Refrigerator Magnets and stainless steel fridge

A. Hi there,

I can't think of any way to make stainless magnetic (it's not), but if you are thinking of double sided tape, you might consider putting up one-sided sticky magnetic tape.

I got some at a crafting store years ago, so I guess they still sell that in craft shops. It would stick rather permanently to the fridge (well, you could peel it off and use a little Goo Gone ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to get the sticky off, but you can't move it around like you can a magnet) but at least your picture frames that would stick to the tape would pop off and back on when you wanted to slide a new picture in.

A. I was recently at a party where a friend had a jelly-like substance - think "gummy worms" that stuck to her stainless steel refrigerator door. She got them at a local hardware store. The closest thing I could find online are "GelGems". My friend had the same thing but in 5" long rectangles, with which she stuck her baby's pictures to her stainless steel refrigerator.

P.S. Did a little more investigating. Search their site for "Mosaics" or "Rectangles large box" -- they look like what she had. They peel off and restick without harming the refrigerator surface. Hope this helps!

A. I had this issue too and I bought the "clippers" from mayfairlane.com and I love them!

They are clips that stick (but are not gummy or tacky) on the fridge with no problem! I use them on my stainless fridge for putting up all of the kids' stuff. I also use them on mirrors in the house as well (they work on any slick surface). They come in hip designs and don't leave any kind of residue on the fridge. I love these products!

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Ed. note: Sorry, but Mayfair Lane is no more. See update of June 21, 2013

A. Non-magnetic stainless steel on household items is very rare, it's more probable that your fridges are not really plated with non-magnetic stainless steel but rather plastic. However if it is really stainless steel (although I doubt it), you could make it slightly magnetic by heavy polishing.

Hi, Charon. Thanks for contributing to the discussion. However, I think you are incorrect. Non-magnetic stainless appliances may be rare in some parts of the world, but in the USA they are currently very common.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 21, 2008

A. I sell a product called Choopa Board which is a magnet board with suction cups and can be placed and removed from any flat, slick surface. The other products are great, but I have kids with many magnets and they do enjoy playing at the fridge ... this way I can turn almost any surface into a magnet board center.

A. I am in the same boat. My new house has Stainless appliances; and although pretty they are not kid friendly for hanging art work etc. My solution: I bought a quart of magnetic paint .
and painted a 4' by 4' square on the wall next to the fridge. Heavy magnets still don't work but flat magnets work great for hanging the kids school projects. Hope this helps.

A. There's a product you can purchase at office supply stores called "Tacky." It's blue and comes in strips, looks like thin strips of modeling clay. You just pinch off a little piece and use it to stick photos, etc. onto stainless steel, walls, cupboards, anything. It works great, leaves no mark, residue, mess, stickiness. It's awesome.

A. For stainless steel refrigerators there is a product designed especially for non-magnetic surfaces, it's called Friggie Tape.

A. New Product clings on stainless steel without adhesive. You can get it at stainlesscling.com or the www.containerstore.com

Ed. update Oct 2025: This is an old posting. Stainlesscling.com is an insecure site with the last © date 2012. Www.containerstore.com doesn't carry that product anymore

A. Face it, most of these notes, papers and reminders will eventually be discarded. So unless you're planning on hanging your marriage license on the fridge or your diploma on the clothes dryer, just use a small piece of clear tape. Will cost about a half penny a shot. Hope this helps. Good luck to all!

A. I use double stick foam tape on the back of a small steel disc and then post the picture or note with a magnetic push-pin style piece which does not obscure the posted item. I call these MagPoints.

A. "Happeez Grips" are magnets that stick to stainless steel, glass, mirrors. They have clip magnets, weekly planners, picture frames, and more for your fridge! I carry them in my gift shop and you can find them at Mayfairlane.

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Ed. note: Sorry, but Mayfair Lane is no more. See update of June 21, 2013

A. I used a hot glue gun. Just a quarter of a tear drop and you're good. When you're done the glue rubs off both the fridge and the picture. Also try using those plastic covers for awards or things you want protected, one side is clear to see what's in it and the other has a peel off back. You'll have a problem taking it off your fridge but its good because you can just change whatever is in the pocket for years to come. Good luck . . .

A. I have a stainless steel fridge and I am also wanting to put magnets on the front other than the side of it... since stainless steel fridges aren't magnetic in any way for any type of magnet to hold.. why don't we just have like a suction for it... I am talking about the things that we have hanging on the inside of lockers or on shower walls that hold stuff up with a hook (but no hook for the fridge). just to have the suction cup on the back of a clip like the magnetic clips that are for regular fridges.

A. Some stainless steel is magnetically receptive but it is usually the cheaper stainless steel. The more nickel in it, the less well it holds magnets.

I have a company (Magically Magnetic Inc.) that makes a sheet of magnetically receptive material that sticks by self adhesive to the front of a stainless steel fridge. It is sold in sheets or rolls. It is white write and wipe-on the front so it can be used for messages, the kids to draw on or to stick magnets to. I hope this helps.

A. I am planning to hang a lightweight cork board on mine, using some 3M Command tabs on top (the adhesive holds tight and removes clean) and probably some sticky velcro on the bottom to keep it from swinging. I know push pins aren't magnets, but this may actually look nicer than magnets. I too am out of room on the side of my stainless fridge. :)

A. Hi,
I have the same problem and found my solution recently at Container Store. They sell something called a magnetic strip -- about the shape of a ruler, though it comes longer -- and it affixes via double-sided tape to your fridge. I can finally hang my son's art on the fridge! Also comes with magnets.
-Kathryn

A. You can use magnets on your stainless steel fridge but not the ones you see every day. You want to look for "rare earth magnets", not cheap but it does work ($5 for a 1-1/2" cube). It works because stainless steel is an alloy (a mixture of metals) and does have a weak magnetic field. These rare earth magnets are 11 times more powerful and help hold those drawings by the next Picasso to your fridge.
Hope this helps.

A. One answer to magnets not sticking to stainless steel fridges is ThoughtOnBoard, a dry-erase board that sticks to glass facing outward. The board's suction cups can be reversed so the board can be stuck to a stainless steel refrigerator door.

A. An option for hanging up pictures on a stainless steel fridge are Fraimz peel and stick adhesive reusable photo frames in many colors and styles.

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Ed. note: This technical site normally doesn't print brand names, but stainless fridges are a new enough trend that solutions may still be under patent, and branded rather than generic. We'll print postings which mention brand products, but edit them from "a better option is..." to "another option is..." because "satisfied customers" are often fictitious names submitted by shills; and testimonials always start a race to the bottom, with each company trying to out-praise the previous postings :-)