Stains and “rainbows” on stainless steel dishes – is this a defect, and how to deal with them?

Question:

Hello! A gipfel stainless steel pan, after a couple of uses, became covered with rainbow spots on the bottom. Is it dangerous to cook in it? I cook porridge for my child in it. Is it possible to store cooked food in the refrigerator in it? Thank you)

Answer:

Rainbow stains almost always appear on new stainless steel cookware. They do not affect the safety and functional properties; they go away on their own over time, or they can be removed with a solution of citric or acetic acid.

Regarding storage, it depends on the grade of steel. For example, in dishes made of AISI 304 stainless steel you can store food for several days without problems, AISI 430 steel is less suitable for this - products containing acids quickly deteriorate in it, their color changes and an off-flavor appears. In general, it is better to use glass or enamel containers for storage.

Have you updated your pans by choosing stainless steel products? A good choice! You're probably happy with them. But... these rainbow stains that appear in the pan do not allow you to fully enjoy the dishes.

Let's see if these stains are evidence of poor quality of the product. We will also tell you how to get rid of them.

Rainbow stains in a pan

Stainless steel cookware is truly a great purchase. And it is no coincidence that it is in high demand among housewives. Its advantages are its aesthetic appearance, strength and durability.

However, during use, multi-colored spots may appear on it.

IMPORTANT! This type of coloring is typical for new products. In most cases it is not a sign of a defect.

Often stains appear immediately after the first boil or during the initial period of use. Possible sources of the problem:

• high level of water mineralization (varies depending on the region);
• prolonged overheating of dishes.

The first reason is explained by the precipitation of mineral salts during the cooking process. At the bottom of the product there is a concentration of these substances in the form of spots. And over time, their size and density increase.

Elevated temperatures cause spots to appear . This happens if you leave the dishes on the fire without liquid for a long time.

Color stains do not affect the quality of food and do not form harmful impurities. The only question is the aesthetic appearance of the pans.

REFERENCE. If color changes occur after a long period of use, it should be taken seriously. You may have purchased a product that was made using low quality steel.

This depends on the manufacturer: for example, Chinese products are attractive in price, but are inferior in quality to expensive European counterparts.

What not to use

Stainless steel kitchen utensils will lose their shine if they are not cleaned correctly and the wrong products are used.

What not to do:

1. Use abrasive substances. Dishes will deteriorate if they are constantly cleaned with products that contain large abrasive particles. It may not be dissolved salt, sand or powder. Washing with such products may leave scratches and abrasions on the shiny surface.
2. Clean dishes with hard sponges. The surface of the product will be covered with scratches if the carbon deposits are scrubbed off with a hard sponge or metal scraper. Therefore they should not be used for cleaning.

1. Polishing in the wrong direction. Each pan has factory polish lines. If you sand the product without following the directions of the lines, the shiny surface will become covered with deep scratches.
2. Use products containing chlorine. Chlorine is the worst enemy of stainless steel. Under its influence, the material oxidizes, and rough scratches form on the walls of the products.

How to remove stains in a saucepan

The key feature of rainbow stains is that they are simple and easy to remove.

• Add a weak solution of acetic acid Use a soft sponge to thoroughly clean the surface. Rinse off and then wipe dry with a dry towel.
• Use a sponge or soft brush with a warm solution of citric acid . The product is processed, washed and dried.

Both the first and second methods are equally effective.

ON A NOTE . Instead of citric acid, you can wipe the surface of the dishes with a slice of lemon.

How to wash stainless steel using traditional methods?

The surface of stainless steel kitchen utensils is very vulnerable, although it has such an “iron” name. You need to choose a cleaning product carefully, as some of them can leave scratches on the surface.

It is recommended to remove contamination with non-aggressive substances that can be found in any kitchen.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice will help clean dirty dishes and restore their original shine:

1. Pour 1 glass of water into a small container, add 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
2. The surface of the pan is wiped with a soft sponge dipped in the prepared lemon solution, then washed with water.
3. After cleaning, wipe dry.
4. To make the pan shine, it is polished with a flannel cloth.

Advice ! Large stains cannot be cleaned with lemon juice. This method is more suitable for minor stains.

