How to Remove and Prevent Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
Learn the trick for how to remove fingerprints from stainless steel appliances, along with the secret to prevent fingerprints on stainless steel so you can clean your appliances less!
Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
Just like granite countertops, stainless steel appliances are all the rage right now and the hallmark of an “upgraded” kitchen. I remember a few years ago when my family moved into a rental with stainless steel appliances-I was excited, finally I had the “fancy” kitchen! Little did I realize that stainless steel and three little boys equals a LOT of fingerprints everywhere!
How to Remove Fingerprints from Stainless Steel
Over the past few years I’ve tried a variety of ways to not only remove the fingerprints from the stainless steel but help prevent them from showing up so easily as well. I’m happy to say that I’ve finally found a great system that works and am sharing it with you today!
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How to Clean Fingerprints Off Stainless Steel Appliances
To start clean your appliance (my fridge in this case) the way you normally do. I usually use a window cleaner or my orange basil vinegar mixture. I use straight vinegar to remove any tough spots, being sure to wipe with diluted vinegar afterwards to remove any residual.
Prevent Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
Now for the secret weapon…once your stainless steel is completely clean use Turtle Wax to keep those pesky fingerprints from coming back!! Using a clean cloth or paper towel apply the Turtle Wax in a light coat and then buff to a shine with a clean microfiber cloth.
How Often Do You Need to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances
The result is a super shiny surface that resists smudges for much longer. I usually touch up the cleaning and Turtle Wax every couple of weeks as needed to keep the steel looking brand new!
Have you tried any other methods of cleaning stainless steel? I’d love to hear what has (or hasn’t) worked for you!
You might also like these tips:
- How to Clean Oven Glass
- How to Get Rid of Boy Smell in the Bathroom
- How to Clean Your Whole House in an Hour
The appliance guy who installed my stainless said Pledge…yep ordinary Pledge. Now it’s just my husband and I…no sticky kid prints…but it works. Easy peasy.
I tried that too and it helped but it couldn’t quite stand up to the three boys!! (Not many things can!)
I’ve tried WD40, it works pretty great for me.
I put Wd on my dishwasher and it made permanent stains.
I have try end all the things they are posting and all work but I believe it is the grade go stainless steel. There are low n high grades I’m going to try the spray wax and buff it out. As I hood fee
I have ruined my dish washer. I wonder if it’s the heat? Angry with stainless!!!!
Re WD40
It has worked great for me on my stailess stove and the compactor. I was told by an appliance repair person that WD40 is how they keep their show room appliance looking great. I have a white d/washer so have not tried it there. Great tips out there.
I want to add that I spray a soft cloth with the WD40 and wipe it with the grain I also use microfiber cloths for buffing almost everything. Sorry I didn’t add that.
WD40 will stink up the kitchen.
I use pledge as well. Works great!
What a great tip! I will definitely try this. My husband is the worst at leaving fingerprints. He’s worse than the kids.
lol Wendy, maybe my hubby is to blame too, I just assumed it was the kids-he could be using them as a scapegoat!
I have three boys as well, and the only thing that works for me is olive oil. Rub it on with the grain and buff it off with a microfiber rag. It works awesome and repells fingerprints and lasts a long time!
I’ll give that a try next time to compare, thanks!
Yes, I agree olive oil. The man at the appliance store who is also a chef provided me with this info. It works.
Another endorsement for Vinegar wash and olive oil. Just got a new stainless frig, floor model so covered with prints. Wiped off with vinegar (a little elbow grease but not a lot) and very little olive oil applied with a paper towel. Looks fantastic, thanks SO much for the tip!
I used coconut oil on my DWasher
I’m going to give thwvbOlivevoiol a try this thanks
You don’t want to use any vegetable-based oils because they can go rancid on the appliance. Mineral oil or WD40 is recommended.
I’ve used everything on my stainless steal and nothing stop fingerprints. I have noticed pledge works great and seems to stay cleaner longer.
I had tried that one and it didn’t quite work as we’ll for me-perhaps it can also be affect by the brand of fridge?
I have tried the pledge stainless steel cleaner and it never worked for me…I have so many finger prints on it…it is driving me crazy….will try the vinegar hope it works.
There is a great product I happened to find in Home Depot. It is called Steel Miester and it sprays on and buffs clean/shiny so easily. It is found in the appliance department. Gray can with red cap. Wouldn’t be without it.
