Thank you all for sharing about the wood butter. I was able to order the Bearded Chef version on their website for $10.95 with free shipping. I CANNOT WAIT to try it! I'll update after my results too.

I have the same problem with rust showing up on the front of my Whirlpool refrigerator. I use a product that was introduced to me by my grandma years ago. It's called Whink rust remover. I have used it for many years to take rust out of fabric, off of ceramic tile, sinks, toilet bowls, you name it. It has never let me down. I use it when I find a new rust spot. Test in an inconspicuous place first; I Just dab the area with a saturated q-tip, then wipe clean. I will try the wood sealer. I have also used the baking soda paste and rubbed side to side to remove fingerprints and smudges. What a hassle!!

Wow-I was told by both my local appliance dealer and Whirlpool Technical Department I was the only consumer they heard from about rust on their refrigerators-go figure!!!??? So I remembered a product my dad would use around the garage-"Navel Jelly"-it is the original rust treatment formula that has been used for over 40 years. It removes rust from metal surfaces such as iron, steel and other ferrous metals and will also remove blueing from steel. It worked like a charm.

Yes 2 years old and has rust spot all over. Never anything but soap and water used to clean. Spots started right after purchase

Rust?!? Wow.
I use Lemon Pledge to clean my stainless, and I've read others on Houzz use WD40. I wonder if that helps to protect from rust by providing a protective coating (much like the wood wax).

We bought a brand new home with Maytag appliances. Within 6 months we had rust spots on the door of our refrigerator. They are getting more numerous. Maytag says it is cosmetic and since over 1 month old it is not covered under warranty. This is crazy, who sells stainless steel appliances or appliances that sell as stainless steel and has them rust in a few months. I think there should be a class action suit against Maytag but cannot find one on the internet....anyone hear of any.

My friend in Naples Florida had it happen to herLG refrigerator after only 8 months. Not all stainless is the same!

I've had refrigerators for over 10 years that don't have as much rust on them as my Whirlpool that I've had for less than 5. It's ridiculous.

Today is 4 December 21018. I just discovered enough rust to concern me on the side of the door of my ‘stainless steel’ Whirlpool refrigerator which according to its label was manufactured in January 2016. I came here by searching on “Whirlpool Stainless Steel refrigerator rust”, and find out that Whirlpool knows it has a problem and doesn’t give a damn. I already wasn’t very happy with the refrigerator, which is noisy. Now this nonsense.. Shades of Detroit automobiles of the 80’s.

They’re going to lose us all, or at least me, to LG just like GM lost to Toyota, and I won’t shed a tear for them.

There are enough people on this and other sites with rusting S/S refrigerator doors to file a class action law suite. I would think even a decent lawyer could make millions off this. I am a 100% disable veteran and am very disappointed that the Whirlpool refrigerator I purchased 13 months ago is rusting. The whole reason Stainless Steel is used around food is that it never rusts. The exception to this is POOR QUALITY S/S that has too much IRON content. The FDA has made food service industry replace this cheap S/S because it is not sanitary. I was trying to keep the finish on my products shiny, so the only product we ever cleaned with was a top quality Stainless Steel cleaner purchased at Lowes where I purchased my appliances. My other S/S appliances don't have a speck of rust on them.

Please let me know if anyone is interested in going for a CLASS ACTION SUITE.

Ridiculous your appliances have no contact with your food.

Try Gibbs brand protectant it can actually be sprayed on raw steel and prevent rust with no residue. Only available online and pricey but it works.

My refrigerator is almost 2 years old and I just found tiny spots on the front of the door. I purchased stainless steel because I thougt I would not have to deal with rust or corrosion. I only use water or mild dish soap to clean it. I have not tried to contact Whirlpool, I first wanted to know if I am the only one reporting this issue. I sounds that it is all too common. I have an extended warranty and it is still under the manufacturors warranty. I was wondering if the warranty covers rusting of the surface? It should.

My whirlpool Refrigerator is only 1 year and 6 months old. And I too have rust spots on front door brought it from Lowe’s. This is really a major issue class action suit anyone, I will join the cause.

The beared chef wood butter is out of stock . There are a lot of suggestions out here can someone tell me which one really works?

Read the fine print in your warranty......rust will be called “cosmetic” by whirlpool and is only warranted for 30 DAYS !
I just lived with it but now I’m trashing the fridge because it continues to leak after many “repairs”. DONE with this inferior product!

Ernest,

If you Google The Bearded Chef Wood Butter you’ll find it available at DTEP and Walmart.

I have had the same issue with my Fridgidaire. Started just a couple of months after our brand new remodel. Really sucks. But I will try the fixes and see if that works.

I have a Whirlpool refrigerator that is about 2 years old. Noticed rust about 6 months after buying and now there are more rust spots. I will try the tips that have been shared. Thanks for the info. I will tell everyone NOT to buy Whirlpool. This is so annoying!

