Watermarks from rain on Stainless Steel table?

SmokyBear · November 2014

Hey gang..

Just got a new stainless table for the Mini BGE + KJ from Tim at outdoorkitchequip.com and am wondering what to use to get water stains off the stainless top..(only rained on it a few days..I thought stainless was pretty resistant to staining, but went out to wipe it down today and there are "swirls" of color from the water in the steel..)

Will Sheila Shine get rid of these? I don't have any yet but Tim recommended it for cleaning.

Also - can you use Sheila Shine on the top of a table? Their website says not to use on "food prep surfaces". I don't do actual prep ON the surface, but I do put plenty of food setting on plates on top of it.

I do plan on getting a cover for it but was surprised to find it takes SIX WEEKS (!) to get a custom Sunbrella cover made..so, may just have to get a "temporary" poly or vinyl cover in the meantime to keep the water off it.

I thought I read here on the forum that you can leave stainless in the elements (which I planned to do for a 'short' time until my cover arrived - until I learned that'd be six weeks!) and it'd be fine. So, weird to see the discoloration from water already.

If there's a less "chemical" way to get rid of the water spots, that'd be awesome. Did some googling and white vinegar was recommended..will need to check with Tim to make sure that's OK - definitely don't want to damage the brand new table..

Very nice table BTW..will post a more detailed review and pics later..

SkinnyV · November 2014

Staying tuned. Appliances in my kitchen have this a bit but cleans up as I wipe weekly (ok maybe longer). But some signs still there.

nolan8v · November 2014

I use Innosoft B570 to remove rust spots/stains on my outdoor stainless steel food prep surface. It gets the job done for me.

Edit: Here is a link that may be helpful:

http://www.emergometal.com/en-GB/Product/remove-rust-from-stainless-steel-with-Innosoft.html

nolan8v · November 2014

Another option to try is baking soda and water. Make a paste and give it a try.

You can also try straight vinegar but make sure that you thoroughly rinse the area otherwise, the vinegar residue may cause corrosion problems.

lkapigian · November 2014

Depending on the grade of stainless , salinity in the air ect will affect spotting, staining...a thin coat of mineral or baby oil works wonders for looks and protection

Carolina Q · November 2014

I don't get it. I thought stainless was, well, stain less. I have an old stainless bowl from a stand mixer that i use as an ash bucket for my grills. It has been sitting out in the weather for a good 10 years. Looks like it did when I first put it out there... kinda beat up and scratched, but not stained.

And yet, the "stainless" table that you just got (from an outdoorkitchequip place no less) is stained? And he wants you to clean it with a product that is not food safe?

What is wrong with this picture? If it were my table, I'd go for a refund... and buy elsewhere.

EDIT: Barkeeper's Friend will probably clean it, but it won't keep it clean.

henapple · November 2014

Wd-40...my housekeeping crew used to use that.

Texansurf · November 2014

Bar Keeper's Friend, should do the trick

NPHuskerFL · November 2014

There are different grades of SS. Some better than others. Try Bar Keepers Friend as others have suggested.
And as @henapple‌ stated WD40 will do the trick too.
I personally use Easy Off SS cleaner and polish to get a deep shine. And I too use Bar Keepers Friend and it'll clean up even the worst grime from the table &/or Smokeware cap.

NPHuskerFL · November 2014

My table was an old Pizza Hut Prep table. Not an "outdoor" table design. But, the top is NSF SS and doesn't seem to get water stains etc. The sides and shelves are of higher quality SS. The back and sides can get a little stained but, it cleans up easily. If it's a new table that was in fact designed for outdoor use I would be sceptical on the SS quality as described by @Carolina Q‌ because I'm assuming it wasn't cheap.

NervousDad · November 2014

Bar Keepers friend will fix it l. I haven't had a cover on my webber for 8 years and it still looks like new.

piney · November 2014

I like the Sunbrella idea!! I do a lot of business with Glen Raven the makers of Sunbrella. It is all USA made and will stand behind product if you should have a problem. Ok now to answer your question I use a stainless cleaner from Sams called Spray Away Stainless Cleaner and it works great.

stlcharcoal · November 2014

Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami and a Scotch Brite pad is what I used to get water spots or leaf stains off my DeLorean. Just only go in one direction, not back and forth.

SkinnyV · November 2014

What is it when tiny little rust like spots develop? I see this on my fridge toward the bottom little specks.

stlcharcoal · November 2014

SkinnyV said:

What is it when tiny little rust like spots develop? I see this on my fridge toward the bottom little specks.

It is really stainless steel? Or is it "stainless steel finish" or "Color: Stainless steel". Try a magnet on it.

SkinnyV · November 2014

Well its a $3k + fridge so I don't know. I have kids so they are marking it up all the dang time im over it just wonder what it is as ita hell to try and scrub off.

SmokyBear · November 2014

Forgot to add..

The table came with a protective covering, attached with incredibly strong adhesive of some kind..(picture in next post - the "blue" ish surface is the thin covering that was on every surface..I stupidly pulled it off the top of the table as I wasn't sure how fireproof it was and didn't want a stray ember floating out of the grill and catching it on fire - as remote as that probably was as a possibility..)

