5 Ways to Use Barkeepers Friend Cleaner

If you've been here before, you know that I'm a rather big fan of natural cleaning recipes. But, there are a few traditional cleaners that I also like to use around my home. At the very top of that list is Barkeepers Friend. If you live in the US, you've very likely not only heard of Barkeepers Friend, but have also used it often. In Canada it's not quite as well known - in fact, it can be tricky to find this powdered cleanser. I've heard that Home Hardware stocks it, or if you happen to live in Calgary - you can pick some up at the Compleat Cook in Willow Park Village.
Oh lookie what I found in my cupboard:
(click on the link if you'd like to purchase some Barkeepers Friend cleaner for yourself!)


Here's some of the best ways to use Barkeeper's Friend:

1. On Pots and Pans - especially useful for stainless steel pots and pans. Even high-end cookware companies like All-Clad recommend that you use it! It shines them up more beautifully than anything else I've ever tried. You needn't use it every single time you clean, but when you notice the cookware is looking a bit shabby.

2. On stainless steel sinks and appliances - Again, BF is a true BF for stainless! On appliances, always do a little test spot in an inconspicuous area to make sure it won't damage the finish. (Although I've never heard this to be a problem...)

3. On bathtubs, sinks and faucets in the bathroom - As amazingly as it cleans stainless, it also tackles porcelain! A little goes a long way - shake a little BF out, scrub, then rinse. Your sinks and tubs and showers and faucets will all sparkle.

4. On toilets! The 'porcelain throne' will never look better! Again, sprinkle on some Barkeepers Friend, give it a bit of a scrub and then flush away. OR...for more intense cleaning, shake the powder on, then scrub slightly and set your timer for 15-20 minutes. Then give it another good scrub and flush away. It'll look remarkably better.

5. Remove scratch marks from plates and dishes. Modern cutlery can leave greyish marks behind on dinnerware, and no matter how much you scrub away at them, they just won't budge! Try a sprinkle of Barkeepers Friend, and then use a moistened soft cloth to buff those marks right away! It's amazing!

A Stain Removal Song for this Sunday Morning (Remove Tea and Coffee Stains)

I love coffee,
He loves tea,
We love hot bevvies,
But the stains bother MEEEE....

Yes, I actually did sing that as I typed it. :) How sad. Feel free to roll your eyes.

Right, so if you're a tea or coffee drinker then you're also well aware that the beverages taste delicious, but the stains they leave behind in our favorite mugs and cups are far less charming. I've found three things that help remove those nasty stains:

1. Baking soda - the old favorite is a star again. Scrub with baking soda and a scrubby pad.
2. Table salt - same thing, but a little grittier for even more difficult stains.
3. Barkeepers Friend - The hardest, oldest stains are no match for this cleaner. When I was writing my book, I researched this marvelous powdered cleanser and discovered that it's derived from rhubarb. Hmmm. And here I always thought rhubarb was just good in pie. Wrongo, it's also good for scrubbing stains away (and cleaning your stainless, copper, etc...but I'll try to remain on topic here.)

Plus, a little scrubby pad called 'The World's Greatest Scrubbie' is available in many kitchenware shops. At the store where I work part-time we sell them for around $2.99. I always use that when scrubbing away stubborn beverage stains -- so keep an eye out for them in your locale. They're little rectangles of rainbow colored cleaning extraordinariness. (IF that's even a word.)

Right, now, go grab a coffee or tea and don't worry for even a single moment about any stains to come. :) Have a lovely Sunday while you're at it.

How NOT to Clean Stainless Steel Sinks - How This Common Cleaner Causes Rusting

Say no to Steel Wool to Clean Stainless Sinks!
This is an interesting little cleaning tidbit that I just learned the other day. Are you a fan of steel wool for cleaning your stainless steel sinks? Well, after reading this, you might find a new cleaning pad to rely on.

The problem with cleaning your stainless steel sinks with steel wool is the fact that the steel wool can easily break down, allowing small bits of the steel to imbed into the sink. This inferior grade of steel can then rust! So, cleaning your stainless sink with steel wool could actually cause tiny bits of rust to form all over the surface of your sink...maybe causing you to think that your sink itself is rusty, when it actually isn't.

How SHOULD I Clean my Stainless Sink?
What to use instead? Switch from steel wool to natural scrubbers. Did you know, for instance, that you can use natural loofah to clean with? You can! It's a good, natural and non-toxic scrubber that is sink-friendly too. Or, you can find stainless-safe scrubby sponges at supermarkets now - just remember to clean with the grain of the stainless steel to prevent a lot of scratching and marking.