I too have a whirlpool frig 2.5 years old with small rust spots appearing 1 year after purchase. I sprayed 'Iron Out' on it today and literally ruined my frig. Every where l sprayed it seep into the grain and stained it. I wanted to cry. I've tried to wipe clean, called Iron Out and as a last resort Google for a solution. Whirlpool should be ashamed. Now l have to spend thousands on a new frig already. Note the led lights also quit working about a year later.

Ney, go back to my February 2018 post. Take an hour of your time and $15 dollars before you spend thousands. I just bought a new house and I am again in the same situation with a Whirlpool (came with the house) rusting. Give me a few days and I'll see if I can get a step-by-step video uploaded. I was as frustrated as you when my frig started to rust. Whirlpool should be ashamed of themselves!

This starting happening on my new kitchen aid as well. Hmmmm

My stainless steel refrigerator had rust at 96 days. Per costco, they only cover for 90 days, they referred me to GE. Per GE, it's excessive rust (100's of spots) but they won't do anything because I live a mile from the ocean, so they say it's due to my environment. Funny thing is, my GE stainless steel hood is 5 feet from the fridge, 7 years old, and not a spot of rust. Go figure.

I have the same problem on a 2 year old whirlpool refrigerator. There is a YouTube video that shows someone simply using a paste made of baking soda and a soft cloth to get out the rust spots and then using a polish to try to prevent it from coming back. I tried it last night and it WORKED!!!

I have a 60 year old stainless steel sink. No rust. That's because manufacturers didn't use to lie and steel from their customers.

These manufacturers charge more money for their fancy "stainless steel" appliances. But the painted ones for cheaper. The "stainless steel" is crap.

My Miele stainless refrigerator also has dozens of rust marks, something I assumed I would be avoiding for the price of $8300. We've tried everything, from the expensive "stainless steel" cleansers to windex to ivory liquid. Nothing has worked.

l found a company in Egypt who custom cuts appliance magnets. I covered the rust instead.

Shipped to me in IL.

Yes, my Whirlpool looks so disgusting. Two months after I got it I had two small rust spots that would not come off. Now two years later and it's a season rental and has been off for 8 months out of the year, looks like ..... w/rust on it. I will stick to Samsung...their stainless is superior quality. No more Whirlpool for me...what a waste of money that was!

Indeed, waste of money! Customer service does not exist-- I tried contacting them, and was just brushed off. Tsk tsk

Same problem here. I was told it was "Cosmetic" after having fridge for 40 days !!!

RUST SPOTS ? SAMSUNG $4k . RF28K. 4 door flex Showcase, door in door.

SO, the clue should be seen in the manufacturers description, "STAINLESS" steel. But proper steel contains, IRON, this does rust and is a "ferrous"metal. (magnets stick). Non ferrous metals do not rust as they have no "iron" content).

I live in St Petersburg, Florida and was told by SAMSUNG, "Oh, you live on the water, that's the problem". Come on SAMSUNG, SO ARE LOWES. They have no rust spots in the showroom models. The spots must be coming through from inside, where the condensation starts. The metal is wafer thin, even the finger friendly coating is only a sprayed on laquer and that is trash .

The moral is DO NOT BUY A SAMSUNG FRIDGE/FREEZER.

As water causes floods, I feel like "flooding " the social media sites with this information.

The extended plan doesn't cover the cabinet, "Hmmm I wonder why not".

I’m also upset I bought my set 2 years ago and having the same problem. I’m up for a class action lawsuit too.

So I have a pretty easy fix... just got through with completely fixing mine! Just now decided to check if anyone had the same rust problem, guess I should’ve checked on here before I tackled it, but here it goes...

All you need are 2 things

1. Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound for cars
2. Car Wax/Buff/Polish attachment for a drill
3. (Optional) Rejuvenate Stainless Steel Cleaner/Polish foam

Treat the fridge as a car... Remember Karate Kid “wax on wax off”

I’ve use this compound on my Range Rover before with something that looked similar to the little rust spots but those ended up being spray paint that was carried by the wind somewhere. I figured if I used this on a car’s paint then it would easily work for a flat piece of metal with no paint on it. Nice thing about this compound is that it doesn’t have any harsh abrasives or microscopic grit like many compounds do. Success!! I think it looks better now than it ever has.

Just squirt the compound on the application pad drill attachment and go for it. I split each door in about 4 sections and was pretty generous with the compound over lapping all my passes up and down, then went with the metal’s grain from left to right. Stubborn rust spots, I just applied more pressure to the drill and they eventually disappeared.

Next, I connected the soft/fluffy polish drill attachment and buffed everything. Before I used the polish attachment, I used a microfiber cloth and with some pressure buffed off the haze by hand. I did this because there will be tons of black residue on every cloth, so I did by hand to keep from covering the polish pad with black residue on the first few passes. That way it could actually polish it instead of only rubbing the residue around.

