Scratches in Stainless Steel

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi,

My sister owns a Molly Maid cleaning company and one of her clients
has a Stainless Steel refrigerator that has been scratched somehow.

Is there a way to buff the scratch(es) out? There is one that is
across the front (side to side, against grain), she said they are not
very deep though.

So instead of having to replace both doors, what can be done to get
rid of these marks?

I told her that if anyone knew, someone on this forum would.

Thanks…Valerie

2 
Is there a way to buff the scratch(es) out? There is one that is
across the front (side to side, against grain), she said they are
not very deep though.

Sounds like it has a satin finish. You’d need to find an abrasive
that matches the effect of whatever was originally used. Could be
sandpaper, wire brush, pumice or some other grit. And you’d have to
duplicate the polishing pattern.

However if you try this you may wind up refinishing the entire door.
That’s a large area to do by hand and have it come out even. Be
cautious in case there has been a clear coat of some sort applied.

My own feeling is to pass on the repair if possible. can of worms,
marriage job with no divorce in sight.

3

As long as the steel hasn’t been coated with something, you have two
possibilities depending on whether its a polished or brushed finish.
Don’t try to work just on the scratch, work on an area containing
the scratch, that way you are less likely to create grooves.

For a polished finish, first remove the scratches with some wet/dry
paper, making sure you use a pad rather than your fingers, otherwise
you are likely to create shallow grooves that will be very visible on
a polished surface. Start with a grade that makes an obvious effect
and progress to finer and finer grades until you judge that you can
switch to metal polish to bring back the shine.

For a brushed finish, as long as the scratches are shallow, you can
use a rotary Scotch-Brite. These are rather like a nylon pot scourer
on a spindle. Choose one that gives matching sized brush marks and
try it out on some scrap material first. They are remarkably
effective. If the scratches are deep you might need to start with
wet/dry and finish with the Scotch-Brite, but this is unlikely.

Again, be careful not to create grooves. Once created they are very
unsightly and extremely difficult to remove.

Regards, Gary Wooding

4 
Is there a way to buff the scratch(es) out? There is one that is
across the front (side to side, against grain), she said they are
not very deep though.

As Frank Zappa once said

“rub it with a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the
people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mudshark
in your mythology…Here it goes, the circular motion, now rub
it!”

Although instead of using yellow snow, grab some coarse grit sand
paper and create a new scratch pattern. Youll be suprized how
difficult small scratches across a linear sanding line can be to
get out. Plus it creates a cool new look that can take the abuse
without having to touch it up. Granted if she has a matching stove,
dishwasher, breadbox, toaster, blender, microwave, freezer, and
storage bins, this might be an adventure.

P@

5

I dont know what the article is but this is childsplay. 3M have a
huge range of products to remove scratches and polish to a mirror
finish afterwards. Just call you local 3M abrasive tech service guy
This is his job to show you how!

Frank Thomson I used to do this in South Africa. it depends on what
machinery you have.