Sice the striated surface is created yt a wire brushing process, you could have the entire area re-brushed. I think somebody out there makes some kind of SS refinishing kit which includes the tools, but not the skills. That has to be learnt.
Casey

I've read about Barkeepers Friend and Brasso. Does anyone know if these are safe to use on a stainless steel cooktop?

My parents put stainless steel appliances in way back in the late 50's~built in oven,gas cooktop, sink, but a pink refrigerator. Anyway, my Mom always used Bon Ami to clean the cooktop, and it always looked beautiful. I've been in my house only a year and haven't had 'the occasion' to use it yet. Bartenders is the same thing. ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: Bon Ami

Just want to say thanks to Sombreuil and Patty Cakes for the suggestions. P.S. A pink refrigerator - that's awesome!

Hi Moana, I have scratches on my cooktop, too. I just tried Barkeeper's Friend and no, it didn't remove the scratches. Doesn't harm the surface, but doesn't remove them. Which makes sense...my scratches are pretty heavy, from when someone (not me!) moved the cast iron grates without picking them up. Really, after a couple of months, you don't notice them.

BUT, if anyone does have a way to remove them, I'd love to know :-)

We use Brasso, it takes out some pretty serious scratches, and doesn't harm the SS at all..

I had to use it on the Refrigerator from it scraping against a doorway when we moved it, was devastated, thinking it would cost $$$ to have it fixed, and a friend recommended Brasso, and it worked beautifully.

How does Brasso remove scratches? (My cooktop's SS frame is pretty badly scratched up as well and I would love to find a way to "fix" it.)

Being there, and seeing the scratch, one could tell you which polishing method, type of pad to start with, how much pressure, how many hours, etc. There are many little factors that add up to give it "the look". It's never worth it to try to change the look -- you just want to keep the look and make the scratch blend back in. Pay attention to the grain that the previous polishing produced, and copy it. You can rub the surface with anything to repolish it. A stainless-steel wool pad can be a safe tool to start with, but not a regular steel wool pad, as it rusts and can transfer rust onto the stainless surface.

Polishing gradually removes the surface material.
Polishing is just one of many words that all describe stages in flattening and removing surface irregularities.
Using oil or water is good when the polishing is finegrained.
Brasso and other liquid products contain microscopic grains of sand, so it has the same effect as oiled wet fine grained sandpaper, and reducing the risk that you'll polish too strongly.

Painted or Plated surface finishes cannot be polished; you can't remove a little ding or a scratch by polishing them down. Any harsh surface treatment will damage them. ORB or chrome on plumbing fixtures, for example.

You can polish Stainless. It's the same material through and through. Stainless-steel throughout.

hth

> Bartenders is the same thing.

No, it's really not. I used to think that, too, but they behave quite differently. BKF does far more for stainless than Bon Ami--try it and see. I was quite amazed at how much better my 30 year old builder grade sink looked after a good rubdown with BKF.

There are people around who specialize in buffing out scratches from stainless steel. I did find such a person via the appliance manufacturer. They have special tools and techniques to deal with the various types of stainless.

My cooktop was likewise scratched up by installers, and my hood, too.

If a cleanser doesn't work, how about a wax that's used on chrome of antique/vintage cars?

Plumeranvine, but the two are very close since neither scratch. I find I prefer Bon Ami and have been using it for years to clean my silver/silver plate, as well as the bottoms of my pots/pans(copper and stainless),and corning ware. ;o)

I think I will try the Brasso. One thing I read is that you must make sure your stainless does not have a protective coating if you are going to use Brasso (and as far as I can tell, my Jenn-Air does not have coating and is "pure" stainless). Has anyone used Brasso with ill effects?

I used Scotch Brite and oil to work some scratches out of my range hood. You have to be very careful that you use the right Scotch Brite and that you keep a straight, even line with the "grain" of the brushed stainless.

Personally, I'd say live with them. There's a possibility you'll make them worse rather than better. Also, you'll most likely end up putting more scratches on with use and it'll develop a patina. There was a woman on the appliance forum a while back who cleaned her new SS fridge 3 times a day and was upset that it kept getting worse rather than better. Think of it like the first dent in a new car.

Brasso ruined some antique metal fixtures I tried it on.

It got caught in the crevices and I could never get it out of the engraved details.

Going with the grain is important. Seek professional help for best results.

I have a brand new stainless steel sink. I didn't order the racks right away so yes I have scratches which drive me crazy. I have used a H2O clay power on them and they clean up beautify but still scratches. Any advice, I hesitate to use anything else that might discolor the metal.

Buy a $29.00 palm sander and refinish the sink yourself please.