Stainless Steel Appliances.

Stainless steel appliances definitely seem to be the trend as of late. However, I know oodles of people who despise stainless steel because of it's often smeary, smudgy appearance and maintenance required to keep them looking in tip top shape. As a person who had our home for sale for 8 months before selling it that was brimming with stainless steel, I can tell you that I have tried every product known to mankind to get them clean and smudge free.

In my opinion, there is only ONE product that gets the job done. After going through shelves and shelves of products at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Norwex clothes and other kitchen specialty stores, I finally found the one located directly under my parent's sink.

It's called Elco Stainless Steel cleaner and it works like a charm. The only place I've been able to find it is at Sears. We've had our new appliances installed in our new kitchen for almost two weeks now and the look of them was KILLING ME. From the dozen hands that carried the refrigerator in to the tiny hands and mouths (yes, mouths) that like to grace its surfaces all day, I couldn't stand to look at it any longer. So the girls and I made the trip to Sears to pick a bottle up and I even went as far as to take some before & after shots. I knew the results would be so satisfying, so much so that I wanted to share them with you. Without further adieu, let's take a looksie:

Before



After



From my experience, anything that sprays on, is a clear mist or is a pre-moistened toilette is nothing but a streaky mess. Elco is a more creamy, oily 'lotion' that you wipe on with a papertowel and then buff to a perfect finish. The 'oiliness' of it (no idea if there's actually oil in it or not) stays wet longer which allows you to buff properly and wipe much of the product clean while doing so. Elco also claims to help prevent more fingerprints...and honestly, I feel like it does. Another suggestion would be to use a baby burp cloth as a buffing tool. While I realize not everyone has them as readily available as my household does, they don't shed like a papertowel and there's no risk of scratching. I'm sure Gloria didn't mind too much;-)