How to clean a stainless steel pan
Right cleaning of stainless steel guarantees its durability.
After cooking, carefully clean your stainless-steel pot, pan or saucepan. Above all, do not use aggressive products that are unsuitable: bleach (forget this too acidic product), ammonia, detergent, stripper or descaling agent... and do not rub with an abrasive sponge, pad or steel wool, or abrasive paste. If holes appear in stainless steel, this is because you have put it in contact with chemical or aggressive products that are not suitable for cleaning stainless steel, whether for your equipment, your dishes or your stainless-steel utensils.
A simple cleaning with warm slightly soapy water (with your washing-up liquid) is enough; then rinse with clear water and wipe thoroughly. You can also add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to the soapy water to maintain stainless steel pots, pans and food pans.
What products should I use to clean stainless steel?
Here are some tips and tricks, using products that you have at home, which are household products.
Baking soda: available in paste or powder form, it is your ally in the kitchen (it reduces the cooking time of vegetables and makes them more digestible, for example), but also in everyday life, especially for cleaning: easy and efficient, it is used diluted: apply the water/baking soda mixture on a soft wet cloth (e.g. microfibre cloth), then wipe carefully.
Crushed Chalk, Blanc de Meudon: in the event of persistent grease, you can replace the baking soda with Blanc de Meudon.
Blanc de Meudon is a natural product from the chalk quarries of Meudon (Paris region). This very fine white powder contains calcium carbonate particles and is slightly abrasive. Mix the Blanc de Meudon with little water. Apply the resulting paste on the surface to be cleaned with a soft cloth, let it dry, then rub with a clean cloth to remove the mixture.
White vinegar: always diluted with a little water, also apply with a soft cloth. It can be used to remove persistent stains.
In all cases, rinse off and wipe thoroughly.
The little extra: If you want to make your stainless-steel pots and pans shine, it couldn't be easier!
Apply cooking oil with a microfibre cloth. You can also use two spoons of clay stone mixed with soda water to restore the shine of your stainless steel kitchenware.
Washing soda : also known as soda crystals or soda ash, are an excellent multi-purpose cleaner, degreaser and disinfectant. They are more corrosive than baking soda. They are particularly useful for cleaning up a burnt pan: pour in the bottom of the pan crystals and then boiling water over them. Leave for a few hours before rinsing and cleaning your pan.
Tip: you can also use little lemon juice mixed with oil; this little mixture will give shine to stainless steel and also remove fingerprints.
Be careful when using salt, which, if not dissolved, can cause indelible stains on the bottom of your pan: always put the salt in boiling water and stir for a few minutes until the salt is perfectly dissolved.
Take care of your pots, pans, frying pans and all your stainless-steel equipment, dishes and utensils!