CONTINUOUSWAVE

Recommend a good stainless steel cleaner and a good stainless steel restorer.

Flitz is the best [cleaner for Stainless Steel].

If you have some rust on stainless [steel], FIRST use ON-OFF [apparently a brand name], but do not let it sit [too] long . Then rinse generously after using ON-OFF.

ON-OFF [is an] acid. Use with great caution.

What is "ON-OFF"?

[When the product was mentioned as being named "ON-OFF" the actual product is called] Mary Kate ON OFF HULL BOTTOM CLEANER.

It does miracles.

It will remove any rust from the hull or stainless.

But, again, be very cautious using it. [It is] acid and will burn skin.

Barkeepers Friend. About $2 at Walmart. Cheapest and best.

All are good choices.

Make sure you rise the area of the boat throughly, the acid in the product can do damage if left too long.

"Barkeeper's Friend" is an excellent starting material and will satisfy most users. For a very fine finish Flitz is good but so is Brasso which I prefer. During the entirety of a 35+ year Army career I used Brasso exclusively to keep my brass spotless and gleaming. I learned to use it as a very young teen at a military institute. Start with the Barkeepers Friend and if you're satisfied stop there.

I think the actual name of the product that has been called by various names in this thread is "Mary Kate's On & Off Hull & Bottom Cleaner."

Cf.:

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/marikate ... 29_002_512

I would not recommend using "MaryKate's On & Off Hull & Bottom Cleaner" on stainless steel. I have used that product, albeit quite diluted, to get some stains off the gel coat of my boat's hull after being in a week or ten days of water with a lot of tannin that stained the hull. When using it on a hull with the boat on a trailer, be sure to wet down the trailer with plenty of water before applying any of the MaryKate's On & Off Hull & Bottom Cleaner, as the stuff will dissolve the zinc galvanizing of a steel trailer.

I have used Barkeeper's Friend on stainless steel with good outcome.

I don't know of any product that can restore stainless steel. If the surface of stainless steel has oxidized, about all you can do is to remove the oxidation. I don't think it is possible to chemically change the surface back to stainless steel once it has been chemically changed to an oxide. Generally the cleaners just abrade away the oxide, and use an acid to etch off the oxidation and expose a new layer of stainless steel. Think of it like using sandpaper to sand away some surface contamination from wood.

I use Collinite Metal Cleaner and Wax.

vze2gbs4 wrote:...[MaryKate's On & Off Hull & Bottom Cleaner]....will remove any rust from the hull....

Boston Whaler boats are not made of steel, so it is unlikely that the hull of a Boston Whaler boat will have a rust surface. You must be thinking of stains on fiberglass hulls, not rust on steel hulls.

If you want to remove your stainless and use a buffing wheel, it can be made to look like new. I had a 59 El Camino and used this process, it worked great. I've also used 0000 steel wool to gently remove rust stains on stainless, just go slowly.

One caution on 000 steel wool:
In saltwater environs, avoid steel wool like the plague.
The “dust and small particles” from the steel wool will get everywhere and quickly rust, causing more rust stains than you ever though possible. Stick with 3M pads, or possibly bronze wool if you can find it.
Steel and saltwater don’t play nice!!!

I have gotten excellent results from 3M Marine Metal Restorer and Polish. After reading earlier posts in this string, I tried Barkeeper's Friend, which does clean up most stains, but the 3M product gives a better finish - cleaner and shinier. Finish with a good wax.