, clean the area thoroughly with a wet cloth.
Toothpaste is another excellent way to buff scratches from your refrigerator. All you need to do is put some toothpaste on a toothbrush or any other scrubbing brush that doesn’t have tough bristles.
Next, gently brush the affected part of your refrigerator, following the direction of the grain. When the scratch is removed, wipe the area with a wet cloth and apply a bit of stainless steel polish.
Can Baking Soda Be Used to Buff Out Scratches?
Baking soda is an excellent option for removing light scratches from your stainless steel refrigerator. When used correctly, baking soda is rough enough to work on the stain but gentle enough not to harm the finish on your fridge.
To remove scratches from your refrigerator using baking soda, mix the baking soda and some water to form a paste. Apply this paste to the parts of your refrigerator that have scratches.
Scrub the area with a toothbrush or any other soft brush. Wipe off the area with a damp cloth when you are done.
Conclusion
We can all agree that scratches on a refrigerator are displeasing to the eyes. Thankfully, you can easily remove most of these scratches using the tips listed above.
The methods we described should help you remove stains and scratches from stainless steel appliances. The best part is that they mostly use DIY materials that you can easily find in your home or at a hardware store.
Our goal is to restore your refrigerator to its original beauty and shine. If you apply these fixes and are happy with your newly restored refrigerator, we’ll consider it a success!