The weight loss due to conventional pickling of stainless steel wire rods in Mukand being about 2%, various inhibitons including pyridine, aniline, triethanolamine and urea were tried, in quantities ranging from O.1% to 2%. Laboratory investigations revealed that urea is the most effective inhibitor, and even 0.1% urea in pickling bath or nitric and hydrofluoric acids could reduce the weight loss of the stainless steel wires by as much as 26%.