Yes! I fully endorse Steel Miester! It is THE best SS cleaner I have found.
My sister has been a long time housekeeper and she put me on to Barkeepers Friend. OMG great for cleaning, your smooth top range as well. But I sure will try the wax for keeping them off. P.S. I struggled with water marks, loooong streaks down the front of my dishwasher, looks like sh*t, made me crazy!
Great tip Cindy!! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
I don’t have fingerprints but lots of water spots. Have tried everything- nothing seems to work. I wish I had stuck with white appliances. Does anyone have something that works on water spots?
Have you tried the turtle wax Peach? I found it greatly reduced that as well.
Peach, water stains were my big complaint, too. I did a good cleaning/wipe down using soapy Dawn dish water to get off all grease, then wipe down with wet not soapy cloth. After it is dry, take soft cloth with a bit of olive oil on it (don’t saturate cloth. Wipe away over entire appliance, turning to clean side of cloth to polish a bit as you go. Finish off with a final buff with clean soft cloth. Worked to take off all my water spots! Good luck!
Beekeepers Friend is the BEST for cleaning almost anything. We love it!
I found olive oil works great!! Gets rid of fingerprints, smudges, etc. Buff with a microfiber cloth and my appliances sparkle!!
I’ll have to try that next time Judy!
I put a packet or regular Lemon flavored Kool Aid mix, the stuff that is .20 cents a packet. Run the dishwasher on the long cycle and it comes out like brand new.
Wow, I’ve never heard of that Patsy!
Hmmmmm
It’s the citric acid in it.
I use lemon juice straight to clean water spots off faucets and shower doors. I even use the bottled stuff as it is easier to keep around. It works well to get the white water spots around the ice/water dispenser. Haven’t tried on front of stainless fridge or dishwasher yet though. Mine have the non shiny ridgy fronts and not the shiny stainless.
The manufacturer told me to use WD-40. I’ve not tried it though. But I did use Weiman Granite Corian Cleaner & Polish. It worked great and has lasted a long time. However, I do not have children at home anymore. That may make a difference.
The fingerprints my boys were putting on everything were insane-it’s so much better now! I need to check out that Cleaner & Polish you mentioned, thanks!
I have scratches and light cuts on the corian countertops in the RV we bought. Does this Weiman Polish work well for that? I’m tired of buying stuff that doesn’t help the finish.
Try Magic Eraser or any off brand of it. I made my dad’s counters in his RV look like new. He was amazed!
Sprayway stainless steel cleaner is the best !!!
I use WD40 on stainless steel and it shines like a mirror and stays clean. It is a marvelous cleaner for my greasy outdoor grille. Easy to use and shines it up like its new!
Thank you! My first new fridge – display model – marked down – small dent on the side of the door. Got it home and took off the tags/labels and had lots of marks. I was really disappointed. I washed it as was recommended… didn’t work. Looked it up – just used the WD-40 – I have like 3 cans of the stuff and don’t use it often. So – it worked like a charm. I’ll give it a week to see what happens. I’m eyeing up my stove now, it also was my first new stove. I’m 65 and feel like a kid with new appliances. Thanks again.
You’re so very welcome Gail-I hope the tips help!
wd40 is toxic yes?
wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf heres the link. Dont do it!
Wow, not as bad for you as regular household ammonia and only slightly worse than Dawn dish soap. Good job fear-mongering, though!!
Well, it is mid-February and I still have no marks, etc. after using the WD-40 on the fridge. I wipe it with a soft rage and mild soap once and a while. Haven’t died, yet. And don’t plan to lick the thing. I don’t have very young children, just a cat, so I feel ok with using this, at least the one time. Most everything can be nasty if you use it improperly.
“… Don’t plan to lick the thing…”
Lol!
I don’t have little kids at home and the prints always seem to appear. I should have stuck with black appliances 😉
xoxo
Denyse
I don’t have stainless yet but it is on my wish list.
I love my stainless Shirley but it does show dirt easily, this tip is helping a lot though!
It was always on my wish list, I’ve had it now for a year and I hate it! I have too many kids and grand-kids! I can’t wait to save (again) and buy a fridge with a textured front!