I'm wondering if there is some residue of the adhesive that isn't fully worked off the surface yet, so the rain added to that is creating a thin layer of gunk that looks like stains.

I tried some boiling hot water with a little bit of dishsoap..that made a "bit" of a dent in removing the stains but will ask the company I got the table from about safety of the product they recommended on the table top..I technically don't do food PREP on the table top..I just set a plate of food that I've already prepared inside the house on it. So, I wouldn't think there would be an issue with food safety but want to of course be triple sure before trying it..

SmokyBear · November 2014

Pic of the table..note that I do not yet have the handle on the storage area or the door on the second storage area beneath the Mini..

NPHuskerFL · November 2014

@SmokeyBear‌ when SS is laser cut the blue film is always on. It is meant to be pulled off. When I get a new ice machine, ice cream machine, reach in cooler, reach in freezer, etc, etc. They all have the blue film remaining and it is my job to pull it all off before it is in the use. The film is actually on the sheets of SS as it is bent, formed and then laser cut.

NPHuskerFL · November 2014

If your worried about food prep on the table use the cleaner of your choice and then just wipe down with antimicrobial soap and water and dry off. No biggie.

SmokyBear · November 2014

Here's a picture of the watermarks from the rain..

Any ideas why this would happen? Could it be because of the residual adhesive from the blue film?

More importantly - will the cleaners you guys have all mentioned take this off?

Thx..

NervousDad · November 2014

Looks like hard water staining to me. Yes some BKF or any oxalic cleaner will fix that.

anton · November 2014

I use Zep aerosol Stainless Steel cleaner because I'm lazy, and it works great.

SmokyBear · November 2014

Isn't BKF abrasive?

I thought "stainless" steel shouldn't stain so easily from something so ordinary as rain?

The guys who made the table make restaurant equipment and have said it's very high quality stainless steel, so am surprised it stained so easily..

NervousDad · November 2014

SmokyBear said:

Isn't BKF abrasive?

I thought "stainless" steel shouldn't stain so easily from something so ordinary as rain?

The guys who made the table make restaurant equipment and have said it's very high quality stainless steel, so am surprised it stained so easily..

That's not an issue with the stainless it looks like the residues of some type of hard water rain that dried on the surface.

BKF is not abrasive it's a chalky powder. I use it all of the time on my 304 stainless kettles and they shine like new. Same with my Weber grill. Just make sure you don't use a steel wool or abrasive scrubber. I think in your case a towel will work just fine.

Here is a link to stainless steel cleaning and passivation. It's on a home-brew site, but the guy John Palmer is a genius when it comes to metallurgy

Cleaning

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html

Passivation

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB-1.html

Austin Egghead · November 2014

Barkeepers Friend for stubborn stains Windex for minor stains. If you use BarKeepers Friend buy the liquid and be sure to rinse both before placing food on the table. Also clean with the grain.

fishlessman · November 2014

until the table gets some use and some scratches its going to look like that. i work with stainless and when something goes out the door we oil it to give it that new sheen, i woulnt worry about it, it will look better after a thousand scratches

) the first few scratches look way worse than your waterstain

SmokyBear · November 2014

Finally found some of the elusive Sheila Shine..(like hunting Bigfoot tracking that stuff down! Amazon has it, but I didn't want to wait days for delivery since it's only available through third-party sellers and not Amazon Prime..)

Sheila Shine has taken "most" of the spots out..I can still see some but imagine I'll have to go over it a few times and use some elbow grease.

Still very weird that I even had this problem in the first place..I thought "stainless" was not supposed to stain (or get hard water marks) and have read a lot of posts on the forum saying people leave stainless tables uncovered for months/years on end with no problems so no idea why this happened..

BTW, manufacturer says they are using Type 304 stainless if that helps.

Thx..

lkapigian · November 2014

SmokyBear said:

Finally found some of the elusive Sheila Shine..(like hunting Bigfoot tracking that stuff down! Amazon has it, but I didn't want to wait days for delivery since it's only available through third-party sellers and not Amazon Prime..)

Sheila Shine has taken "most" of the spots out..I can still see some but imagine I'll have to go over it a few times and use some elbow grease.

Still very weird that I even had this problem in the first place..I thought "stainless" was not supposed to stain (or get hard water marks) and have read a lot of posts on the forum saying people leave stainless tables uncovered for months/years on end with no problems so no idea why this happened..

BTW, manufacturer says they are using Type 304 stainless if that helps.

Thx..

for severe environments type 316, but you'd be hard pressed to find anything pre manufactured with it........a lot has to do with your air- 304 is the most common, putting a thin coat of baby or mineral oil really does help

SmokyBear · November 2014

lkapigian said:

for severe environments type 316, but you'd be hard pressed to find anything pre manufactured with it........a lot has to do with your air- 304 is the most common, putting a thin coat of baby or mineral oil really does help

Great idea..thanks!

Tspud1 · November 2014

No problems and all are around salt water

Watermarks from rain on Stainless Steel table?

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