The necessary maintenance of stainless steel is an important point, but it is more or less ignored by many pool owners.
There is a good comparison with the stainless steel sink in the kitchen. How often is it cleaned and polished? Usually daily, but at the very least several times a week. Your stainless steel handrail or ladder in the swimming pool, on the other hand, is installed and then forgotten.
In problem-free pool conditions, it is certainly sufficient to maintain the stainless steel built-in parts twice a year.
It becomes more problematic when pools are used at high temperatures, the pH value is too low, or salt water is used. The stainless steel must then be cleaned more frequently, at least once a month.
Not every cleaner is suitable for this. Light limescale residue or the first signs of discoloration can be removed with a standard stainless steel cleaner, which you can also use to clean stainless steel parts in the kitchen (for example: liquid steel fix for stainless steel). Use a soft cloth. Under no circumstances should you use abrasive pads or steel wool. They will remove the dirt perfectly, but at the same time you rub steel particles into the stainless steel surface, which will cause problems again within two weeks at the latest.
For heavier soiling and the first, still harmless, traces of rust, special stainless steel cleaners that are slightly acidic are available from specialist retailers. Read the instructions for these cleaners carefully and rinse them off with plenty of clean water after cleaning. However, if the stainless steel part is already heavily rusted, the only option is to remove the part and send it back to the manufacturer for refurbishment.
Stainless steel maintenance for swimming pools
