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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 fine 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 finish, 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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