Stainless steel is one of the most popular materials when it comes to sheet metal. That is partly due to the material properties that make stainless steel so versatile - but also to the fact that it can be produced relatively cheaply and in large quantities. This also applies to brushed stainless steel, which is popular wherever a shiny surface is not desired.
Thanks to its corrosion resistance, brushed stainless steel can be used not only indoors but also outdoors. Moisture and even higher temperatures do not attack the material. Special alloys such as stainless steel 1.4828 are even made for particularly high temperatures and are therefore used in furnace construction.
Stainless steel is also very easy to work: it can be cut to shape and also bent. Assembly is possible in various ways - welding, brazing and bolting are all options. That is another reason why both professional tradespeople and private households like to use sheets of brushed stainless steel.
Different surfaces
Depending on the type of surface treatment, one speaks of smooth or brushed stainless steel. While the former has a literally very smooth surface, brushed stainless steel inherently has an uneven surface structure. But that does not mean the surface is arbitrary - quite the opposite. Brushing stainless steel is not done randomly but always in one direction, creating uniform grooves that are invisible to the naked eye.
The surface of a brushed stainless steel sheet therefore appears matt: the countless tiny indentations refract the light, mirroring is impossible, and the human eye perceives a matt surface. In fact, however, the brushed surface is uniform. When it comes to cleaning, there is also no difference between smooth and brushed stainless steel - though there are a few things to observe.
Cleaning brushed stainless steel
Depending on its use, various types of soiling can occur on brushed stainless steel. In a kitchen, hygiene naturally plays a major role; in other areas, such as furniture made of brushed stainless steel, the reasons for targeted surface cleaning are more visual. We would like to present the most important methods for cleaning and caring for stainless steel with a brushed surface.
At this point it must also be mentioned that there are substances particularly harmful to stainless steel. These include chlorine-based cleaners, which would attack the material. Bird droppings and urine must also always be removed immediately - something to bear in mind with stainless steel outdoors. To prevent rust, there must be no contact with dust from base metals.
Removing stains
Everyone knows the situation: the beautiful stainless steel worktop has unsightly stains. Removing them is no problem, but you must not go about it too aggressively - that applies to both the chosen cleaning agent and the technique used.
A proven household remedy is lemon juice: simply halve a lemon and rub the tarnished stainless steel with the cut surface. After a short time, rinse with clear water and then rub dry. Burnt-in stains can be removed with baking powder; a mixture of bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and water is just as effective.
Removing scratches
Even though brushed stainless steel does not have a smooth surface, deeper scratches are still unsightly. They can be removed without great effort: with fine steel wool, rub in the direction of the brushing to slowly grind scratches out of the surface. Proceed gently, however, otherwise you will leave traces of the steel wool.
Removing rust
Only in theory is stainless steel completely rustproof. Especially on contact with rusty steel and dust from base metals, corrosion of stainless steel can occur. Removing this rust does not require expensive special products: lemon juice works wonders here. Even more effective is removing rust with cola - the phosphoric acid it contains converts the visible iron oxide, perceived as rust, into invisible iron phosphate, additionally forming a protective layer.
Polishing and regular care
Polishing stainless steel to a high gloss is real work. For mirror-finish surfaces and car parts, there is no way around it. The good news: brushed stainless steel does not have to be polished to a shine. As part of regular care, however, you should still wipe it with a polishing cloth, as this gently removes dust and other dirt particles.
Where can you buy brushed stainless steel?
First of all, stainless steel sheet is not a standard product in standard sizes - which is also why you cannot get it in every DIY store. There you will at most find a small selection of sheets that you then have to bring to the required dimensions yourself, laboriously.
So you need a specialist company that has specialised in cutting and processing stainless steel - like us at ESC Burg. We offer you advice and production of brushed stainless steel sheets to your specifications. We manufacture all our products to customer order and are very flexible regarding size and quantity: from a single order to series production, we are happy to take on your job.
Lean processes and personal contact
Although we try to keep our production as lean as possible and achieve the greatest possible automation, in one respect we are quite old-fashioned: we value speaking with our customers, and that is why you can only place your order by telephone with our sales team. Only in this way can we guarantee that you speak with one of our experts, who will advise you on which alloy is best suited to you.
Despite this personal service, we are certainly one of the fastest providers on the market. Almost all orders leave our production facility within 48 hours of receipt and set off towards the customer. At the same time, we guarantee quality: we process exclusively sheets from European brand manufacturers and use machines that ensure millimetre-precise cutting - as with laser cutting of stainless steel sheets. We can quote you the price for your individual brushed stainless steel sheet during the phone call itself. No customer has to wait for a personal quotation with us - that too sets us apart.
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