Stainless steel appliances are the latest trend in home decor...but keeping them looking like new can be a challenge.

Gabrielle Goodman says she chose stainless-steel appliances for her new kitchen because she really likes their modern, yet classic look. But she says she wishes they weren't so high maintenance.

"They’re beautiful to look at, but in certain light you're going to see every little smudge and every little fingerprint. It's always wiping and cleaning," said Goodman.

Consumer Reports, publisher of ShopSmart Magazine, tested six stainless-steel cleaners that promise to clean, shine, and protect. Testers looked at a variety of cleaners, including wipes and some that spray.

When it comes to smudgy fingerprints, the tests showed all the cleaners do a good job removing them. But beware of claims to prevent fingerprints. None of the cleaners could do that.

Food on stainless samples testers also put dollops of foods like peanut butter and raspberry jelly on stainless-steel samples. They also used condiments like ketchup and mustard.

Testing the stains sat for at least 24 hours. Then testers rinsed the samples, cleaned them following the manufacturers' instructions, and sized up how well the cleaners removed stains.

"Overall, all six cleaners were very effective, except when it came to mustard. They all seemed to leave some mustard stain behind on the surface," said Mark Connelly.

So be sure to wipe up any mustard spills quickly. And when testers assessed which cleaner delivered a streak-free, film-free shine, consumer reports found the Weiman stainless steel cleaner and polish stood out? Making good on its promise that it "will not streak."

Weiman's stainless steel cleaner and polish costs around nine dollars and is sold at stores like true value, ace, and Wal-Mart.

When you're cleaning stainless steel, always use a soft cloth or sponge. Otherwise you could easily scratch your appliances.


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