As a high-end decorative material for modern homes and commercial spaces, mirror stainless steel has a cleaning problem that bothers 90% of users. Knowing how to properly clean mirror stainless steel can help maintain its appearance and service life.

Daily dust removal

To reduce friction and avoid scratches:

Tools: Microfiber cloth + distilled water spray (no impurities to prevent white spots).

Steps: Spray a small amount of distilled water on the cloth (wet but not dripping).

Wipe in one direction along the stainless steel texture (such as from left to right).

Use the dry side of the cloth to quickly polish.

Degreasing and fingerprint removal

Those of you who often stay in the kitchen know that if you use detergent + warm water to treat the stainless steel surface, it is very easy to leave water stains, but we can avoid it by the following method, and the fingerprint residue can be reduced by 70%:

Ingredients: white vinegar + olive oil + alcohol (ratio 1:1:2).

Principle: white vinegar dissolves scale, alcohol removes oil, and olive oil fills fine scratches and brightens.

Operation: Shake the mixture and spray it on the surface, let it stand for 1 minute.

Wipe with a wood pulp cotton soft towel (more oil-absorbent than fiber cloth).

Finish with a dry cloth, no need to rinse again.

Deep rust and glue removal

You may also often see stubborn stains in some places in your home, such as scale in the bathroom, glue marks of decoration, metal rust spots, etc. You can try the following method:

Scale: Apply citric acid solution (10g + 100ml hot water) for 5 minutes, and gently scrape with a plastic scraper.

Offset: Makeup remover (with oil sol) + eraser (rub to remove residual glue), without damaging the coating.

Rust: Use special stainless steel paste (such as Autosol Metal Polish) to wipe in circles, which is gentler than WD-40.

Tips: Do not use steel wool or blades to scrape the surface! Use old credit cards instead of hard tools.

Long-term maintenance

Apply liquid palm wax (such as Turtle brand ice wax) thinly on the surface, and polish it after it dries. The anti-oxidation effect lasts 3 times longer than ordinary stainless steel oil.

Apply transparent anti-collision stickers to easily scratched areas (such as cabinet handles) to avoid direct contact with metal objects

Repair scratches

Tools: Toothpaste (containing silicon dioxide) + old stockings.

Operation: Squeeze a soybean-sized amount of toothpaste, wrap your fingers with stockings and polish in one direction, wipe clean with a damp cloth after polishing.

If the scratches are serious, special equipment will be needed for re-polishing, or you should reconsider replacing the mirror material.

Applications for Polished Stainless Steel

Mirror stainless steel is a stainless steel material with a polished surface and high reflectivity. Common materials include 304, 316, etc. Its unique mirror effect, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and modern appearance make it widely used in many fields. The following are its main application scenarios:

Architecture and decoration

Ceiling and exterior wall decoration:

The reflective properties of mirrored stainless steel give the building a dynamic light and shadow effect, and are often used in modern commercial complexes, art galleries, etc.

Interior decoration: Such as elevator doors, column edging, ceilings, and wall decorations, which enhance the sense of technology and fashion in the space.

Sculptures and art installations: By reflecting the surrounding environment, the interactivity of art is enhanced, and it is commonly seen in public art spaces.

Industrial Design

Home appliances and electronic products: refrigerators, ovens, range hood panels, or decorative parts of mobile phones and camera housings.

Automobiles and transportation: automobile exhaust pipes, interior trims, and decorative elements of subway stations and high-speed rail stations.

Home and Bathroom

Cabinets and Furniture: Kitchen countertops, cabinet doors, etc., easy to clean and stain-resistant.

Bathroom Equipment: Wash basins, bathroom mirror frames, showers, both beautiful and rust-resistant.

Advertising and Logo

Commercial Logo: Corporate logo, shopping mall signboards, attracting attention through high reflection.

Exhibition Display: Booth and window design, enhancing visual impact.

Art and Creativity

Installation Art: Artists use its reflective properties to create immersive spaces, such as Yayoi Kusama's mirror ball works.

Photographic Props: Used as a reflector or background to create unique light and shadow effects.

High-end technology and medical treatment

Medical equipment: surgical instruments, equipment housings, to meet the needs of sterile environment.

Aerospace: satellite reflectors, precision instrument parts, relying on its high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance.

Kitchenware and dining

Tableware and kitchenware: knives, forks and plates used in high-end restaurants, which are both hygienic and beautiful.

Food processing equipment: operating tables and containers that meet food-grade safety standards.

Properties of Polished Stainless Steel

Surface characteristics

High reflectivity: The surface finish can reach 8K (mirror grade), and the reflectivity is close to that of glass, which can clearly reflect the surrounding environment and form a strong visual impact.

Long-lasting gloss: Through polishing or coating technology (such as PVD), the mirror effect can be maintained for a long time and is not easy to oxidize and fade.

Diverse surface treatment: Supports different glossiness (such as matte, semi-mirror, full mirror) and textures (embossing, brushed, etc.) to meet personalized design needs.

Physical and mechanical properties

High hardness: Stainless steel substrates (such as 304, 316) have high hardness (HV 200-300) and better scratch resistance than ordinary metals, but the mirror surface still needs to avoid friction with hard objects.

Wear resistance: After hardening treatment, the surface wear resistance can be improved and the service life can be extended.

Strength and toughness: It has both high tensile strength (≥520 MPa, 304 stainless steel) and ductility, suitable for stamping, bending and other processing.

Chemical and corrosion resistance

Corrosion resistance:

304 stainless steel: resistant to atmospheric, fresh water and weak acid and alkali corrosion, suitable for general environment.

316 stainless steel: contains molybdenum (Mo), has stronger resistance to chloride ion corrosion, suitable for high corrosion environments such as ocean and chemical industry.

Oxidation resistance: the surface passivation film (Cr₂O₃) can prevent further oxidation and maintain beauty for a long time.

High temperature resistance: wide operating temperature range (-200℃~800℃), suitable for high temperature equipment parts (such as chimney lining）

Processing and process characteristics

Processability:

Supports cutting, welding, stamping and other processes, but attention should be paid to surface protection after polishing to avoid processing damage.

Re-polishing is required after welding to restore the mirror effect.

Easy to clean: The surface is dense and smooth, does not absorb dust, and oil stains are easy to wipe off, suitable for scenes with high hygiene requirements such as food and medical treatment.

Environmental protection: Stainless steel can be 100% recycled, in line with the concept of sustainable development.

Combination of function and aesthetics

Optical properties: Reflecting light can enhance the brightness of a space, or create artistic effects through refraction (such as mirror sculptures).

Modern design: Cold-toned mirrors give a sense of technology and the future, and are widely used in high-end commercial spaces, electronic products, etc.

Environmental interactivity: Mirrors reflect the surrounding scenery, allowing static objects to interact with the dynamic environment, and are often used in art installations.

Limitations and countermeasures

Easy to leave fingerprints/scratches:

The fingerprints can be reduced by applying anti-fingerprint coating (AF coating) or selecting brushed composite process.

Risk of light pollution:

The reflectivity of the building curtain wall needs to be controlled, or diffuse reflection mirror treatment should be used to avoid strong light interference.

Maintenance cost:

Regular cleaning (neutral detergent + soft cloth) is required to maintain the mirror effect. It is recommended to add a protective coating for outdoor applications.