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Stainless steel does not "rust" as we commonly think
of it, with red oxide flakes that peel off. It holds up very
well against the hot water in your dishwasher, but it's the other
stuff in your dishwasher that can cause these orange spots.
Too much detergent
Most detergents contain chlorides, which should be avoided, but
nearly all of the detergents sold in stores contain them. You
can reduce the problem by not using too much of it.
Other particles
The dishwasher isn't a sterile environment; it's quite a dirty
one, with a variety of mineral deposits that can include calcium,
magnesium, iron, aluminum, and manganese. In the high temperatures
of the dishwasher, these particles can react with the steel.
If you see the orange spots, it's probably due to iron particles
that have contaminated the surface of the stainless steel, and
the particles are rusting (not the steel). 85% of homes in the
US have hard water in their homes, which include these mineral
deposits, so you're not alone!
Usually on the knives
You've probably noticed that most of the spots seem to be appearing
on the knife blades. Many of the finer stainless steel patterns
use a carbon steel alloy for the blade (not stainless steel).
The upside is that you get a sharper blade with superior cutting
performance, but the downside is that they react more easily
to iron particles at high temperatures and high humidity.
There are a few things you can do to minimize these spots:
1) Avoid soaking your flatware for long periods of time, or overnight
2) Rinse foods from the flatware, especially those with high
salt content like butter
3) Keep your knives separated in their own basket, with blades
pointed down
4) Try a little less detergent, and avoid ones with lemon or
chlorides if possible
5) Use a silver polish, stainless steel polish, or Bar Keeper's
Friend to remove spots
Remember, your flatware is stain"less", not stain"proof".
The flatware manufacturers don't consider these spots a manufacturing
defect, and it's not covered by their warranty (some are quite
rude about it too). |
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