To provide a stainless steel excellent in corrosion resistance as well as in surface gloss by immersing a bright annealed cold rolled stainless steel strip containing specific amounts of Cr in warm water of a specific temp. for specific time and then immersing this strip in a nitric acid solution of a specific concentration for a specific time.

A bright annealed cold rolled stainless steel strip and sheet of 12-20wt.% Cr content or a cold rolled material having surface glossiness and roughness equal to those of the bright annealed material is treated. The material to be treated is immersed in warm water of ≥40°C liquid temp. for ≥10sec. The material to be treated is immersed in a nitric acid solution of 5-71% concentration for ≥10sec. The inclusions, dissolved and removed in the acid pickling stage, remain at the metal surface and become the origin of corrosion, by which corrosion is brought about and surface gloss is deteriorated. The material to be treated is immersed in warm water to dissolve the inclusions. When the liquid temp. is <40°C, the inclusions cannot be dissolved sufficiently.