Stainless Steel--fixing scrubbed spot?

[Anon]

We just gOT a stainless steel fridge from Sears outlet so its "scratch and dent"...gOT it in today and its nice but the only thing I'm disappointed in is, that in the store warehouse, some spOTs on the front, I thought they were just old tape--and that comes off really easy with "Goo Gone". But when I gOT it home and in the sunlight, I realized that what it was, was somebody who didn't know how to take care of stainless steel scrubbed the spOT with cleaner and I dunno, steel wool or something. So its a rubbed out spOT with looks like some remnants of cleaner around it.

Is there anything I can do to blend that in better, with the front of the fridge? I'm kinda mad at myself for nOT checking that out better but I really thought it was tape residue...and it took a good 15 minutes of inspection at home to figure out what happened to it.

I'm including a phOTo for any of you pros. :-)

I was thinking maybe there would be a way to gently scrub it back along with the grain to blend the spOT in at least a little better, but I would need to know exactly what to buy and how to do that.

[bzmomo7]

I was hoping somebody would have some good ideas for you, Kita. We had a fridge like the one in your pic when we were in Utah (sold it when we moved) and a kitchen flooring installer set something up against ours and scratched the finish. Boy, was dh upset! It was brand new. Anyway, my hubby used some type of polishing compound on it.....it didn't nOT make it disappear, but it did become much less nOTiceable. If it were me, I honestly think that I'd go back to the store and tell them that you want to bring the fridge back and get a refund. I know that it may nOT be their "policy", but their manager has the authority to make it right due to the misunderstanding if he/she wants to. I would go to the store to do it, though.....there is much to be said for public relations when there are on-lookers and pOTential buyers standing around.

[JerryNumbers]

Would some very fine steel wool help.

What about some extremely fine sand paper.

It looks to be a flat surface, with sometime to hold the sand paper flat against it on holding only light pressure on it might work.

Think I would try the light steel wool first and follow it up with some light polishing or buffing compound you would use on a car finish.

[Anon]

Never mind...we are returning it and Lowe's had a great Labor Day sale, 20% off, and gOT something nicer for nOT much more. Boy was I stupid!

[JerryNumbers]

I do them stupid things every once in a while my self, I'm just thankful I don't do them all the time.

[pneu-engine]

We just got a stainless steel fridge from Sears outlet so its "scratch and dent"...got it in today and its nice but the only thing I'm disappointed in is, that in the store warehouse, some spots on the front, I thought they were just old tape--and that comes off really easy with "Goo Gone". But when I got it home and in the sunlight, I realized that what it was, was somebody who didn't know how to take care of stainless steel scrubbed the spot with cleaner and I dunno, steel wool or something. So its a rubbed out spot with looks like some remnants of cleaner around it.

Is there anything I can do to blend that in better, with the front of the fridge? I'm kinda mad at myself for not checking that out better but I really thought it was tape residue...and it took a good 15 minutes of inspection at home to figure out what happened to it.

I'm including a photo for any of you pros. :-)

I was thinking maybe there would be a way to gently scrub it back along with the grain to blend the spot in at least a little better, but I would need to know exactly what to buy and how to do that.

That spot looks like it was done with a power tool of some kind::::::: Possibly an electric drill with a polishing pad on it and compound such as the stuff that is used for plastic headlights to bring back the clear shiny finish. Ordinary steel wool scrubbing by hand won't do it, and neither will it repair it. If your DH has an electric vibrating pad sander and puts on it a Scotch-Brite pad and then goes over the whole face of the door to recreate a new "brushed" finish the bad spot will disappear into the new texture.

Hope this helps.

[Anon]

It helps that I'm getting rid of it tomorrow haha. Wow I can't believe it...school of hard knocks for sure!

[pneu-engine]

It helps that I'm getting rid of it tomorrow haha. Wow I can't believe it...school of hard knocks for sure!

Yeah, and experience is a rather brutal teacher:::::::::: She gives the test first and then the lesson.

[His by Grace]

That's a great idea! You thought out of the box. Then it's special--unique! I'd do that before returning it if it was a great $ deal. But I like different anyway. Just wanted to say--Geat thought!

That spot looks like it was done with a power tool of some kind::::::: Possibly an electric drill with a polishing pad on it and compound such as the stuff that is used for plastic headlights to bring back the clear shiny finish. Ordinary steel wool scrubbing by hand won't do it, and neither will it repair it. If your DH has an electric vibrating pad sander and puts on it a Scotch-Brite pad and then goes over the whole face of the door to recreate a new "brushed" finish the bad spot will disappear into the new texture.

Hope this helps.

[bzmomo7]

Never mind...we are returning it and Lowe's had a great Labor Day sale, 20% off, and got something nicer for not much more. Boy was I stupid!

Oh, good! I'm glad you got it worked out. That is too expensive of an investment to be stuck with something you're not happy with.....even if it was discounted. (I mean, you'd have to look at the spot every time you open the fridge, and with your boys.....it is probably quite often!)

We got a freezer last night on the same sale! Dh found a 10% off coupon on-line, so we got the 15cu ft. freezer $9 cheaper than the 9cu ft. one. I was real happy....