If the surface of the pan is very burnt, then you should use activated carbon. Tablets in the amount of 2-3 pieces are crushed into powder and sprinkled over the burnt area. The black powder is lightly moistened with water, turning it into a paste. Rub the resulting mixture onto the problem area and leave for half an hour, then rinse everything off with water.

Vinegar and water

Mix water and vinegar in equal proportions and bring to a boil. The dirty pan is kept for 15 minutes over the steam coming from the boiling vinegar solution. When the dirt softens, it is washed off with a soft sponge. This option is used when you need to clean the outside of the bottom of the pan from carbon deposits.

Soda

You can get rid of burnt old fat using simple soda:

1. Pour 5 liters of water into the container and put it on fire.
2. After boiling, add 1 pack of soda to the liquid.
3. A dirty pan is immersed in a boiling soda solution for 2 hours. If the contamination is small, 1 hour is enough.
4. After time, the remaining dirt is wiped off with a soft sponge and soda.

Sprinkle soda over fresh grease stains and burnt marks. After 2 hours, the softened dirt is washed off with a sponge.

Read more ► 7 ways to clean gold and diamonds at home: secrets of jewelers

Ascorbic acid

Using ascorbic acid you can get rid of scale that forms inside the pan. To do this, fill the dirty container with water, then add ascorbic acid, after crushing it to a powder state.

The solution is thoroughly stirred and brought to a boil, then removed from the heat. After complete cooling, the liquid is drained, the remaining scale is wiped off with a damp cloth, and the container is thoroughly rinsed to remove acid.

Glue and laundry soap

To prepare the mixture you will need PVA glue – 1 tablespoon and laundry soap 1/3 of a piece. For better dissolution, rub the soap on a coarse grater.

All ingredients are dissolved in 4 liters of water. Dirty dishes need to be boiled for 30 minutes in the prepared mixture. This method is suitable for removing old dirt.

How to properly care for stainless steel pans

To ensure that your kitchen utensils last as long as possible, follow these recommendations.

• Before first use, wash the product with soapy water and wipe dry with a towel.
• If possible, use distilled water when preparing.
• Do not leave empty cookware on the fire.
• Salt should only be added to boiling water and stirred thoroughly until completely dissolved.
• The cooking temperature must be stable.
• When washing pans in the dishwasher, use a pre-soak.
• Make sure the cookware is cool before cleaning the surface.
• Wash pots in warm water and using mild solutions: vinegar, soda, citric acid. At the end of the procedure, you must thoroughly rinse the product and wipe dry.
• We clean it strictly after each use.

ATTENTION! For cleaning, do not use metal sponges or detergents with aggressive additives (chlorine, ammonia). They can damage the product and significantly reduce its service life.

We hope that our article has comprehensively answered your questions regarding stainless steel cookware.

Sometimes the joy of a successful purchase quickly gives way to disappointment. This also happens with kitchenware and utensils, and not even with the cheapest ones. For example, many housewives who are sensitive to cleanliness are very familiar with stains on the bottom of a stainless steel pan. At the same time, some immediately consider this a defect and rush to return the goods, others try to get rid of them on their own, and still others... do not encounter such a situation at all. Let's figure out what these marks on the metal are, and whether they are a sign of low quality cookware.

Stains

Stains usually appear on the bottom of pans, and in different cases at completely different times. One housewife may notice small dotted spots after several months of cooking, while another may notice them after the first use.

The nature of their appearance is quite simple. Unfiltered tap water, which is used for cooking in most kitchens, contains a certain amount of minerals and oxides, for example, manganese, sodium, silicon, iron, calcium. Moreover, the amount of impurities depends on the region or even the house (on how old the pipes are in the water supply system).

When water is boiled, part of it always evaporates, and the mineral impurities it contains (usually calcium and silicon salts) settle to the bottom and walls. Despite the fact that stainless steel cookware looks shiny and polished, there are always microscopic irregularities on its surface. They are quite enough for the deposited salts to cling to the bottom. With each subsequent boiling, there will be more and more deposits, and new particles of salts will continue to cling to those previously left there, so small dots on the bottom of the dishes gradually turn into noticeable stains.

The spots may be light or dark. Light ones are formed by calcium salts. This is the most common scale, well known to all owners of electric kettles. Dark spots are the result of exposure to silicon salts.

