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Stainless Steel Care and Maintenance(Continued)
Scratch Repair
A surface scratch can be repaired using the following technique. Completely removing the
scratch will depend on how severe it is. Use 120 grit emery cloth or paper and firm pressure to
sand the scratch. Sanding must always go in the direction of the grain. Sand in a perfectly
straight line, avoiding the natural tendency to sand in an arc. Sand the surface until the scratch
is gone. Polish using a very fine grade of 3M scotch-brite pads. Use the same motions as with
sanding. Polish the surface until the original finish is restored.
For stubborn spots, stains, light discoloration, water marking or light rust staining use a mild,
non-scratching cream or polish. Apply with soft cloth or soft sponge and rinse off residues with
clean water and dry. Avoid cleaning pastes with abrasive additions. Suitable cream cleansers
are available with soft calcium carbonate additions, or with the addition of citric acid. Do not
use chloride or acidic solutions Nylon abrasive pads should be adequate for dealing with most
deposits (DO NOT USE STEEL WOOL OR BRILLO PADS). If a more severe treatment is
needed to mask coarse scratches or physical damage on a surface, use the finest abrasive
medium consistent with covering the damage marks. With directional brushed and polished
finishes, align and blend the new "scratch pattern" with the original finish, checking that the
resulting finish is aesthetically acceptable. Silicon carbide media may be used, especially for
the final stages of finishing. Avoid using hard objects such as knife blades and certain
abrasive/souring agents as it is possible to introduce surface scuffs and scratches. Scratching
is particularly noticeable on sink drainer areas. These are usually superficial and can be
removed with proprietary stainless steel cleaners or, alternatively, with a car paint restorer,
such as 'T-cut'. Rust marks or staining on stainless steels is unlikely to be the result of
corrosion to the stainless steel itself (similar marks may also be found on porcelain and plastic
sinks). These marks are likely to result from small particles of carbon steel from wire wool.
PLEXIGLAS CLEANING
