From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsteel woolˌsteel ˈwool noun [uncountable] DTa rough material made of fine steel threads, that is used to make surfaces smooth, remove paint etc → wire wool
Examples from the Corpus
steel wool• After the second with grade 0000 steel wool 8 Any finish can then be applied.• Applied with fine steel wool, the wax can darken faded wood and provide a resistant finish.• For a natural worn look, lightly rub down the varnish when hard with fine steel wool.• Then sand lightly with fine steel wool, and dust off thoroughly, finishing with a tacky rag.• It can be wrapped around various parts of the body, with the steel wool side inwards. 