Shine Stainless Steel Appliances

Here's a simple, economical way to shine stainless steel appliances as well as keep dirt and fingerprints from building up.

Steps

Thoroughly clean the stainless steel surface using a sponge or damp cloth with normal dish soap to remove light soil. Use Fantastic or Formula 409 to remove heavier soil and fingerprints. Dry the surface.
Spray a small amount of WD-40 on a piece of paper towel and rub with the grain over the surface of the appliance. Do NOT spray directly onto the appliance. Note: A little WD40 goes a long way.
Using a clean terry cloth or micro fiber cloth, polish the appliance by rubbing with the grain until excess WD-40 is removed and surface shines. It should not be oily to the touch, however "some" residue is acceptable.

Thoroughly clean the stainless steel surface with a damp sponge or cloth, then your choice of kitchen cleaner, then another damp sponge or cloth.
Be sure to dry the surface completely, it is not recommended to air-dry.
Push a dry cloth hard over the dried surface to eliminate any streaks.
Use a paper towel or cloth to spread a very small amount of safflower seed oil over the entire surface, spreading evenly and going with the grain.
Rub (somewhat gently) a new dry towel over the entire surface with the grain again to remove excess oil. Note: Excess oil, not all oil. This is just a quick rub-down to relieve any super-greasy spots.

Avoid spraying WD-40 near your stove as it is a fire hazard.
Do not use abrasive cleansers, Windex or any other cleaner containing ammonia, chlorine or acids on stainless steel. They can permanently etch or stain the surface.
Most appliance stores sell wipes made especially for cleaning stainless steel
Good for all stainless steel appliances. These methods create far better results than those fancy stainless steel cleaners at a fraction of the cost.
Paper towels (especially soft Viva by Kleenex brand) work well for all of the steps listed.
Avoid spraying WD-40 near food as it is a health hazard.
For places where food contamination would be a problem, again, do not use WD-40. Use the safflower oil method for these places.
Do not use WD-40 on stainless steel sinks as contact with food can be hazardous to your health.

WD40 may damage plastic as well as paint! Before using WD-40 on your range, remove any plastic knobs and clean using soap and water. If your range has a plastic cap on the oven door, open the oven door and then clean the face of the range to avoid accidental contact. Same thing applies to any other appliances with plastic or painted detail.