steel for real

While roaming Target yesterday, I came upon the new packaging for the stainless steel line. They've changed the name, giving it something quirky to go along with Wood For Good (wood cleaner), Best In Glass (glass cleaner), and The Daily Granite (granite cleaner.) Cute! It's called Steel For Real! (It used to just be called uh, stainless steel cleaner. Quite the upgrade!) So with this in mind, I decided to run a review on this product!

"We have a stainless steel sink and range top in our motorhome, and it can take a beating when we are out camping for a week at a time. Since Method Cleaning products are in limited supply in Alaska, I always stock up when we visit relatives in the Lower 48 states. We just left Texas and Wyoming and are now in Colorado. I am making my family believers in the Method family of cleaning products!

My most recent Method purchases were Lavender All Purpose wipes, Lavender Air Freshener, and this Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish.

I was hoping that this cleaner would remove the black grime that builds up on stainless steel sinks. I have a paste stainless steel cleaner that will turn my cleaning cloth black and really make my sinks shine.

The method cleaner isn't as strong as these paste stainless cleaners, however. It did a mediocre job of removing grime, but it didn't remove any black marks or scratches like my paste cleaner did.

What I did love about this Method Stainless Steel Cleaner is the fact that if I start with a clean sink, it will most likely keep it clean. I spray a small amount of the cleaner into my sink, then wipe with a damp cloth, going in a circular motion until all of the surface area has been cleaned. It is recommended that you wipe with the grain of the metal as much as possible. As soon as I wipe the surface dry, (it can be done with a separate cloth), there remains a transparent protective barrier (polish) on my sink, that makes water bead up on the surface. This keeps the sink much cleaner as the water doesn't sit there and leave those nasty hard water spots or residue that so often happen with stainless steel sinks.

What I like the best about this product is it's ability to clean stainless steel or other metal faucets. It cleans the water and soap spots off with very little elbow grease, and keeps them looking shiny and clean for several days at a time. It does a good job of making the metals look new. Works well on pewter too.

My sister-in-law has all stainless steel appliances, including a refrigerator. This product did clean them well and made them shiny, however the polish didn't really do much to keep small fingerprints from appearing on the surface. I had hoped that since it formed such a nice protective barrier in the sink that it would do the same for the fridge, but it didn't work as well.

The spray is gentle and won't scratch like the abrasive, gritty powder-like cleaners can. Only a small amount is needed to clean and protect the sink, so one bottle should last quite a long time. If too much cleaner is used, there may be some streaking - just use less and this will solve the problem. The bottle looks attractive enough to sit on the countertop.

I love that this product is all natural, with no toxic chemicals and obnoxious odors. It will polish the surface and help keep it clean from fingerprints, soaps and water spots. The shine it leaves on faucets is quite impressive. I just wish it would clean dirty stainless steel better than it does, it would not remove scratches and lightened a few darkened areas.
- elzora"


My personal experiences with the product have been pretty good. I would agree with her that I think the spray does a better job of maintaining over heavy duty cleaning. But I still think it's a great product! And did you know it's scent is orchard blossom? Who knew!