Removing Scratches

[garyng]

I am a bit OCD (in a good way) when it comes to the looks of my gear.  I noticed a dulling splotch on my #2 so I took a tiny bit of Bartenders Keeper to buff it out.  It worked but now you can sort of see the buffed area, sort of like I altered the grain of the stainless with tiny fine scratches.  Just curious, how do you guys keep your stainless looking new?  And any advice on what I could do to return my stainless back to it's original glory?  (And really, you can barely tell but it sort of bugs me!)

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[Meatball]

On exterior stainless I have always put a thin coat of Carnauba paste wax and buffed it out as a protective barrier against moisture and stains.I have been working / welding stainless for over 30 years and have never had any problems with this.
My outdoor stainless grill has 13 years of heavy use on it with no signs of rust, considering it is a cheap grade of stainless.
A light coat and through buffing  goes along way .

[old sarge]

Gary - If you are trying to restore the 'grain' on your smoker in various spots, you could try a scotchbrite pad or maybe steel wool and water.  Pick an inconspicuous spot (in case it doesn't work or makes it worse) and work WITH the grain in a back and forth motion only, applying just enough pressure to make a difference.  Use as small a piece of scotchbrite or steel pool as possible, maybe just enough to pinch between thumb and forefinger,  just enough to work the area you are interested in.  If you are lucky, and as soon as your 'scratches' come close to mimicking the grain, stop. Be satisfied and move on. And then go with what Bobby suggested for protection. Good luck!

[SuperDave]

I learned this lesson the first time I used that cleaner on my smoker.  The smokers come with a coat of oil or wax on them and the cleaner removes that coating in isolated spots to make it look blotchy.  I had to use a scrub pad and the cleaner to do a thorough job of the entire surface.  The sheen was all uniform again.

Thought that this was due an update.  After a half dozen trips to the patio with a bucket and a scouring pad, I think I've got things looking respectable again.  Of course, I don't have finger prints anymore.  LOL!  And just as a side note, those door face lock clips are REAL knuckle busters.  A non abrasive scouring pad, like one on a kitchen sponge was the real key to any success on this project.  So, Barkeeper's Friend can do a great job cleaning our SS but don't start it unless you are in for the long haul on it.

Before using a scouring pad:


After:

[LarryD]

On exterior stainless I have always put a thin coat of Carnauba paste wax

I'm assuming this is an easy answer, but where is the best place to pick this up?  I've noticed a few spots on my #2 that have a hint of rust and would like to protect it.

[Meatball]

Carnauba wax can be bought at Lowes, Home Depot, or Wal Mart hardware section. Even car wax works as long as it is buffed out well.  There is a company named Spartan that makes a spray cleaner/ wax in an aerosol can that works well to. I like the paste wax because it leaves a tougher barrier after buffing it off, water just beads and rolls off.

[jcboxlot]

http://www.qvc.com/Bio-Cleaner-Set-of-3-Multi-Purpose-Cleaning-Clay.product.V33262.html?sc=SRCH