One of the many misnomers in our daily lives is the phrase “stainless” steel. Many people think that this steel is exactly what it implies: steel that does not tarnish. The actual name should possibly be stainless steel, meaning steel manufactured and treated to have a lower stain, possibly.

In daily life one of the enemies of stainless steel is the environment. The very air we breathe can cause irreparable damage to normal steel or iron. Just check almost any metal bridge in the world and the rust is evident. Large structures, such as suspension bridges, typically have a maintenance crew spending all of their time scraping and painting from one end of the bridge to the other; and then immediately restart from the beginning again. Building a stainless steel bridge would certainly hinder this corrosion, but the cost to the municipalities’ budget would be prohibitive. You may remember the DeLoren car from the 1970s; its outer body was built with stainless steel, unique for its time and for current times. In fact, they have announced that they will be producing a new version of the car shortly.

One of the often voiced complaints about DeLoren cars was that sweaty and oily hands left an imprint on the surface of the car. This could and can be solved by using a fingerprint resistant coating on the stainless steel. By applying this microscopically thin clear coat, the surface is not only resistant to fingerprints, but also a multitude of other common smudges. The specialized coating is applied to steel with a thickness of 3-5 µm, that is, one thousandth of a millimeter. This coating also adds abrasion and scratch resistance to the surface of the steel. There is also another type of coating that will improve usability in corrosive uses such as boats subjected to salt water; a third is made specifically for food service uses.

Applying the “fingerprint resistant” coating to stainless steel increases not only resistance to fingerprints and smudges, but also the ability to combat scratches and excessive surface wear. Another benefit is the ease with which the surface is kept clean and shiny after the coating is applied.

Using this type of coated steel in your kitchen cabinets will allow the cabinets to not only last for decades, but will keep them beautiful throughout their lifetime. Make sure your cabinet manufacturer takes the time to explain your options when ordering or purchasing stainless steel cabinets. Many of the large home improvement chains import their cabinets from China and those manufacturers don’t bother to take proper care when making their cabinets out of stainless steel.