Mr. Metal: Cleaning Product Review
Mr. Metal comes in a white plastic 8 oz. bottle with a blue cap. The product label states that Mr. Metal will, “Clean, shine and protect all metal surfaces instantly.” This product contains no abrasives so no hard rubbing or buffing is needed-simply wipe on and wipe off. Mr. Metal has tarnish guard, which the label states “leaves anti-tarnish protection to keep metal shining longer.”
In addition to stainless steel and copper, Mr. Metal is safe for sterling silver, brass, silver plate, chrome, gold, pewter, aluminum and platinum. Directions on the label state to shake well before use, apply Mr. Metal with a clean, cotton cloth. Turn cloth frequently to avoid reusing soiled portion of cloth. Allow Mr. Metal to dry. Wipe with clean, cotton cloth. For ornate products, Mr. Metal’s label indicates that you should apply and rinse Mr. Metal with a wet sponge and then dry.
While the ingredients are not listed on the bottle with the exception of ammonia, it is very clear once you begin to use Mr. Metal that there is indeed ammonia inside. I suggest using a face mask if you are sensitive to smells and use in a well ventilated area. You may also want to use rubber gloves as this product will dry out your skin and burn if you have any cuts on your hands. In addition, I recommend covering the area you will be working in with an old towel or newspaper so Mr. Metal does not affect the surfaces you do not want it to come into contact with (such as your countertops).
I have found that Mr. Metal works very well in cleaning my pots and pans. However, I would not agree that it is as simple as “wipe on, wipe off.” There is definitely some scrubbing energy involved. In using this product, I used old dry, cotton dish towels to remove the product after application. I also rinsed Mr. Metal off periodically in order to make sure all the soil was removed. This seems to help the cleaning process. I did find that I had to move my towels around quite often as only a few circular rubs around an area of the blackened part of the pan left dark black marks on the towel, and impeded further cleaning.
I used Mr. Metal three ways. One, I applied it directly to the towel and then rubbed onto the pan. Two, I applied directly to the product and immediately rubbed off and three, I applied the product onto the pan, rubbed it around so the whole surface was covered and then allowed it to dry for several minutes, the removed. All of the ways I tried worked, but you will use less effort with allowing it to dry on the surface area before rubbing off. It also seems that leaving it on and allowing it to dry without rubbing Mr. Metal into the pan allows the product to work and when you do wipe Mr. Metal off, you will see noticeably brighter surfaces left behind. For blackened and heat stained pans, rubbing is definitely required and simply wiping off does not cut it. For other surfaces such as chrome faucets, simply wiping off was all that was needed to leave the faucet shiny and clean. I also tried Mr. Metal on my stainless steel utensils. Mr. Metal worked wonders on my stainless steel pans and even removed burnt areas and heat stained areas and blackened spots from a pan being left on a burner without liquid in it that I thought would never come off. Mr. Metal was worth the money and the time it took to clean up my pots and pans.
Some tips in using Mr. Metal. If you have very blackened pan bottoms, it is going to take dozens of attempts to get it cleaned. I found letting Mr. Metal dry for about 10 minutes, rubbing in a circular motion for the product to come off and then using a dry brillo pad on the surface helped get the black up. Mr. Metal takes about 10 minutes to dry, depending on how thick you pour the product. Leaving a thick pool of this product is not going to clean it any faster. I suggest drizzling some on the surface and then use an old toothbrush or cloth to lightly move the product around so you have the entire surface covered in a thin layer of product. For cleaning hard to reach areas such as the bolts and handles on pans, a toothbrush with some Mr. Metal on it rubbed into and around the areas will remove the stains.
I would suggest washing any item you use Mr. Metal on, especially if food is going to come into contact with it. I also recommend hand drying the items to prevent water spots from forming.
Mr. Metal is an excellent product to try out if you have items around your house that need a good cleaning or shine, such as pots and pans, utensils, silver plated trays and coffee pots, candle sticks, etc. While some surfaces will be more easily cleaned than others and require a simple wipe off, others will require quite a bit of effort to get clean, such as a frequently used pot. Mr. Metal is a good product to keep on hand to extend the life of your pots and pans and to beautify antiques and other items in your home. A bottle lasts for quite a long time, so the five dollars will go a long way, especially when you see the wonderful shine left on all the metal surfaces in your house!
