That rainbow sheen definitely threw me off the first time, too. I did a double take thinking something had gone bad, but after looking it up and reading about stainless steel oxidation, I stopped worrying. As for the smell—yeah, mine got a bit funky once after sitting damp in the cabinet for a few days. I just gave it a good scrub with dish soap and dried it thoroughly, and that seemed to do the trick.
About scratches: honestly, I used to stress about that exact thing. But from what I’ve read (and seen with kitchen knives and other stainless stuff), those tiny scratches aren’t really a big deal as long as you’re cleaning it regularly. Bacteria need organic material to really thrive, and if you’re rinsing and drying your scraper after each use, you’re already ahead of the game.
I actually did boil mine once out of paranoia—felt a bit silly afterward, but nothing bad happened. If you want extra peace of mind, it’s not overkill to do that every now and then. The main thing is just making sure it’s dry before you put it away. My kid’s always losing theirs anyway, so half the time we’re starting fresh with a new one...
