Stainless steel sculptures are a great decoration for both personal gardens and public spaces. It’s a perfect form of contemporary art — sleek and beautiful. They’re durable and elegant — it’s a good way to express your style or corporate values. Of course, like any other metal, stainless steel is prone to acid rains and damages caused by aggressive physical factors — this is why you need to be really careful with sculpture maintenance.
We have a few tips on taking care of stainless steel objects, sculptures included. This list might come in handy if you want to keep the surface shiny and clean at all times.
Our tips on steel sculptures maintenance
- Clean it on a regular basis. A daily cleaning routine is, of course, not required, but as soon as you see some dirt accumulating on the surface, wipe it off to make sure that the sculpture is still attractive. From a long-term perspective, this will save you time and money on big clean-ups that require expensive chemical detergents and the work of trained cleaners. Instead, you’ll need a soft cloth, some lukewarm water and, if you want, a glass cleaner for extra polish. Don’t use harsh or abrasive supplies and substances as they might leave scratches and damage that shiny look. After you use a cloth and water (you can also add some soap) to wipe away dirt, dry the surface with another cloth to make sure there are no streaks left.
- Say “no” to aggressive chemicals. As we addressed in a previous paragraph, harsh substances inevitably leave scratches and damage the surface. This also complies with chlorides with them being probably the most aggressive chemical substances. If you already applied chlorides, rinse them with water as soon as possible to prevent shine from fading.
- Scratches are your enemies. As with any metallic surface, steel is also prone to receive a few of them, disturbing the finish and paving the way for possible corrosion. Yes, that steel is stainless. But, if there are any deep scratches, water, and other corrosion-provoking factors might get to the metal and start corrosion, which is really hard to get rid of.
- Apply pressure in the right direction. While cleaning, make sure your movements are aligned with the grain direction of the finish. If you don’t follow this rule, you’ll end up with microscopic scratches that will disrupt that shiny look, making the sculpture look old and uncared for.
- Keep the sundries away. This might sound too silly, but anything metal you put on the steel surface for too long will eventually result in permanent stains on the surface. Don’t let the sculpture be litter — keep it clean and clear of any sundries.
All in all, stainless steel objects look cool and contemporary wherever you place them. To make sure they stay permanently good-looking, use these tips and provide decent maintenance for your sculptures. You’ll be rewarded with a perfect art object that will attract attention at all times and make everyone wonder how do you manage to always keep it good-looking.
