One especially great option for balconies, stairs and various other applications, both outside and inside, is stainless-steel balustrading. Stainless-steel is versatile and incredibly durable thanks to its self-healing and anti-corrosive properties.
It is also easier than other materials to install and requires only a minimum amount of maintenance. To keep your handrail looking as good as new, check out our guide below.
If you want to benefit fully from stainless-steel and its unique ability to self-heal, you need to ensure that it is kept dust and dirt free. This is obviously more of an issue if your handrail is outside, as a balcony, for example.
There’s more chance of it being exposed to local wildlife, air pollution, and the elements. Because of this, we would advise that you make sure your handrail is cleaned at least two or three times a year.
Cleaning Your Stainless-Steel Balustrades
Warm water and a clean, soft cloth is by far the safest and simplest way to clean a stainless-steel handrail. You should avoid the use of anything that is too abrasive like steel wool as this will scratch the metallic surface and introduce unhelpful and unwanted materials into the self-healing layer of the stainless steel.
Once you have finished cleaning it, run over the hand railing with a clean, dry cloth to stop water spots. If the steel has a noticeable grain, run the dry cloth along this to give it a nice finish.
Removing Rust From Your Balustrading
If there are the early signs of corrosion or it’s been some time since you last cleaned the handrail, you should use some mild detergent with warm water.
This does not have to be anything fancy, as dishwashing liquid will suffice. Importantly, when using detergent of any kind, you need to rinse the area before you dry, as any residual detergent could cause further staining.
Removing Fingerprints From Your Handrails
If you find that your stainless-steel handrailing is regularly covered in fingerprints, you may prefer to clean it more often.
To do this, we would recommend you use a glass cleaner, in a similar way to if you were cleaning a mirror. Always dry the surface thoroughly when you have finished as this will stop smears from forming.
How to Remove Other Stains
You may need to make use of a special stainless-steel cleaner if there are harder to shift scratches and stains. Follow the directions on the container, being sure to check the cleaner on an inconspicuous part of the railing first.
When you need to remove paint from the handrail, you just need an ordinary paint remover.
Be sure though, to avoid using a scraper or other similar tools as you are likely to damage the surface of the metal. You should also avoid using any products that contain a chloride, as it can cause permanent damage to stainless-steel.
