Cut baked-on carbon and burnt residue - the hard filaments shear deposits that synthetic abrasives only polish.

Steel is harder than almost any residue and than the synthetic abrasives used in scouring pads. Fine filaments concentrate force at the contact point and cut.

For burnt food on baking trays, carbonised deposits on grills and oven interiors, and seasoned cast iron, this is markedly faster than any synthetic pad.

The impregnated soap means no separate detergent is needed, which suits occasional heavy jobs.

The same hardness is the limitation: it will cut the surface as readily as the residue.

For anything short of carbonised deposit, a synthetic pad with an appropriate cleaner and some soaking time does the job without the risks.

Because they are plain steel with an enormous surface area - a used pad left damp will rust within a day.

Fine filaments expose a very large area of unprotected steel to water and air, which is ideal for rapid oxidation.

The soap offers a little protection while it lasts, and once it has washed out the pad rusts freely.

A rusting pad stains sinks, worktops and anything it is left on, and rust transfers to the next surface scrubbed.

Rinsing thoroughly, squeezing out and storing dry extends life a little, but in practice these are single-use items and trying to keep one going is a false economy.

Stainless steel scourers, which do not rust, are a different product - reusable, without the soap, and generally less aggressive on carbon.

Anything softer than steel - coated cookware, aluminium, plastics, glass-ceramic hobs, chrome, painted and printed finishes, and most appliance surfaces.

Non-stick coatings are removed immediately and permanently.

Aluminium is scratched and can also react, leaving grey marks.

Glass-ceramic hobs scratch and the damage is permanent and highly visible.

Chrome, anodised finishes, enamel and printed markings are all removed by steel.

Stainless steel tolerates them but shows deep scratching, and on a brushed finish cross-grain marks are obvious.

The reliable rule is that steel wool belongs on cast iron, robust bakeware, grills and oven interiors, and nowhere else. Where staff use whatever is under the sink, storing them separately is the practical control.

Not really - filaments break off, embed in skin and are painful and difficult to remove, and the soap dries the hands.

Fine steel splinters are the characteristic injury. They are hard to see, work into the fingertips and can cause infection.

Gloves also protect against the detergent, which is concentrated in the pad and degreases skin aggressively.

Rinse the surface thoroughly afterwards. Broken filaments left on a cooking surface end up in food.

Check the sink and drain too. Filaments accumulate in a strainer and cause the same injuries to whoever clears it.

Dispose of used pads in a bin rather than leaving them on a draining board where someone picks one up bare-handed.

Frequently not - loose filaments are a foreign body risk, and many food safety systems prohibit them in favour of synthetic alternatives.

A steel filament in a product is a foreign body incident, and unlike a plastic fragment it may or may not be caught by metal detection depending on size and the detector.

Most food safety management systems therefore restrict or prohibit steel wool in production areas, and auditors look for it.

Synthetic pads that shed nothing detectable, or detectable-plastic tools designed for the sector, are the usual replacement.

Kitchens and food service are treated more variably - many permit them for oven and grill cleaning but not near open food.

Check the site's own policy and the applicable standard before assuming they are acceptable, since this is a common finding.

Used pads go in the bin. Unused pads stay dry in a closed container, because they rust in a damp cupboard.

A part-used pad left on a sink is the classic mistake: it rusts, stains the surface and becomes a hazard for whoever picks it up.

Unused pads absorb moisture from a damp under-sink cupboard and rust in the packet. Store somewhere dry and closed.

Dispose of used pads in general waste, wrapped if the bin will be handled by hand, since the filaments cut through bags and skin.

Do not put them down a drain or leave them in a strainer, where they rust and cause blockages and staining.

Buying smaller pads, or pads scored to be broken into portions, reduces waste when only a small amount is needed.

Soaking with an appropriate cleaner, then a synthetic pad - slower in elapsed time and far kinder to the surface.

Alkaline degreasers and dedicated oven and grill cleaners soften carbonised deposits chemically, so the abrasion required afterwards is minimal.

Time does the work. Applying cleaner and leaving it for the stated dwell converts a scrubbing job into a wiping one.

Heat helps: soaking bakeware in hot detergent solution releases a great deal before any tool is picked up.

Nylon and synthetic pads then remove what remains without risking the surface.

For heavily used commercial equipment, a soak tank is the standard answer and removes the problem from the sink entirely.

Steel wool remains the fastest option in raw cutting terms; it is simply the one with the most side effects.