Hardware rarely fails because it was used too much. It fails because it was cleaned with the wrong thing, or because a plated finish was treated like solid metal.
Solid stainless steel
Grade 304 and 316 stainless steel is the forgiving option. Warm water, a soft cloth, and a pH-neutral soap will handle almost everything.
Avoid: chlorine bleach, hydrochloric acid descalers, and steel wool. The first two attack the passive layer that makes stainless steel "stainless"; the third leaves iron particles that rust on the surface.
Tea staining. Brown discolouration on stainless steel in coastal or humid environments is not rust — it is surface contamination sitting on top of the passive layer. A non-abrasive cream cleaner applied along the grain removes it.
Always wipe along the grain, never across it. Crossing the grain traps residue in the brushed lines and makes the finish look patchy under raking light.
Plated finishes (PVD, chrome, brass, bronze)
Plated surfaces are a thin layer over a base metal. They look indistinguishable from solid metal when new and behave completely differently under abrasion.
- PVD (titanium nitride and similar) is the most durable plating — it is harder than the steel beneath it. Still avoid abrasive pads.
- Chrome and nickel are decorative. Ammonia-based glass cleaners will cloud them over time.
- Lacquered brass should be treated as a painted surface. Once the lacquer is scratched, the brass beneath will patina unevenly — at which point the honest move is to strip the lacquer completely and let it age evenly.
The weekly routine
- Wipe with a damp microfibre cloth.
- Dry immediately — standing water leaves mineral spots.
- Once a month, apply a thin film of neutral oil to moving parts: hinges, latch bolts, cylinder cams.
- Twice a year, check and tighten fixing screws. Loose screws are what actually break hinges.
What not to do
- Do not soak hardware in water, especially not cylinders.
- Do not use a steam cleaner on plated parts.
- Do not mix cleaners — some combinations produce fumes.
- Do not assume "stainless" means "never marks". It means it resists corrosion, not fingerprints.
Treat the finish as the fragile part and the metal as the strong part, and most hardware will outlast the door it is fitted to.
