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I shared my favorite homemade stainless steel polish on an Instagram story a few months ago, and I had many questions and interests about it!

We haven’t shared a blog post about it before, so I thought this would be a great topic to share with you today. 

Homemade Stainless Steel Polish 

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Be sure to scroll past this recipe to learn more about why this is used and how it works.

Ingredients:

• Coconut Oil
• Paper Towel
• Microfiber Cloth

Directions:

1. Coat the stainless steel surface with a thin layer of coconut oil using a paper towel. 
2. Rub around in a circular motion making sure entire surface is covered and scrubbed.
3. With a dry microfiber cloth, buff the entire area removing any residue.
4. Optional step, take a slightly damp part of the microfiber and buff again for a shine (read notes below for more details on this step).

Details on Step 4:

I want to share a little bit more detail on this step because it is optional and depends a little bit on what stainless steel surface you are polishing. When I polish my stainless steel dishwasher, I use this step.

Buffing with a dry microfiber cloth is usually all you need. It will remove extra waxy residue from coconut oil leaving a nice smooth look (you can see this in the picture of my sink). The surface of my dishwasher is a little different, so I have found following up with a very slightly damp microfiber gives it an even better shine. This step is optional! Just see what works best for your surface. 

Will This DIY Stainless Steel Polish Also Clean?

Yes it will! You can scroll down to the details on the composition of the coconut oil, but it will also clean the stainless steel. Especially the sink area. See above how it works wiping around the drain area which gets very dirty.

Can I use a different oil besides coconut oil?

Many people use baby oil or olive oil. I have tried both, and I think the baby oil is an acceptable substitute. It doesn’t clean like the coconut oil does and it doesn’t last as long on the surface. Check out the section below to learn more on this.

Why is coconut oil so good for cleaning and polishing stainless steel?

I have tried many different methods and oils for polishing stainless steel. I have also tried many different products for cleaning it. After all the techniques I have tried, this is by far my favorite one. Not only does it remove stains and polish stainless steel, but it also lasts longer on the surface.

Using baby oil is another option I liked, but the results didn’t last as long on the steel. The coconut oil is fantastic for polishing, but it also works at removing water stains. The reason is the texture and composition of the coconut oil.

In the picture above, note the area where I buffed it with a damp microfiber.

I purposely took the picture above after buffing one part of the door to the dishwasher with the damp microfiber cloth I mentioned in step 4. You can see to the right how it shines after buffing. It is more of a matte texture if you don’t buff with the damp cloth as an extra step…

I only buff surfaces like this door or the oven door. The sink shines well without buffing! Just a tip to keep in mind depending on what you are choosing to polish.

What Makes The Coconut Oil Different?

Coconut oil is a solid in cooler temperatures. Most oils you buy for cooking (olive, vegetable, avocado, sunflower, etc) are liquid at all temperatures. This makes the texture more unique. Coconut oil is usually in a solid form unless heated. I live in Texas, so most of the time my oil is a liquid because it is so warm here! In the winter, it is a solid.

Anyways, the reason coconut oil is solid is due to the high levels of saturated fats. These fats aren’t like saturated animal fats though.

If you look at the chemical composition of coconut oil, it contains some of the following:

• Fatty acids
• Tocopherols
• Triaclylglycerols
• Phospholipids
• Sterols
• Volatiles

What Makes Coconut Oil Good For Cleaning and Polishing?

I have mentioned this before on Chemistry Cachet, but what makes coconut oil work for many things is the Lauric acid. Lauric acid also has many antimicrobial properties! The combination of this and the texture of coconut oil make it make favorite choice for polishing.

Side note, coconut oil is also fantastic to use topically. Check out this blog post for more information on using it for your skin.

How Often Should You Use This Homemade Stainless Steel Polish?

I usually only need to do this once every month for surfaces like the dishwasher or oven! For the sink, I do it every few weeks. The great thing about this recipe for appliance surfaces is you won’t need to clean the surface as much either once it is polished. You can try it and see what works best for your stainless steel surfaces, but it should cut down on the amount of times you need to clean too 🙂

Enjoy!

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