My all-time favorite way to get a stainless sink sparkling is by using either liquid or powder Barkeeper's Friend. People roll their eyes at this suggestion...until they try the stuff. It is now one of my favorite all-purpose cleaners and I use it all the time! If you can't find a retailer that carries Barkeeper's Friend cleanser, order it online from their website or Amazon. It is SO worth it! (And cheap...a few bucks a bottle.)

Cleaning and Household Hints - Removing Black Scratch Marks from Plates and Dishes...

So, you just went and bought yourself a beautiful new set of dishes...and after the first use you see all sorts of nasty greyish black marks left behind - from your cutlery! Aarrgh!

Before you freak out entirely, there are a couple of ways to remove these black scrape marks from your dishes. These tips might even help remove old marks left behind on old and much loved dishes - thus revitalizing them, and making them seem as good as new!

1. Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish
   - I love this stuff! This amazing all-purpose cleaner does just about everything you can imagine - it cleans pricey All Clad pots and pans (or any stainless cookware - All Clad just happens to recommend it), porcelain, copper, brass. It's fantastic in the bathroom to clean stubborn stains from sinks or tubs or tiles. But, in this case, Barkeepers Friend is pretty adept at removing those nasty scratch marks on your dinner plates, bowls or mugs. Just make a paste of Barkeepers Friend (which is a very fine powder cleanser) and water, and use a soft cloth to rub the stain marks out. Often, these aren't actual scratches - just marks that CAN be removed.
2. Scotch-Brite Scrub Sponges
   Online I found an expert who suggested this as another way to remove these marks. Just moisten the scrubby pad and use it gently to rub away the marks. I guess using this together with the Barkeepers Friend would be an unbeatable solution!

Wedgwood China suggests Barkeepers Friend to remove the 'pencil marks' that are sometimes left behind due to minerals rubbed off of inexpensive cutlery. They also recommended tooth powder as a cleaner for these marks! (If I can find some...I'll give it a go and let you all know how it turns out.) Otherwise, I suppose regular paste toothpaste (not the gel type) might do as a cleaner for these marks as well.

Another tip - generally, dishes with a shinier finish will have a tendency to leave these scuff marks behind. If you want to avoid this problem, choose dinnerware with a matte finish - it helps prevent these marks.

Hope this helps everyone renew their old dishes!

Cleaning Q&A - How to Clean a Coffee Thermos

Cleaning Q&A
Today's Question: How to Clean a Coffee Thermos

I just received an email from George E that I wanted to share with all of you. He was asking a question that I thought many of you might want the answer to...

"Hi Christina,

Thank you for helping all of us to live a cleaner life while not costing us an arm or a leg.

I have a question regarding cleaning the white plastic parts of a glass coffee pot (lid) and a white plastic coffee thermos. I have looked on your web site as well as our own Arizona "Queen of Clean" but have not found any suggestions.

What suggestions do you have?

Thank you. keep up your very good work!

Warm regards,
George E."


Hi George,

First, thank you for such a nice email. I remember conversing via email with you before, and you're always a real gent. Now, on to your question -- how to clean those pesky (although entirely useful) Thermos containers!? So many of us rely on these to tote hot coffee or tea, or even hot soups and stews to work for our lunch. But, as you've noticed, they can be downright tricky to clean.

To find the best, and most helpful answer for you, George, I did a little research. I checked on the offical Thermos website, and found some of these tips that I think will come in very handy for you:

1. First of all, use the gentlest cleanser possible for your Thermos® products, especially those made of stainless steel. Harsh, abrasive cleaners and scrubbers can tarnish Food Jars and drink containers, and could even begin to change the flavor of stored foods after a while. A dishwashing detergent or gentle all-purpose cleanser or soap that is safe for dishes should be sufficient (i.e. Joy, Dawn). If you have to use an abrasive pad, make sure that it's made out of plastic so that it won't scrape the inside of the product, and scrub lightly.
2. Cleaning your Thermos® products will also be much easier if you clean after every use. If you've prepared a meal for a Food Jar, soak the jar for a few minutes before cleaning to remove any food residue that you may have difficulty removing with a washcloth. If you want to clean certain stains off of food containers, a soft toothbrush may do the trick; dip the brush in a little bit of detergent and gently scrub the rim and bottom of the cup to remove residue. Many people also use gentle baby's soap or hypo-allergenic laundry detergent along with or instead of dishwashing detergent to clean Thermos® products, because it preserves the shine of a Food Jar or mug, and can remove food easily.
3. Cleaning smudges or fingerprints from your stainless steel Thermos® products is easy as well, since most smudges will come out by using slightly damp paper towel or a sponge. For extremely stubborn stains, try soaking the Thermos® product in warm water with detergent for a little while longer, then rinse again with water and vinegar or water and phosphoric acid. This helps to remove stubborn food stains like grape juice, tomato, and coffee stains. Soaking Thermos® products with warm water and baking soda, or even ammonia in some cases will get rid of tough stains.

