Chill Your Drinks with Stainless

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Halloween is the unofficial mark to the holidays being “just around the corner.” The gathering together for parties, gifts, drinks, and food turns into a weekly affair during the holiday season.

However, with the parties comes constantly-need-to-be-filled ice buckets, watered-down drinks, and the possibility of a splattered beverage on a new white blouse.

So what do party mishaps have to do with steel, you may ask. Well, dear Buzz Readers, with this fun use for steel these party mishaps will be a thing of the past.

stainless steel ice cubes from BrookstoneStainless steel is known for its sanitary benefits which makes it an ideal candidate for an ice cube replacement. These little steel cubes are a modern day solution to your “on the rocks” drinks.

Stainless steel ice cubes prevent your aged scotch, fine whiskey, or sweet Irish cream from becoming diluted by melting ice. They also provide a longer lasting chill because each cube is filled with a non-toxic gel that holds the coolness in.

The prolonged chill prevents a host(ess) from having to refill ice buckets and guests from having to constantly plop more ice cubes in their drinks. This essentially helps to prevent the disaster of a beverage splattering onto a new shirt, tie, dress, or blouse because of a rouge ice cube.

The cubes are also reusable. After a wash, the cubes can be placed back into the freezer until ready for use.

So tell me, what will you be serving at your next party?

Photo courtesy of Brookstone.

3 Ways to Prevent Corrosion

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What is Corrosion?

Corrosion is the gradual destruction and wasting away of metal. It is a natural process which is caused by a chemical reaction from the surrounding environment; the most common is oxidization.

Oxidization (a chemical reaction between iron and oxygen) results in rusting on the surface of the metal. But oxidization is just one example of corrosion. Other reasons metal corrodes include exposure to moisture, wind, and electrical currents.

OK. So now that we have covered the basic definition of corrosion, how do we prevent it from happening?

There are many ways to prevent corrosion, but in this post we are going to focus on three of the more common methods.

3 Ways to Prevent Corrosion

Environmental Impact

Corrosion is caused by chemical reactions between metal and environmental elements. By changing the environment the steel is exposed to, metal deterioration can be decreased.

This can include limiting the contact of the material to moister, wind, or outside air.

Choosing the Right Metal

The type of corrosion is only half the story. It also depends on the steel you choose for a particular application.

Aluminum, for example, is a corrosion resistant material. This makes it ideal for applications that will be exposed to the elements.

In stainless steel, the corrosion resistance depends on the different types of metals used to create it. The most commonly used types of stainless, 304 and 316, are both corrosion resistant.

Carbon steel, however, is iron based and susceptible to corrosion. Adding a protective layer like a zinc coating or paint, helps to make it more corrosion resistant.

Surface Treatments

Coatings

Coatings include painting and plating. They are used to protect metals from environmental elements. They work by providing a protective layer of corrosion-resistant material between the steel and the damaging environment.

Anodization

Aluminum alloys are often anodized. Anodizing makes a material more resistant to weathering and corrosion and is commonly used on metal applications where the surface will be in constant contact with the elements.

Galvanization

Galvanized metal is coated with a thin layer of zinc to protect it against corrosion. The zinc oxidizes when it is exposed to air creating a protective coating on the metal surface.

For more tips on preventing corrosion or to find a metal that is the best fit for your application contact your local sales representative.

Clean Stainless Steel: 3 Ways

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We have talked a lot about our products lately – how they are made, what they are used for – but we haven’t spent any time on how you take care of metal once you have an end product. This is kind of important, don’t you think?

One of the most common metals that people need care instructions for is stainless steel. While it is a stainless steel that doesn’t mean it isn’t prone to fingerprints, dust, scratches, and streaks. And it may be no surprise to you that a big reason that stainless steel attracts all these blemishes is because the most common place for it is in your kitchen.

So, let’s discover ways to clean stainless steel!

Warm Water

Water can be, and is, used in most cleaning situations. However, the minerals in water can also leave behind marks on steel if you are not careful. Use a microfiber cloth with warm water to clean your stainless steel application. Microfiber cloths are great at absorbing all the water to ensure you don’t leave behind minerals and your stainless remains scratch free.

Make sure to rub the cloth in the direction of the surface finish of the stainless.

Stainless Steel Cleaner

Stainless steel cleaners are great if you have scratches or tough markings. Most cleaners also polish the stainless steel surface. However, not all cleaners are created equal. Here are three recommended cleaners based on my at-home refrigerator test.

Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish

Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner is a liquid spray that has quick cleaning capabilities and leaves your appliances with a polished finish. Spray it onto a microfiber cloth and buff in the direction of the finish. Wipe off with a clean, dry cloth.

Homax Stainless Steel Magic Aerosol

The Homax Stainless Steel Magic Aerosol works great on tougher messes. It is magic (see what I did there) on greasy refrigerator door handles, stoves, etc. It also doesn’t leave too much of a film after cleaning up the greasy mess.

Window Cleaner

Window cleaners like Windex shine windows and mirrors, so it is only natural that they would shine stainless steel as well. This is a great easy fix for fingerprints. When I’m expecting company and don’t have a lot of time to thoroughly clean my appliances, I squirt a little bit of Windex on a cloth and presto! The fingerprints are gone.