Yesterday, I bought a stainless steel 8-quart stock pot. Chefmate brand from Target. Yes, I would have preferred something better, but this is what I can afford right now.
Anyway, the label doesn’t want to come off. It’s glued to the side of the pot across entire back surface rather than rubber-cemented or spot-attached or something sane. And I’m mad at myself because I can’t believe I didn’t notice this in the store.
I’ve run it through the dishwasher, which is usually pretty good about taking labels off bottles and the like, but as near as I can tell this label came through wholly untouched.
What do I try next? I’ve heard that WD-40 works well for getting things off metal. Should I worry about it having ill effects on the stainless?
There is no practical household chemical which will hurt the stainless chemically. What will hurt is using anything whch is abrasive; it’ll scratch the stainless.
So avoid cleansers (like traditional Ajax) & avoid scrubber pads which are steel wool, or Scotch Brite or the like.
Start with a thorough soaking, then scrape at it with your thumbnail to remove the paper. Then dry it & use paint thinner or lighter fluid or Goo Gone to remove the glue. Repeat as needed until all the label is gone.
>There is no practical household chemical which will hurt the stainless chemically. […] steel wool…
I have read that steel wool actually can hurt the stainless chemically. I think I read that stainless steel protects itself primarily by forming a layer of chromium oxide that has a self-healing behavior, but that embedding a microscopic bit of steel from steel wool will create a site in which this self healing is replaced by a spreading corrosion that isn’t limited. So, you’ll get a new chemical behavior anchored in this spot that corrodes the cookware.