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9. Cleaning
9.1 Maintenance and conservation of stainless steel:
Do not use chemicals, bleaches or cleaning products for household use;
Routine cleaning:
The best products to conserve stainless steel are water, soap,
mild and neutral detergents and ammonia-based removers diluted in lukewater
and applied with a soft cloth or a nylon sponge. Then simply rinse with plenty of
water, preferably lukewarm, and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Fat, Oils and Greases
: Clean the thick deposits with a soft cloth or paper towel.
Then apply a warm solution of detergent or ammonia. Then follow the routine
cleaning procedures.
Fingerprint:
Remove with a soft cloth or paper towel moistened with isopropyl
alcohol (found in compounding pharmacies or organic solvent (ether, benzene).
Labels, tags or protective layer:
Take off as much as you can. Apply lukewarm to
the piece and wipe with a soft cloth. If the adhesive persists, dry and rub gently with
alcohol or organic solvent. But be careful: never scrape the surface of stainless
steel with thick blades, spatulas or abrasives.
Rust spots:
With a cotton swab dipped in water and nitric acid at 10%, make
topical applications, keeping the site moist for 20 to 30 minutes, repeating the
operation if necessary.
More pronounced stains will require vigorous scrubbing of the stained surface with
a paste made of
fi
ne household abrasive (abrasive cleaners), water, and nitric acid
at 10% using a polishing tow.
The acid treatment should always be followed by an ammonia or sodium
bicarbonate
solution rinse and routine cleaning.
Moderate dirt / light spots
: When routine cleaning is not enough, apply a
mixture made with gypsum or sodium bicarbonate, dissolving it with household
alcohol, until it forms a paste. Use a soft cloth or nylon sleeve to pass this mixture
onto the surface of the stainless steel. If you prefer, use a soft-bristled brush as
well, taking care not to rub it, do it as smoothly as possible, using long, uniform
strokes, towards the polished
fi
nish, if any. Avoid scrubbing with circular
movements.
Then rinse with plenty of water, preferably lukewarm, and dry with a soft cloth.
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