How do I best remove small circular stains from bottom of my Le Creuset new stainless steel saucepans?
Question:Small circular stains are dotted on the inside bottom of my stainless steel saucepans after cooking vegetables; there also is a "cloud" on the bottom that is difficult to remove. Should I use a coarse scrubber or chemicals? The saucepans are new.
Answers:
Try pouring a can of tomatoes into the pan and bring it to a boil. The acid in tomatoes ususally removes any stains from stainless steel. We have enough chemicals in our water treatement plants. . .
You MAY have an accumulation of 'hard water' stains. We have had success in removing such stains with simple vinegar. The acid in the vinegar dissolves the residue and a light scrubbing with a plastic scrubber removes the remainder.
Give it a try. If that fails, go to your hardware store and obtain a package of 'synthetic steel wool' in a medium to fine grade. Scrub the bottom of the pans with the product following the lines of the finish on the pan. It takes a bit of time, but works well.
You can find a special stainless steel cleanser in most cleaning aisles. It is kind of like Comet cleanser, but made especially for stainless steel. You can also make a paste of baking soda and water and try scrubbing that on and see if it works, but I would use the stainless steel powdered cleaner first. I use just a regular Teflon scrubbing pad, along with the cleaner.
Bon Ami - is the cleanser like comet - found in the same isle in the supermarket - a little more expensive than Ajax or Comet - but works more gently - that and a steel wool pad - or Brillo without any of the soap in it - so rinse it out well before you apply the Bon Ami to the bottom of the pan.
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