Some of the Happy Slob's Additional Cleaning Tips:

• The most stubborn part of cleaning a Thermos is, of course, getting a proper cleaning brush or sponge that can reach down to the bottom. I have found the perfect solution -- a wine decanter cleaner brush! Never heard of this? It does exactly what it's name implies -- cleans out wine decanters. It is a long, narrow cleaning sponge that is gentle to the delicate glass or crystal of wine decanters, therefore also making it perfect for your Thermos containers. You can find these to purchase online or at specialty wine shops, or even cooking shops. (We sell them at the store where I work, for instance.) I also happened to find some cleaning sponges/brushes especially for Thermos products! I'll post the pics to those too...

• Cleaning stainless steel is a snap with my favorite commercial cleaner - Barkeepers Friend. I like the liquid version best, but the powder is so finely milled that it also will never scratch the delicate surface of stainless steel. Once you try this stuff, you'll be just as hooked as I am. (All Clad, the posh cookware brand, also recommends it for their top end pots and pans...so that also gives you assurance that this stuff really works.)
• Cleaning stains is also easy -- just let some vinegar diluted with water (about half and half, more vinegar if it's a really tough stain) sit in the Thermos for about an hour or so. Then use the same wine decanter cleaning sponge/brush to scrub the stain away. :) Voila, clean Thermos -- ready to fill with your favorite hot drink!

Hope this helps, George, and everyone else who has ever faced this particular cleaning dilemma. Happy cleaning to you!

Christina

Using WD 40 to Clean Stainless Appliances

Cleaning Question of the Day:

Hey Christina:I heard that you can use WD-40 to clean stainless steel appliances, could you let me know if this is true or not.Thanks, Debby

Hey Debby,

Thanks for the email! I did a little research on your behalf to find out if WD40 if intended for cleaning stainless steel appliances. (I have white appliances, so I have never had to clean these babies myself!)

It appears that WD40 is more of a final step to use when you want to add shine to your stainless appliances, not to actually clean them. Here are some good tips from WikiHow on how to clean stainless (and then I have another suggestion for you at the end, too.):

• 
  Thoroughly clean the stainless steel surface using 2/3 Windex and 1/3 rubbing alcohol solution mixed together in a pump spray bottle. Wipe against the grain first, then with the grain. Clean and dry using a clean terry cloth towel.
• Spray a thin coat of WD-40 in a zigzag down the surface.
• Use a clean cloth, wipe against the grain over the total surface, then polish by rubbing with the grain until excess WD-40 is removed and surface shines. It should not be oily to the touch, however some residue is good. Remember to be careful using WD40 near your stove - it is a fire hazard!!

I love Bar Keepers Friend for keeping stainless steel pots and pans sparkling clean, and your stainless sinks too. I can't see why it wouldn't work beautifully on your stainless appliances! Give it a try and let me know how it goes, okay? It's an extra fine powdered cleanser (or there are liquid varieties available as well) that won't scratch stainless - that's why All-Clad and other posh cookware companies recommend it so highly!

Take care,

Christina

How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances - Cleaning Tips and Hints - Happy Slob

Okay, now here is a great question that I know many of you might wonder about, sent in by Marlene:

"Hi Christina,
Does anybody know how to clean, stainless steel stoves, fridges and dishwashers.
My neighbour has just bought all three appliances. Other than the small amount of cleaning stuff that they give you, with the stove, is there something that can be used, using something that we would already have in our cupboards?
I know that the cornstarch and water works really well for glass top ranges. Would it do the same for stainless steel?
Thanks, Marlene."

Hey Marlene,

:) Thanks for the email. I have one very favorite product for all stainless steel cleaning, and in fact at my part-time retail job (in a kitchen shop) we sell out of this stuff really quickly - because it works just that well.


Barkeepers Friend cleaner comes in either a powder or a liquid cleanser form, and it's fantastic at cleaning your stainless steel appliances. In some cases, it can even remove scratches from the surface of the stainless steel! You can also use it for cleaning your stainless steel sink, and pots and pans. (It works amazingly well at getting out those really OLD stains in stainless steel pots and pans that you thought would NEVER come out again! It really rejuvenates old cookware.)

Let us know how it works out for you! You can get your Barkeepers friend by either clicking on the links in this post OR just check your local stores. :) Many will likely carry this popular cleaner.