All kitchen hardware needs maintenance and TLC to help homeowners protect their investment in the room, according to one report.Home and Garden Television (HGTV) says even professional quality and tough-looking appliances need attention.Not only is any pro equipment expensive to replace, but if you dont follow some basic guidelines it will lose its cooking efficiency and pro look quickly and isnt that the reason you invest in the quality stuff to begin with? Bill Handziuk of Union Gas told the news provider.Mr Handziuk says the first law of caring for pro appliances is to follow the advice in the manual.The article then gives further guidelines for enhancing appliances.It says stainless steel should be cleaned with a lint-free cloth and a little washing up liquid in warm water and warns that cleaning solutions with acid will cause damage if left on for more than a few seconds.Any spills should be cleaned sooner rather than later, the article adds.Earlier this month HGTV advised homeowners to scrub and reorganise their kitchen at the start of any makeover.