Last, I used a few clean microfiber cloths with some windex to get any remaining reside off. Then finished it all off with the Rejuvenate Stainless Steel Cleaner/Polish foam. I’ve come to realize, This foam is the only thing that works extremely well on stainless steel. Had it for over a year but didn’t want to use it until I got all the rust spots off ha.

Good luck and you can find the compound and drill attachment kit at AutoZone or probably any auto parts store.

I literally have water coming through my stainless steel panel on my kitchenaid fridge. It started showing rust within a couple of months (2 years old now). I had cleaned the fridge last night with the wipes for stainless steel. When I went in this evening there was a long stream of rust down the fridge. I got the brightener out to clean it. When I was done water was seeping out of the panel! Leads me to believe there is something wrong in the door insulation that has been making it rust all along. I have all Kitchenaid appliances and this is the only one rusting.

After 3 years my LG fridge started rusting. i removed the marks making a thick paste of baking soda and water. I rubbed it in, let it sit for a couple min and wiped it off with a damp paper towel. It worked! Saw this on youtube and hope it lasts.

I tried this too on my Whirlpool…BIG mistake! It ate through the protective film!

looks worse now than before!

www.cleanmysteel.com

My fridge is not stainless,it's white plasticized something or other.All rusting on front 2 doors.Can i paint it?

baking soda + water paste . remove the rust spots with it by rubbing gently +softly ( to avoid scratches ). dry the doors after and then use a clean rag to buff out the doors with some coconut oil. its been four months since i did this and i havent seen not one rust spot since .

I just purchased my whirlpool refrigerator in April delivered no problems June I noticed spots all over. I thought someone spilled something but after I cleaned with the product they tell u to use. The spots still there I had a service man come today and stated. Oh it’s salt in the air. Which is crap. I have other pcs which are GE and they also are new and no problems. I stated this isn’t my problem and they need to be accountable. I waiting for their report to whirlpool and yes I will be dealing with whirlpool. I spent good money as we all have and this isn’t our problem. This is the problem of whirlpool. Will keep u all posted.

I bought a two door bottom freezer stainless steel refrigerator from whirlpool in 2020 and after a couple months we noticed rust stains on it. None of my other stainless appliances have them so it is definitely a defect in the product. I have contacted whirlpool and am waiting on a response.

We’ll good luck. I went through this with a brand new KitchenAide (Whirlpool company)refrigerator. The fine print in the warranty refers to “cosmetic” issues and these are only covered for a very short time…like days. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a response. WHIRLPOOL customer no-service is very bad.

Huh, this is interesting. We have a Whirlpool two door bottom freezer (no throughdoor water or ice dispenser). It's probably six years old. About a year ago, I noticed rust on the doors. The interweb advised me never to use a dish sponge or a cloth that might have picked up food particles from a counter wipe because they could result in rust. (I had tried to use a dedicated microfiber cloth and warm water only but realized others might not have been as careful and I sometimes forgot myself. So, I guessed without knowing that that was the cause.)

I used Barkeepers Friend very carefully per their directions as to length of time its left on the surface and it removed the rust spots, which were fairly extensive. They haven't returned. I have been very mindful about using clean damp cloths to clean the fridge.

It really is an awful feeling, so I wish everyone good luck in finding a solution.

I'm very disappointed with this product. I purchased this fridge less than a year ago, and now, during the summer, I have noticed some random rust spots on the front of the refrigerator doors. Unfortunately, I also purchased a dishwasher from the same brand with the same finish, and now I am worried that the same issue will occur with it. Has anyone else experienced the problem of rust on the dishwasher?

I'm very disappointed with this product. I purchased this fridge less than a year ago, and now, during the summer, I have noticed some random rust spots on the front of the refrigerator doors. Unfortunately, I also purchased a dishwasher from the same brand with the same finish, and now I am worried that the same issue will occur with it. Has anyone else experienced the problem of rust on the dishwasher?

Bar Keepers Friend will remove the rust spot. Test in a spot not so visible. It also works great cleaning a stainless sink and getting spots out of porcelain tile. I prefer the power to the paste.

anything can wipe away the rust there are a few products that actually get under the rust and lift the rust out permanently you want a rust remover like clean my steel innoshine NOT a rust cleaner

Bought a Whirlpool refrigerator 45 days ago. The rust on the freezer door is approx 10' in diameter. Whirlpool sent their own service rep to inspect and he confirmed it's rust. They will not replace/repair as the unit is over thirty day old and within thirty miles of the ocean! Yes it is cosmetic, due to faulty and cheap manufacturing. Thirty miles from the ocean: then they need to stop selling within thirty or at least issue a disclaimer prior to purchasing. This is borderline fraud from a major manufacturer. Has anyone been successful in sueing them in small claims court?