How to Restore Heat-Tarnished Stainless

Written By
Daisy Cuinn
Daisy Cuinn
Published: Sep 20, 2011
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
1 minute read

Heat tarnish needs a bit of extra attention to restore your piece to its original gleam, but the discoloration will come off with little effort in most cases.

  1. Moisten a microfiber cloth with white vinegar.

  2. Wipe the heat-tarnished stainless steel with the vinegar-moistened cloth, adding more vinegar as needed. You should not need to rub very hard.

  3. Rinse the stainless steel well to remove the vinegar residue.

  4. Scrub the stainless steel gently with a nonabrasive cleanser, such as Comet NA, Soft Scrub or Earth Friendly Creamy Cleanser, and a sponge if any heat tarnish remains after treating it with vinegar. Rinse well.

Things You Will Need

  • Microfiber cloth
  • White vinegar
  • Nonabrasive cleaner
  • Sponge
Daisy Cuinn

Delaware-based Daisy Cuinn has been writing professionally since 1997, when she became the features editor for her local biweekly music newspaper. She has been a staff writer and contributor to online and offline magazines, including "What…

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