can’t-live-without: bar keepers friend
I’d like to take a moment to thank an important cleanser in my life, Bar Keepers Friend. BKF, I don’t know how to thank you enough for the countless times you’ve quickly and efficiently removed every stain from allegedly stain-less steel flatware, not to mention those hefty jobs extracting the nitty gritty from my precious All-Clad pans.
No wonder you’ve been around since 1882; you’re the hardest-working powdered cleanser in town. Brilliant with stainless steel, you can also clean ceramic tile, plastic, copper, china, fiberglass, tile, grout, chrome… And for a mere $2.50 a can, you’re certainly the cheapest house cleaner I know. (Cue applause.)
Here are two sources to buy Bar Keepers Friend from:
bestcleaningproducts.com
Readers, please share the cleaning products YOU can’t live without! —Megan K.
May 17th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Even though it’s a bit toxic – I love using WD-40 for cleaning anything that’s petroleum based. It’s awesome!
http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm
May 17th, 2006 at 9:30 am
I have Bar Keepers Friend too, but I prefer the Aluminum and Stainless Steel Cameo. It seems to work a lot better and its cheaper too!
May 17th, 2006 at 10:02 am
Megan, I totally agree with you! I love bar keepers friend for my All-Clad cookware. Nothing else works as well. There’s an acid in it that actually eats away a bit of the pan, so I recommend soaking first and using it as a last resort. Bon Ami also dissoves the steel after a time, but not to the same degree.
Baking soda is a great way to clean naturally. If you’re short on it, try seltzer.
May 17th, 2006 at 10:35 am
Okay, I don’t actually clean anything myself, but my cleaning lady asked me to buy lemon oil. So I asked her why, being the inquisitive soul that I am, and she showed me. After you clean, you wipe this on your stainless steel appliances and sink and they gleam! It also keeps future dirt and grime from sticking so everything stays clean until the next time she arrives with her cleaning crew
May 17th, 2006 at 10:56 am
Goo Gone for getting stubborn price stickers off of things and Soft Scrub with bleach for cleaning the shower.
May 17th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Murphy’s Oil Soap for hardwood floors… works great and smells so clean. Love it!
May 17th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
Can I ask where you find lemon oil? That’s brilliant.
May 17th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
I’m heading out for lemon oil now…
Hey, do any of you have an all-purpose wood cleaner you swear by?
May 17th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
…forgot to say that I’m checking Trader Joe’s for the lemon oil; I have a hunch they might have it.
May 17th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Shopping list: 1) bar keeper’s friend, 2) lemon oil, 3) cleaning lady.
May 17th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Two words….Magic Eraser
May 18th, 2006 at 9:13 am
Hmmm. . . I think I got the lemon oil in the cleaning aisle at either Target or the grocery store. A bottle is kind of pricey — like $4 something, but it apparently lasts *forever*. You (meaning the cleaning people, in my case) use only a smidge each time.
May 19th, 2006 at 4:30 am
Olive oil works just as well as lemon oil!
May 19th, 2006 at 2:50 pm
I swear by Bar Keepers Friend for my sink! Nothing works better.
May 20th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
I too swear by the Magic Eraser. My shower floor has never been so clean.
May 31st, 2006 at 8:14 pm
I am a vinegar junkie. I mix it up with water and essential oil for cleaning counters, but I also use it to sanitize my rabbit cages, whiten my towels, and most importantly, to de-calcify my showerhead. great stuff!
June 1st, 2006 at 1:07 pm
shoemoney…
nice shoemoney site at shoemoney http://www.imyourhuckleberry.info/ 6…
June 16th, 2006 at 9:04 am
i really dont know about magic eraser, i havent tried one. but mr. muscle is one heck of a cleaner.
August 27th, 2006 at 3:36 am
The Magic Eraser is a shoe win-it did an amazing job on my tub that was riddled with soap scum-ordinary cleaners and a scrub brush did nothing but get me sweating-with little effort the eraser had the whole thing clean in no time-I don”t know what that thing is made of, but I am now a dedicated user.