If your kitchen has pans with non-stick Teflon or ceramic coating, then you will notice that such stains do not form on them - the fact is that the surface of ceramics and Teflon is much smoother, which is why salts cannot begin to build up on it.

Considering the above, we can conclude: the appearance of stains is not a defect, but a feature of the material of the dishes. Moreover, you can try to remove them. At the same time, another reason for spot darkening of the walls may be rust, which, logically, should not exist on stainless steel. Its appearance can be considered a defect and a warranty case. You can check what causes the darkening with vinegar - it does not remove rust.

Why doesn't stainless steel rust?

Let's start with the basics. Any steel is not just one metal in its pure form, but an alloy consisting of an iron “base” and various additives, and not always metal ones. In fact, additives make it possible to give the alloy the necessary properties, for example, strength, ductility and resistance to rust. Metal rusting is a natural chemical process that occurs when iron comes into contact with water. Moreover, it is not necessary to constantly pour water on a metal product, since its smallest particles are always contained in the air.

In order to prevent contact of steel with moisture, its surface is covered with varnishes, paints and enamels. If you have an old enamel plate or pan in your household, you will notice that the place where the enamel broke off due to an impact quickly begins to become covered with a brown coating. There is another approach - you can act “from the inside”, that is, add metals to the alloy that do not react with water. These include, for example, chromium and nickel. Actually, it is to them that stainless steel cookware owes its beautiful shine.

It works as follows: under the influence of atmospheric oxygen, a thin oxide film is formed on the surface of the alloy. It is not completely transparent, but due to its extreme thinness it is not possible to see it, so it seems to us that the metal is not covered with anything. The film has the property of self-healing (contact with oxygen does not stop for a second), so even deep scratches do not become a source of rust.

Top 5 Purchased Stainless Steel Cookware Products

You can clean dirty dishes using specialized products, the range of which is quite diverse. Some of them contain chlorine or other harsh ingredients, so you need to be careful when choosing them.

Top 5 most popular stainless steel cleaning products:

1. Grease remover "Shumanit". The substance contains alkali, which is the main active ingredient. This unique product is able to cope with any stains, even those that other detergents cannot cope with. Sold in the form of powder, gel or spray, used for cleaning any surfaces. It is enough to apply the solution to the surface and leave for an hour. After the time has passed, the dishes are washed thoroughly.

1. Dr. Beckmann. The foam has a high dissolving ability and does not contain abrasive particles. The corrosion inhibitors included in the composition actively protect the metal. The cleaning agent polishes the surface well, returning the product to its original mirror shine.
2. Topperr "Stainless Steel". Acts instantly and effectively, eliminates various types of dirt, unpleasant odors, and adds shine. After using this product, the service life of pots and other kitchen utensils made of stainless steel increases.
3. Sanitol "Shine of steel". Available in the form of a thick cream with a gentle abrasive base. Easily copes with lime deposits, polishes products, giving them shine. The product is applied to the dirt, rubbed thoroughly, and then washed.
4. Vitesse. It has a mild effect, does not contain caustic substances, which is completely safe for the environment. A small amount of the substance is applied to the dirty stain, then rubbed with a damp cloth. When the surface shines, it is washed with water and wiped dry. The product is used no more than once every 3 months.

Work on cleaning dishes is carried out strictly with gloves, otherwise the cleaning chemicals can damage the skin of your hands. Since most of the purchased products have a pungent odor, the room in which the work is carried out must be well ventilated.

Read more ► How to clean old coins from rust and oxidation at home: tips from numismatists

How then did stains appear on stainless steel?

Staining stainless steel pans is another chemical process. Moreover, even the most expensive and high-quality products are susceptible to it.

The spots can be of different colors, so it’s worth talking about them separately.

Rainbow

Over time, large, shapeless rainbow or blue-violet stains may appear at the bottom of the pan. They appear under the influence of heat: when heated above 100°, the formation of a protective oxide layer is greatly accelerated. Over time, it thickens so much that it begins to cover the natural shine of the metal. This is not a defect: they do not affect the properties of the product itself or the taste of food.

Such stains can only be removed by sanding or polishing (for example, with fine sandpaper), but this is not advisable, since constant aggressive cleaning will simply make the problem areas very thin, and eventually the pan will leak. It’s best to just accept their presence, and to prevent them from appearing in new dishes, just don’t leave them empty on the fire.

