Non-scratch pad
The middle setting between a cloth and a scourer. It is still an abrasive — 'non-scratch' is a claim about a class of surface, not about all of them.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
In detail
A non-scratch pad is a mesh of synthetic fibres, usually nylon or polyester, bonded without the mineral grit that makes a green scouring pad cut. It delivers more mechanical action than a cloth and much less than a scourer, which makes it the right default for baked-on residue on glazed ceramic, vitreous china, sealed worktops and the interior of most pans. What the name conceals is that it still abrades — the phrase is relative to a scourer and to a defined set of surfaces, not an absolute property. On a mirror, a glass-ceramic hob with a printed pattern, an acrylic bath, a plated tap, a matt-painted wall or a phone screen it will leave a visible dulled patch under a raking light even though it is described as non-scratch. The green mineral-loaded pad is a different tool entirely and belongs in a much shorter list of jobs. The general rule that survives every material in this catalogue is to escalate: cloth, then pad, then cream, then a purpose-made abrasive, testing at each step, rather than starting at the level that will certainly work.
Sources for this page
Sources
Cleaning methods for stainless steel
British Stainless Steel Association · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That nylon and non-metallic pads are appropriate where mild abrasion is needed on stainless steel and that work should follow the direction of the finish. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — The whole article, compared clause by clause against SSAS Information Sheet 7.20. Supports a wider statement — our claim was widened. Recorded as a dependent source, so it cannot carry a claim alone. Its overnight-bleach-soak instruction and its salt-and-vinegar caution are the specific, domestic-scale statements CleaningHQ needed and are cited alongside the information sheet rather than instead of it.
Last reviewed by a person on .