I have used auto wax on my appliances for years, gives them a great shine and helps keep them cleaner, Washer, dryer, fridge, and dishwasher ( all enamel, old style)..
to clean interior of dishwasher, use one can of creme of tartar, and one bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and run through a cycle , cleans all the funk off the walls
To clean inside of dishwasher I use tang just put in the soap cup and let the dishwasher run
tange works great in toilets put it in swish leave a few minutes flush clean and fresh
Thanks for the tip! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
Baby oil is good on faucets, inside showers to clean and prevent water spots
I have stainless steel sinks and use the Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner on them and it is wonderful! Someone mentioned another Weiman product but the stainless steel cleaner cleans and polishes in one wipe…also takes water spots off faucets, sinks or whatever you use it on. Try it…found at Walmart or Lowes…comes in a can about like Pledge but grey colored…you will love it!!
I have used boat wax to keep my tiles in the bathroom shower to keep them cleaner longer and shiny too. I am going to try some on the side of the fridge and see if it works !
That’s a great idea Bunny! I’d love to hear how it works on the fridge!
I used that on my tile in the early ’80’s. Worked beautifully!!!
I used to work for a cleaning company we had Elevators that were Stainless and we used Baby Oil. Make sure you wipe it off good after you apply it.
California Scents Orange Squeeze air freshner works great and smells good… Clean 1st then spray air freshner on and buff out with microfiber cloth. You can buy it at Lowes.
I clean houses and stainless steel appliances is what everyone wants..except for me! I know how hard they are to keep looking nice. But one of my customers finally found a product that works better than any other customer has found. It’s called Sprayway stainless steel polisher and cleaner. Can be found at lots of places including ace hardware, amazon.com, walmarts, sams club and more. Here’s what it looks like https://amzn.to/1r6UKFd
Thanks for this recommendation, Joyce. Coming from a house cleaner makes this golden!
I am a cleaning lady and I think that stainless steel and granet are ” supposed to ” be for easier care but instead they cause headaches to keep maintained. And whoever said that there are different grades of stainless steel …they are correct. I pefer the refrigerators with the textured surfaces because they hide fingerprints and are just better to clean. And the countertops that simulate granet are far more sensible and more affordable.
Great tips Brenda! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
This works great for us on our stainless steel refrigerator. Clean entire refrigerator with plain alcohol and then rub with a light coat of olive oil.
Great tip Gail!! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
I use a little baby oil on a paper towel to clean my stainless steel appliances then after applying I wipe down with a microfiber cloth, works like a charm. Don’t forget just use a small amount of baby oil, a little goes a long way. Hope this works for you like it does for me. Good Luck everyone.
Great tip Maria! Thanks for stopping by! ~Melissa
I use the Stainless Steel Wipes. Use in one direction. You can let it dry or wipe with another cloth for better shine.
Lemon Oil also works great on stainless. I keep a lint free cloth with lemon oil just for stainless. I have 2 stainless dishwashers, a stainless counter and stove hood. I will have to try the wax trick.
My husband and I used to do office cleaning and we always used baby oil to shine the elevators and water fountains. Worked like a charm !!
OMG!! I *just* cleaned my appliances with straight white vinegar (I had forgotten how great it works…my ex used to vomit at the smell of vinegar so I stopped using it for years) and then rubbed a light coat of olive oil on ’em AND THEY LOOK BRAND NEW!! My cat has taken to licking the fridge (nice change from the windows) and I’m hungry for salad.
Thank you so much for this post!! I don’t HATE my appliances anymore!!
“HOWARD’S BUTCHER BLOCK KNIFE & CUTTING BOARD OIL” works great on wood and stainless steel. Keeps fingerprints off with just a wipe of a paper towel for 6 to m8 weeks. No kids in the house it should last months.
Well, I can’t blame the kids for the fingerprints since it is just me and my husband. LOL I use baby oil. After I apply it, I buff it with a clean cloth. It lasts for weeks and it is cheap and smells good.
I use WD40 and it works wonders. I even use it on stubborn stains on laminate and walls.
this is cheap and it is made for Stainless steel and it works!
Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish, 12 oz it lasts a long time. I use the wipes but it also comes in spray can. One wipe will clean all of my stainless.
Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish
Wal mart has it too!