Cleaning inside

When a pan burns, you need to determine the degree of “heaviness” of this burnt layer. There are cases where the bottom is covered with a black shell-like crust, which is not even susceptible to the action of a knife. And there is a loose layer that is removed much faster and with less effort. There are three ways to clean a burnt stainless steel pan of varying degrees of contamination:

The first method is a strong degree of pollution

To do this, you will need baking soda and silicate, office glue (liquid glass). Water is poured halfway into the pan, making sure that all burnt areas are covered. Add a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of glue and mix thoroughly. Place the contents over low heat and bring to a boil.

During the heating process, the first results of cleaning will already be visible - the fumes will flake off in flakes. When the solution boils, you need to focus on the degree of contamination and maintain your time. For a pan that is not too dirty, 10-15 minutes of low simmering is enough; dirty dishes need to simmer longer - 30-45 minutes. The result is the same: the entire black, burnt layer comes off on its own under the influence of high temperature, glue and soda, without the use of physical effort.

The second method is a strong degree of pollution

The method is effective, but has one side effect - a strong, unpleasant odor from vinegar. In this case, you will need 9% table vinegar and laundry soap, grated or cut into small pieces. First, pour vinegar and water (1 part water, 1 part 9% vinegar) into the pan, taking into account that all burnt areas will be covered. Close the lid and leave for a couple of hours.

In some cases, all burnt food comes off on its own after such soaking. When stirring and tilting the pan in different directions, the cleaned surface will be visible, and the solution will turn black.

If this does not happen and some of the burnt food does not come away from the surface, then the process needs to be intensified and additional means must be used. Place a few tablespoons (3-5) of grated soap into a saucepan with a solution (1 part water, 1 part vinegar), stir lightly, cover with a lid, and put on fire. The contents are brought to a light boil and simmer slowly for 25-40 minutes (depending on the degree of contamination), while the heat is reduced. After completing the procedure, you can see how all the fumes and dirt have ideally moved away from the surface of the pan.

The third method is the average degree of pollution

For cleaning you will need salt, soda and 9% table vinegar. Soda is poured into an empty, dirty pan, covering all burnt areas with a thin layer. 3-5 tablespoons of vinegar are added there. Everything starts to sizzle as the soda and vinegar react. Spread the mixture evenly with a sponge and leave for 15-20 minutes. Then add a spoonful of salt (or maybe a drop of dishwashing detergent) and use the abrasive side of the sponge to clean everything off. The product is rinsed and wiped dry.

Reviews about cleaning stainless steel

And I wash my stainless steel sink with the addition of vinegar, and where there is a coating in the form of white stains and scale from hot hard water, I pour vinegar essence into it, add a little hot water. A reaction occurs immediately, hisses and foam is released. After this it is clean and shiny. And our refrigerator, also made of stainless steel, is huge with two doors and an LCD display on the door, you can’t rub it with vinegar. I take a lemon, cut it in half and rub the refrigerator with half, after which I wash off the remaining lemon with a soft cloth and wipe it dry. And it’s clean, there are no scratches, and it doesn’t smell like chemicals.

zizi9

https://forum.domik.ua/nerzhavejka-na-kuxne-kak-uxazhivat-t20542.html

I also have SIF-gel for stainless steel, but when I ran out, I washed it with ordinary products, then washed them off clean, and the most important thing that I understood is that I need to wipe it dry, at first it seemed boring to me, but now I’m used to it, I wiped it dry and ok, the stains remain from water that has not dried up.

Marisha

https://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/domovodstvo/1693128

If the case is advanced, then only Schumanit will help (and not always), but this is just a nuclear agent, it would be better to use it in a respirator, with thick gloves and then wash it off with I don’t know how much water in the hope that Schumanit did not penetrate inside dishes and its poison did not take hold there... In general, I’m afraid to wash dishes with it. If only the outside.

Arabesque

https://forum.cofe.ru/showthread.php?t=109941

Removing scale

Various acids are used to remove scale. They are found in many products, some of which are thrown away altogether. Here are some of the most popular methods that will help both clean teapots made of various materials (including plastic electric kettles) and maintain the appearance of the coating.

• Cleaning with vinegar.

