Linnea Lahlum
Forget about using steel wool. Apart from the painful particles and mess,
it is coated with oil to keep it from rusting. You will get traces of that
oil on your work and have to remove it. The various kinds of scotch brite
pads work just as well. If you want a very lightly abrasive pad, buy the
cheap, off-brand kind made for washing dishes. I have some from a dollar
store that came labeled, “safe for fiberglass shower stalls”. Tip: you can
cut these into rough circles, poke a hole through the mesh in the middle,
and stack them on a screw mandrel to make cheap polishing /sanding buffs.
As they wear down, trim edges with a fine scissors (while stationary). I
make up several at a time to have them ready to hand.