# Stainless Steel Appliance got grout cleaner on it!



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Call Whirlpool technical help line---they should have the answer----and might have a product that is safe to use on the machines.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

I believe the coated appliances are the "fingerprint proof" ones.
Does it get fingerprints easy? If so it's probably not coated. Try a magnet on it as well.

Now, the bad news. I work with stainless and it's a PITA.
As soon as you rub some kind of abrasive pad on it, you're basically "sanding" it. If you make one slip off on an angle, this will take about .2 seconds. To correct that slip will take about an hour of exact straight back and forth polishing.

Next problem comes when you notice the grain is different only where you rubbed. To fix this you will need to rub out the whole door, side panel ect, to match that spot with different grain that you just created. Remember the slip I mentioned? Imagine doing the whole door without slipping?

If you're quite steady, anything is possible though.

It may be easier to just run from the wife instead of trying to polish it out, ha. :laughing:


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## flhtcu (Oct 12, 2014)

Have the grout cleaner with you when you call Whirlpool.They might ask what's in it.As pugsy says,No Abrasives!


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## ckbenson02 (Jan 21, 2015)

a magnet does in fact work on it. so this means it is a coated product? as far as sanding i'm very steady and can do precision work with my hands. But the product i have says it will not work on coated products.

so yes it fingerprints easily, but the magnet also worked?


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## jimn (Nov 13, 2010)

If a magnet sticks it's very low grade stainless steel. May or may not be coated.


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## danpik (Sep 11, 2011)

jimn01 said:


> If a magnet sticks it's very low grade stainless steel. May or may not be coated.


 

If the magnet sticks then it is possibly a 400 series grade of stainless. The "myth" that there are "low" grades of stainless is just that. All stainless, in fact all steels are specific for the task they are manufactured for. An improperly spec'ed material for the task will not perform properly and is often regarded as low grade when in fact it is the wrong grade. 400 series stainless steel has a higher carbon content which allows for heat treat hardening if needed. 300 series stainless have a very low % of carbon such that it is not magnetic. There are also some grades of 300 series that will be slightly magnetic. My understanding is that when they first started to make stainless appliances, no magnets would stick to them. This upset a lot of people who wanted their art galleries back. The manufacturers started to comply and started to use a grade of stainless that has a higher carbon content. 

As for the OP's question, I have one for you. Exactly what did the grout cleaner do to the finish? I am guessing that it changed the finish. If so I doubt you have a coated surface. As 123pugsy indicated, I too work with stainless as my day job (27 years). We generally mirror polish ours but we do some satin and brushed finish as well. The big problem as he mentioned is going to be matching the finish pattern the manufacture used. If you could find out what material and grade/grit they used then you may be able to repair it.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

ckbenson02 said:


> a magnet does in fact work on it. so this means it is a coated product? as far as sanding i'm very steady and can do precision work with my hands. But the product i have says it will not work on coated products.
> 
> so yes it fingerprints easily, but the magnet also worked?



I was thinking maybe it's possible to plate a door skin, but , nah, they would never do that.

I would call as mentioned to find out if your model has a coating but I doubt it. Ask them if it is indeed stainless.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

danpik said:


> This upset a lot of people who wanted their art galleries back. .




Exactly. I had to skin the 2 sides of the new fridge the wife bought with 430 stainless.


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

It depends on what you purchased. My WP fridge I bought 3 years ago is the non-fingerprinty type, but the rest of the set isn't and wasn't an option. If I recall, a year or so later they had it available to the other appliances.


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## ckbenson02 (Jan 21, 2015)

thanks guys. the grout cleaner must have splashed up a little bit when i was scrubbing or when i was rinsing the floor with a wet rag. either way you see " water spots" but they are significantly darker than the surface. 

Our surfaces look to be a horizontal brushed pattern. They are not shiny or dull. Simply like a brushed steel look. The "kit" i bought comes wit 3 different sanding grades. 

Your responses have given me some hope since it may be possible to try to buff this out.

Thanks a ton fellas. Hopefully this can be repaired "well enough" to be presentable.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Post back with results and any tips for others reading this thread.


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