Dilute table or apple cider vinegar (the latter option is a little gentler) with water in a ratio of one to nine, pour this liquid inside the kettle, put it on the fire and bring the liquid to a boil. Open the lid slightly and look inside. If the scale comes off, you can remove the kettle from the heat, wait a little until the scale comes off completely, after which all that remains is to rinse it with water. This option is only suitable for stainless steel kettles. An electric kettle requires more careful handling.

• Lemon acid.

How to clean a kettle with citric acid? There are two options. One of them involves the use of citric acid itself in powder. For a three-liter container, two bags are enough, but if you are cleaning an electric kettle with a volume of one and a half liters or less, one will be enough for it. The lemon is poured onto the bottom, water is poured into the kettle and boiled. This is a more gentle method than cleaning with vinegar, but it is also quite aggressive. Therefore, if the condition is not too neglected, it makes sense to try to do without boiling. Another option involves using citric acid, found in citrus fruits. Cut the lemon into 4 parts, put it in a kettle, add water and boil for 10 minutes. If you don't know how to clean an electric kettle, try lemon. You may have to boil it twice, but this will not harm the kettle. Not only the heating element will become cleaner, but also the plastic housing.

• Fruit and potato peelings also do a great job of removing scale.

We recommend: Proven methods for cleaning the oven from grease and carbon deposits

This method is suitable for any teapots. Cleanings are placed inside, water is boiled, and the kettle is rinsed.

• Brine.

Not everyone knows how to clean a kettle using brine, but this method is the simplest. Pour the brine into the kettle, boil, rinse - and that’s it, it shines from the inside, like new!

Advice

Before pouring out the brine, boil it in a kettle, regardless of whether it is electric or metal.

• Carbonated drinks.

"Sprite", "Fanta" and "Cola" contain acids that quickly dissolve scale. For light and metallic colors it is better to use Sprite; for dark ones, Cola is also suitable. Pour the drink inside the kettle and see what happens: you will hear a hissing sound and the scale will begin to recede. If this does not happen, the drink will have to be boiled, and the result will not be long in coming.

• Cleaning with soda.

Soda has long been used to clean dishes; it copes especially well with dirt and scale in enameled aluminum kettles. It is also suitable for a stainless steel teapot. The recipe is simple: mix water with soda (a tablespoon is enough for a medium-sized kettle) and boil for half an hour. After this, the scale is easily removed.

• "Three in one".

If you are looking for an answer to the question of how to clean an electric kettle, this option is not for you - it is only suitable for metal ones. And even then it is advisable to use it only if scale-friendly means do not remove it. The essence of the method is the alternate use of three cleaning methods: first with soda, then with citric acid, and finally with vinegar.

• Sour milk.

For those who don’t know how to descale an electric kettle as carefully as possible, you should pay attention to this option. Milk that begins to sour is left at room temperature to sour further, but without allowing it to turn into sour milk. Pour it in, boil it, rinse it – and you’re done.

There are many traditional methods for descaling dishes, but many of them are aggressive and are often not recommended for use, especially for those who have an electric kettle at home.

Advice

Having finished cleaning the kettle, be sure to boil the water in it “idle” a couple of times, immediately pouring it out - this is the only way you will be sure that you are drinking tea without harmful acid.

Free legal assistance

So I’m thinking: should I throw it away or can I still revive it? Uncle March 19, 2007 16:56 I would like your concerns....

Chocolate March 19, 2007 17:26 Well, no, wait, Uncle, if it rusts, then all this will go into my soup, and this is no longer good. So I’m interested in what people will tell me about possible resuscitation. Meanwhile, I’m taking a closer look at the saucepans with steamer inserts. Esmarhov March 20, 2007 00:11 In a bucket... Or cook for those who have a lack of iron in their bodies.

We recommend reading: Federal law on benefits for veterans of combat operations in Afghanistan

Well, or paint it again. Enamel. Just treat it with anti-rust first Kati March 20, 2007 11:04 It wasn’t... Is it possible to buy it somewhere separately?

Whose production? Otherwise I’m already tormented with spots... Svetlana, sorry, I just saw your post.

It is important that you MUST accept goods of inadequate quality from the consumer and, if necessary, check the quality of the goods.

The consumer has the right to participate in checking the quality of the product.