When shopping for everything from cutlery to electronics to vehicle parts, you will be making a decision about stainless steel. Stainless steel is one of the most commonly used consumer metals in the world, appearing in countless essential everyday items. Head into any room in your house right now, and you will probably find at least one stainless steel item. But why do we use stainless steel? What are the main stainless steel applications in everyday life? What are the actual stainless steel benefits? Read on to find out.
1. Corrosion Resistance
One of the main benefits of stainless steel is that it is highly resistant to corrosion. This makes stainless steel products very durable in everyday stress environments, such as insight a dishwasher. It’s also why stainless steel is an essential component of many quality vehicles. For example, when weighing up the merits of aluminum vs stainless steel prop for a boat, you’ll see that stainless steel is great for maintaining its condition in salty water or sandbanks.
2. Stainless Steel is Easy to Clean
When asking “what is stainless steel used for?”, you’ll quickly see that it features in virtually all household cutlery, such as forks and spoons. This is mostly because stainless steel is incredibly easy to clean. The ultra-smooth surface layer makes it very difficult for stains to hold on. Meanwhile, its rust-resistant nature means it can be washed over and over again without damage.
3. Fantastic Strength-to-Weight Ratio
The applications of stainless steel are incredibly varied because of its fantastic strength-to-weight ratio. The very structure of stainless steel means that, even though it weighs very little, it is incredibly tough stuff. This means that you can use stainless steel to fortify virtually any item or moving part without making it more cumbersome or expensive.
4. Cost-Effectiveness
Put simply, stainless steel is cheap. It costs very little to mass-produce and any manufacturer of stainless steel can usually create large volumes with very short timespans. This means that stainless steel is accessible to industries and businesses of all shapes and sizes, given the very low price barriers.
5. Very Easy to Recycle
These days it is more important than ever to create mass-produced materials that can be reused and recycled in myriad ways. This is what makes stainless steel an ideal candidate for so many manufacturing processes. Stainless steel can be entirely reused and resold in a huge range of products. To date, around 50% of all stainless steel in circulation comes from old, remelted stainless steel scrap. This makes stainless steel an invaluable resource for a greener future.
Everyday Insights for Your Home
Stainless steel is everywhere in your home, and for good reason. If you want more insights and advice that will help you understand what makes the modern home tick, you have come to the right place. Make sure to consult our essential home improvement guides to learn more.
