Removing Bleach Stains from Stainless Steel

Have you ever seen what happens when you spill a little bleach onto your stainless steel sink, appliance, or countertop and you don't clean it up right away? Commonly, you have a very clean, though discolored surface. While technically these discolorations may not be considered a stain that is what they are usually called. If you would like to begin removing bleach stains from stainless steel, then you need to use these guidelines.

• Use more bleach. Like it was said earlier, bleach doesn't technically cause stains. What it does however, is remove the existing stains or coloring that is on the surface. One of the easiest way to remove that discoloration would be to actually spread it out further! What this means is that you simply clean the rest of your sink, appliance, or counter with diluted bleach until you have a uniform color across the surface. When using this method, dry off your surface completely before repeating the process. This way you can use only as much bleach as is necessary to get the surface clean.
• Use stainless steel polish. You can purchase stainless steel polish from just about any home improvement store, or department store. Simply pick some up and follow the manufacturer's directions when you use it. Keep in mind that a little of the polish can go a long way, so once again, use only a little at a time until the discoloration has been removed.
• Scrub. Simply scrubbing with a slightly abrasive material, such as a green scrubbie, can often remove the discoloration. However, this method will require a lot of elbow grease and caution to work properly. The reason that care needs to be taken, is that stainless steel usually has a "grain pattern" and you will want to ensure that you are going with the grain when you are scrubbing. Otherwise, you will end up with a large patch that does not look like the rest of your surface, and there is nothing that you can do because you have changed the grain itself.
• Replace the surface. The simplest, though most certainly the most expensive, method for removing bleach stains from stainless steel is to replace the surface. Considering how expensive many stainless steel appliances, counters, and sinks are this is a method that should only be used if you have a lot of spare cash, or only as a last resort.