September 7th, 2006 at 7:19 am
Does anyone know how to remove black lines from my porcelain sink?
Thanks So Much
October 11th, 2006 at 6:18 am
My friend Mary, had a post about this stuff! Please check her out and leave a comment as well.
October 11th, 2006 at 6:20 am
Oops forgot to include the site…
http://owlhaven.wordpress.com/2006/10/11/works-for-me-10/
November 16th, 2006 at 7:38 am
I love Bar Keepers Friend, too. It works great everywhere. If you haven’t tried it or can’t find it locally I would try their web site because they are giving away free samples. http://www.barkeepersfriend.com
February 2nd, 2007 at 9:10 am
I can’t live without vinegar and baking soda to clean with!
I have other non-toxic cleaning ideas on my site at http://www.happyslob.com
Hugs to all,
Christina
April 19th, 2007 at 7:11 am
[...] written about our all-time-favorite, can’t-live-without stainless steel cleanser before: Bar Keeper’s Friend. It does an amazing job on removing stains from supposedly “stainless” steel, and also [...]
July 19th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Grease Lightning for that soap scum and grease, dissolves both fairly quickly with minimum scrubbing. Not sure of toxicity but seems fairly mild to me, and the price is right.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I realize this is a very old post, but I have to tell all of you using the Bar Keepers Friend, that it is in fact EXTREMELY TOXIC AND DEADLY. Please read the MSDS on the ingredient, which is ‘OXALIC ACID DIHYDRATE”. It is very dangerous, but all they tell you on the can is that you just need to “drink milk and call the dr if ingested and rinse out of eyes if contact occurs”. Well, if it is ingested, even in small amounts, it can cause horrendous damage. It sucks the calciuim from the blood, and it deposits calcium buildup in the kidneys, causing renal failure, just for starters. Upon inhalation and skin absorption, a host of other troubles can occur.
To anyone still using this product or even considering it, please be advised of what you are getting. It is not like Ajax or Bon-Ami at all. This compound is much different. Once again, read the MSDS on this chemical for yourselves and find out what this stuff really is all about. Then decide whether it is worth your health and the health of your family.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:17 am
[...] which cleaning product works best? You got it: Bar Keepers Friend. Shelterrific has sung the graces of this magical powder in the past, and it has come through yet again. Now, at [...]
September 12th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Regarding the November 14th 2008 Posting, on August 25th, 2008, I used this product withouth gloves for 2.5 hours cleaning a bathroom tile floor in preparation to regrout the tile. I used plain water a sponge with a scouring side and the cleanser. Mind you, there is no warning on the can regarding the product being a skin irritant.
The next morning I awoke and upon urinating, felt like I was peeing battery acid. This occured for 7 weeks, with no urinalysis test detecting any bacteria or infection. In fact I went to the extent of having a painful scope done that did show inflamation of my bladder.
Withing 3 days of using the product, my skin on both hand began to peel severly and turn red and crack. I went to a Primary Dr and A dermatologist that both advised I sustained 1st Degree Chemical burns. I was advised after multiple visits I would probably have a permanent case of dermatitis. Over 1 year later, I still do even after repeated treatments with lotions, some steroidal level 1 and 2.
Within 4 weeks, I began to sustain minor tremors and began experiencing instances of anxiety and panic attacks and some digestive problems as well as periods of sudden dizziness. I have been put on the smallest dosage of an antidpressant and anti- anxiety medication, that only limits my attack.
It has been over 1 year and I still have tremors, anxiety and panic attacks. Recent tests by an ENT Dr revealed that my dizziness was not caused by a dysfunction in the ear rather a dysfunction in my central nervous system (CNS). A deep MRI concluded for hte Dr the Dizziness is not related to an ear problem. I am awaiting analysis and review now by a Neurologist for the CNS problem.
My life has been a living hell since I used the product. It contains OXALIC ACID which is very toxic. Based upon the result of my Neurological exams, I intend to file a person injury suit against Servaas Laboratiies that manuafactures this product and have lined up an attorney and toxicologist.
DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT WITHOUT GLOVES AND BE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.