I use a Dobie pad with a little bit of dish soap (I like Seventh Generation Unscented Dish Liquid), wiping with the grain, then wipe with damp microfiber cloth, and if I feel the need to, I'll wipe with a dry microfiber cloth. I don't like "stainless steel cleaners" because most tend to be heavily scented, and also, why spend money on an additional cleaner (and use up undersink storage space) when the Dobie pad and dish soap work as well if not better. Edit: The above is for appliances and hood. For my stainless steel sink, I use Bar Keepers Friend in the sink. I also use Bar Keepers Friend on my stainless steel pots and pans. This post was edited by Sahmmy on Sat, Apr 26, 14 at 21:20

I have an early model (before Fisher/Paykel) open burner DCS with a 12 inch back guard. I thought it might be a problem when I first got it but it's been exceptionally easy to keep clean. I don't bother with special cleaners. I just use a damp microfiber cloth. It turned out to be so easy that I went with a full stainless back splash with chrome warming racks instead of the tile I had originally planned on in the area. The first 12" gets most of the spatter. I would never want tile there now. We are in the middle of a full remodel and I am cooking without the back splash or a hood currently but even without the hood the riser is no problem to keep clean. I do fry a lot too. My range is a workhorse. I don't obsess about it looking showroom fresh. But even with the neglect it comes clean with water and a cloth. The only part that gets cleaner is the oven. I take apart the top every month or so and clean the nooks and crannies again using plain water and a microfiber cloth.

My realtor said SS appliances are a must to sell. We were reaching the point where all our appliances had to be replaced. They were not functioning well. So because we are moving in a year we now have new SS appliances, except the fridge. I don't like them very much compared to my old white ones. The fingerprints are super annoying but I hope to purchase some products this week to help. The worst is the Bosch DW with fingerprints. I looked in many kitchen showrooms and there were no other appliances to see. They were all SS. So while you can still order white, its really difficult to see it in person before you purchase. That is a huge frustration since as we know, "white" comes in so many different shades. I do think the newer slate is kind of interesting. We'll see where that goes. And you can always buy those big appliance magnets that change the color!! LOL!

Lynn, how funny, I have an LG fridge, GE Café range and KA dishwasher also! Stainless steel actually has a grain, but it's at the microscopic level, so you can't really see it. What you do see on stainless appliances is the brushed finish that was put on the metal. Basically, it's an even finish of small scratches put on by an abrasive material. Think of the big cylindrical roller that goes over your car at the car wash, only made out of an sandpaper. That's why the finish is not necessarily the same on different brands; they choose how rough they want the finish. My GE range has a coarser finish than the others. Lynn, your dishwasher probably has a much finer finish, so smudges show more, it's smoother. My KA dishwasher is magnetic also, unlike the other appliances. On all my appliances the direction of the finish is horizontal. You can probably see it better if you look at it with a magnifying glass. There are many types of stainless steel, depending on how they were manufactured and the exact composition of the metal. Different casting methods/composition produce materials with different microstructures and chemical/mechanical properties. Some handle corrosion better than others, some weld well, some can be formed easily, some can be fabricated and then heat treated to make them stronger, some are magnetic and others are not. An example would be the 18/10 stainless that is recommended for cookware. It's chemical composition helps it resist corrosion from food acids, household chemicals, and rust. However, since it's not one of the stronger stainless steels, you wouldn't want to use it for the valves in your car engine. At the company where I work, we routinely deal with about 12 different types of stainless. The application it will be used for and fabrication techniques vary depending on the specific type.