I like to clean my newish brushed stainless appliances with Magic Eraser. So fast & easy! Looks great too. 🙂
lots of tips here I see. If you have read all the posts here you will notice that there are lots of different oils recommended and they all say they work. The reason why they all seem to work is relatively simple as the new stainless steel or any newly cleaned stainless steel is hungry for oil which is why the fingerprints show so easily as it absorbs your oil from your skin. When you feed it oil it no longer is hungry for oil and your prints do not show so easily. Why wax seems to work to some degree as well is it blocks the oil from your fingers from being absorbed by the steel
I’m thinking an electric force field would work great ! 🙂
I cleaned my stainless steel toaster with windex and then olive oil and buffed with microfiber cloth. Hopefully this
Will help conceal the finger prints.
I use baby oil After applying it, I buff it off with a clean cloth. It last for weeks. It is cheap, smells good and easy to touch up whenever you feel like it needs it.
Olive oil will clean your stainless and keep it from getting all the smudges. Wipe down with a soft cloth to remove access.
Yesterday I discovered Weiman stainless steel wipes. They also make a spray. Best products I have ever found for cleaning stainless steel.
none of these ideas work if your stainless appliances have the sun shining in on them. They may look good when there’s no sun on them. Use Norwex cloths to wash and dry. Then the sun can shine on them all it wants to.
When I worked in the local drug store that had a soda fountain and stainless steel stools we buffed them clean with cheap baby oil. The smell isnt overpowering and the baby oil made them look like brand new.
i would clean my stainless with vinegar and when totally dry take a soft rag with a touch (a little goes a long ways) f Lemon Oil. Also when u clean ur shower tile clean it normally and make sure there is NO SOAP SCUM!!!!! and it dry and apply a thin coat on tiles and chrome fixture they ill shine and help repele hard water deposits.
I use baby oil! It works wonders! I clean with Windex first, take a cloth and put baby oil on it and wipe the fridge down. You can use another dry cloth to go over the fridge again. Works great and you don’t have to do it very often 🙂
I use Car Wax Spray Bottle called ICE ! It works awesome on all appliance and the cars. Please check out my eBay site DIVORCE SALE Everything must go keep checking back for new items will be posted weekly. User name is ” newtoyourepeats2013 “. Thank you Kelly
I use MINERAL OIL. If you look at all the high end products that come in spray bottles and cost over seven dollars for a tiny bottle –the only ingredient in most of them is mineral oil. Go out to a local grocery or pharmacy and get a bottle of mineral oil for less than three dollars. I would never use cooking or olive oils. Those will yellow over time and are difficult to clean off.
Can’t wait to try this. This is one thing that drives both me and my husband crazy.
I have used the Worlds Greatest Polish, it and it doesn’t just clean Stainless Steel.
It can be fount at protectnshine.net/products
I used to have a cleaning business, and I used Weiman Stainless Steel Polish. You can buy it at Walmart. I think it works a little better than furniture polish.
So, you have to reapply the Turtle Wax because it’s gone, but… where does it go? It goes on your children’s fingers; rather than their oils being deposited on the steel, the wax is being deposited on their skin, which is permeable and absorbs chemicals. Turtle Wax is a seriously toxic petrochemical product, you would never intentionally feed it to anyone, but that’s what’s happening here.
Consider dealing with the smudges and cleaning them with vinegar, no more no less. Once a day, 2 minutes of your life, I can’t imagine anything more worth it than your family’s health.
When I used to clean houses professionally we would use lemon oil on stainless steel. It also worked well for keeping scum off shower doors.
Great tip Sandra!!
lemon oil & then wipe with clean cloth works better than anything else!
I use RainX on faucets, shower doors, mirrors and windows to repel dirt and water stains. I bet it would work on SS appliances. I’ll try the other suggestions too.
For cleaning the inside of the dishwasher, I use Tang drink mix.
Tang works because it has a high amount of citric acid. You can order plain old citric acid (aka sour salt) off Amazon or find it with pickling stuff then you get the same cleaning effect without dealing with the sugar and dye in the tang. I especially love using citric acid to descale my Keurig. I hate the smell of vinegar so citric acid keeps me from stoning up my house when cleaning my key rig.
For my Stainless Steel Appliances I use Disinfecting Wipes, Kirkland or Lysol. Wipe the appliance and dry it off with a soft cloth … it works for me!
I’ll try that Joyce, thank you!
I know we use to use club soda to keep stainless steel clean when I worked at a Dairy Queen.
