The Best Stainless Steel Cleaners to Take Your Appliances From Smudgy to Shiny

The Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner Kit provides everything you need for the ultimate deep-clean treatment. The stainless steel spray cleaner easily wipes away cooking residue and water stains without you needing to buff out the streaks afterward. It also imparts a protective layer of polish that helps stave off grime for longer.

The three-piece kit also includes a tube of wipes for quick smudge-busting and a microfiber cloth. The cloth is Good Housekeeping Institute-certified for its inventive dual-sided design — one side is for cleaning, while the other is for polishing.

We're naming this the best overall stainless steel cleaner because it's quite literally the total package, packing lots of cleaning potential in for a reasonable price.

More: We Tested the Best Products for Cleaning Your Bathtub

For buffing out tough splotches, Bar Keepers Friend is a great stainless steel cleaner to keep around. We frequently use this nonabrasive, oxalic acid-based cleanser on stainless steel sinks and metallic bathroom fixtures. Letting this goopy cleaning paste sit briefly on the most tarnished spots helps easily lift the grime when it's wiped away.

We recommend wearing gloves when you use this stainless steel cleaner, as it can be irritating to sensitive skin. Also, make sure to rinse the surfaces afterward and wipe them dry to get rid of residual cleaner.

Your stainless steel appliances are kitchen workhorses, so show them some love by wiping them down with this cleaner/polish solution. It has thousands of reviews and a near-five-star rating on Amazon — plus, the microfiber cloth that’s included can be designated for all of your metal-shining needs.

This also happens to be our editor Elisabeth Narine's go-to stainless steel cleaner. She says, “Not only does this plant-based formula do such a great job removing those annoying fingerprints and smudge marks, but it also smells absolutely amazing, thanks to lavender essential oil. Plus, it leaves my fridge streak-free.”

Nearly any shiny metal surface in your kitchen can get a refresh with this stainless steel cleaner from 3M, as it works on aluminum and chrome as well. It'll help get your stainless steel-covered microwave, trash can, and oven range hood get back to their near-reflective states.

Users love how the solution is instantly effective. Only a tiny amount is needed for it to work, and it leaves a non-oily coating behind that enhances the metallic shine.

Says one reviewer, “I am so impressed with this product. I sprayed it on 3 days ago and have not seen any fingerprints at all.”

Bon Ami is a powder cleanser that works on a multitude of different surface materials. It's also a hypoallergenic cleaning product that has no harsh chemicals added. This product even has an A rating from the Environmental Working Group.

As a stainless steel cleaner, it works best when sprinkled onto a damp cloth, then applied in circular motions to the appliance's surface. When the gunk is gone, wipe down with the grain for an even sheen.

Vinegar is another multiuse wonder product that can be used to clean windows and bathroom tiles, de-gunk the inside of your microwave, and even spiff up stainless steel surfaces. Opt for this sizable 1-gallon jug, so you can dilute it with water and divvy it up into spray bottles for using all over the home.

To clean stainless steel, simply spritz it with white vinegar and wipe it down with the grain to remove any gunk, stains, or smudges. Follow up with another wipe of a water-moistened cloth to make it extra shiny.