I've tried the dish soap trick myself, and it does help quite a bit with stubborn spots. One thing I've wondered though—is there any concern about residue from dish soap affecting appliance finishes over time? I've always rinsed thoroughly just in case...
"I've always rinsed thoroughly just in case..."
You're right to rinse thoroughly—dish soap residue can dull finishes over time, especially on stainless steel or vintage enamel. I usually follow up with a quick wipe-down using diluted vinegar to remove any leftover film. Works great, no issues yet.
Good call on the vinegar wipe-down, that's my go-to as well. I've noticed it really helps keep stainless steel looking sharp without that cloudy film. Plus, it's cheap and always handy in the kitchen anyway... win-win.
I've been using vinegar for stainless steel too, but recently I've started mixing in a little lemon juice. It cuts down on that strong vinegar smell (which I don't mind, but my partner complains about it lingering afterward). Funny story—when we first moved into our current place, the previous owners left behind this fancy stainless steel fridge covered in fingerprints and smudges. I tried every store-bought cleaner under the sun, and nothing really worked without leaving streaks or residue. Out of frustration, I gave vinegar and lemon a shot—mostly because that's what I had lying around after making salad dressing—and it actually did the trick beautifully. The fridge looked brand-new again...and smelled citrusy fresh instead of chemically weird.
I still keep a bottle of store-bought stuff handy for quick touch-ups now and then, but honestly, natural cleaners have become my mainstay for appliances. Cheaper and less headache overall.
"Funny story—when we first moved into our current place, the previous owners left behind this fancy stainless steel fridge covered in fingerprints and smudges."
Haha, your fridge story reminds me of when we renovated our kitchen. We splurged on these sleek stainless steel appliances, thinking they'd look amazing (and they did...for about a day). Then, fingerprints everywhere. I swear, you'd think we had toddlers instead of teenagers. Vinegar and lemon sounds like a great combo—I'll have to give it a try. I've mostly stuck with baking soda paste for tough spots, but the fresh citrus scent sounds way better than the lingering vinegar aroma.