I’ll have to try that one out, I hadn’t heard it before! Thanks!
I was in the commercial washer business for 20 years. We used a product called Shelia Shine. Very easy to wipe on and resist fingers prints for quite a long time. Available at Ace Hardware.
Thanks for the tip Tony, I’ll have to try that one out! ~Melissa
Thank you, everything in my kitchen is stainless steel.. And Ace hardware is one of my favorite hardware store.
I read somewhere that vinegar is bad for granite and/or stainless steel is that true?
I’m not sure Amanda, I haven’t had an issue but I dilute the vinegar pretty well and wipe clean. I’d imagine straight vinegar could be too acidic for some surfaces which is why I wipe any toughs pots i use straight vinegar with down afterwards to remove residual vinegar.
I just purchased a lovely stainless steel fridge two days ago. In the “care” section it specifically states to not use vinegar nor any acetic acid containing products on the stainless steel.
When we bought our stainless refrig the guys that delivered it told me to wipe down with WD40 and that would clean fingerprints and keep it shiny
Window cleaner can help to prevent finger prints as well just add some vinegar on it then wipe it on your fridge.
I haven’t heard about it before. Because i don’t face this type of problem ever. But if this problem are coming in front side of me i know what should i do and how to remove it. If you had more insight i will greatly appreciate it. Thanks for the sharing such a helpful article.
very informative article, i really enjoyed it to read. thanks for this article but i’ve found more informative article that can maybe helps you too, must visit for a once. Home Appliances Quick services
I have had success with white vinegar for years and had no side effects or discolouration l am a professinal cleaner have been for over twenty years.
Also white vinegar baking soda and salt work on glass shower doors gentle scrubbing rinse off walla! Sparkles.
Thank you for your post. Would you please share how much of each (vinegar, baking soda, and salt) for shower doors.
Also do you dilute the white wine vinegar for stainless steel refrigerator and if so, in what proportions. Thank you very much.
Great post! I never thought about the turtle wax before. I personally use Baking soda, dishsoap, and water then buff it out with some mineral oil. I will have to give this a try too when I’m in a pinch!
When we bought our last refrigerator, we asked the salesman how they keep all the display appliances fingerprint free. He showed us their trick. They spay a little lemon furniture polish on a soft cloth and go over the appliances and they shine like new with no fingerprints. We tried it and it really worked. HINT. Do not spray directly on the appliance. Some of the excess spay droplets or spray may get on the floor. It can make the tile very slippery.
Great tip, I’ll try that!
I also have used a spray furniture polish, and also Olive oil to remove and prevent a quick accumulation of fingerprints. The only problem is both will cause a buildup of wax or oil on your stainless steel. This recently happened to me. I had to clean the appliances with diluted ammonia and then with an alcohol/water/dawn soap mixture to get them clean again.
I’ll have to try that to compare, thanks for the tip!
Thank for for sharing this tip.
You’re welcome Rebecca!
Thanks for the tips! In addition to white vinegar, another effective topical cleaning solvent for stainless steel fingerprint removal is 90+ percent rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) applied from a spray bottle.
The refrigerator displayed at the top of the page resembles a GE unit that was replaced after 16 years. During that time, old untreated fingerprints seemed to discolor the stainless steel and couldn’t be removed (plus the external ice dispenser, if it didn’t jam up, was extremely loud). I’m starting to revert to classic-style white enamel kitchen appliances with black handles which are much more benign. Plus an internal ice maker in a top freezer compartment is easier on the ears 🙂
All the helpful ideas sound great. I have another suggestion, I know it does work to clean stainless steel Is to spray a bit of WD40 on a cloth to wipe it on the appliance. Not sure how that would work with the turtle wax. odd combination might no be wise to apply together. I wouldnt want SS appliances myself, what I have is all white. Just because they are new and SS, doesnt turn my crank. I dont keep up with the new trends. But thanks for all the input on the subject.
Hi. I’ have a black whirlpool fridge and stove. Is there a tip to keep fingerprints off that? And an easier way to keep the black gas stovetop clean from grease etc Thanks.
J
Since getting my first and most likely last stainless frig, after trying many different commercial products that failed miserably. I was dusting one day using Pledge and I started thinking why not try it about 30 min. later I had a gleaming frig that I hadn’t seen for a very long time, only problem it doesn’t last too long. I’m now going to use your method and hope it works even better