Am I the last person in the world to find out about a cleanser called Bar Keepers Friend? A whole container of this stuff only costs $2.95 at Williams-Sonoma… and it cleans things that I thought were unclean-able!
First here is what happened… I recently let a silicone spatula sit on a hot stainless All-Clad skillet for too long – the silicone melted onto the stainless, and NOTHING would take the silicone off the pan. I even tried to chip it away with a knife (I don’t recommend this). My husband took the skillet into Williams-Sonoma… they looked at it for 2 seconds, took it in the back for 2 minutes, and brought it back out sparkling as good as new! They just sprinkled Bar Keepers Friend on it and wiped away the silicone.
There are a lot of claims of what BKF can do on the container, but here is what I have been able to do with it so far:
- Remove the melted on silicone off our stainless steel cookware.
- Remove rust spots from our flagstone patio (still working on this).
Based on my limited experience with this product so far, here are some tips:
- Let the product do the work for you. Don’t rub it really hard into things, you can scratch even stainless steel with this stuff.
- Use it sparingly. I wouldn’t clean your pots and pans every day with this. Maybe once in a while to remove tough set in stains.
- Try Bon Ami first ($2-3 at grocery stores), if the material is acceptable for use with Bon Ami. Bon Ami is MUCH less abrasive, and I’m guessing less toxic.
According to the package, you can also clean:
- Fiberglass, grout, sinks, baths, toilets, chrome, porcelain, stainless, ceramics, plastics, stove tops, tea cups (?), copper, counter tops, imitation marble, tiles, brass, stone, masonry, bumpers, white walls.
According to the package, you should not use it on:
- colored grout (may discolor)
- older porcelain (may scratch)
- gold
- silver
- lacquered surfaces.
So what is Bar Keepers Friend? It is a white powder that resembles baking soda or Bon Ami (Bon Ami is another product I LOVE LOVE LOVE, that is not as strong or abrasive as BKF. Bon Ami is a safe environmentally friendly must have in every kitchen.)
The BKF web site says it is environmentally friendly, but the packaging says it contains Oxalic Acid – I have no idea what that is, but apparently it can hurt your eyes. Until I find out more about the ingredients, I will use this product sparingly and away from children!
Great Stuff!
The ingredient in Bar Keepers Friend is EXTREMELY TOXIC. The name listed on the bottle is not the “whole” name, as I found out when looking on their website for info after my dog got into it. I found out the compound is called “OXALIC ACID DIHYDRATE” and is very dangerous. Definitely throw this out of your house if you have children or pets, and do not buy anymore. This is a horrible danger. Look at the MSDS (Material Safety and Data Sheets) info for the chemical….not just the product. The product says it is merely an irritant, but further research shows that the compound itself is much more toxic than they lead you to believe. I am not sure how they get away with this, but believe me, I am checking into it and would recommend to anyone reading this to STAY AWAY FROM BAR KEEPERS FRIEND. There are much safer products to use. This one can kill you even in small amounts, whether inhaled, absorbed through skin or ingested. Any contact with this product is potentially harmful. Please to all, READ THE MSDS and decide for yourself whether it is safe for you family or not. I decided NOT.
Oh shut it you little enviro-nutbag. The amount used is so finite you would need to consume gallons to do any harm..Instead of blaming companies and corporations for all your problems you should take responsibility for yourself. Try putting it out of reach, a locking cabinet or something. Losers like you are why insurance and products cost so much because they have to defend themselves from the sheep of the world that needs the government to old their hands and make nice little rules for them to keep them safe. Freakin libs!!!!!!!!!!!Maybe your LORD OBAMA will come to your aid.
The idea that this is so toxic it will kill you is pure paranoia!!!!! I have been using it for years.(18+) and I amazingly am still alive. I don’t eat it for breakfast or anything but I have cleaned a lot of things with this product from bathroom tiles(all 4 of my children are still alive and healthy as well) to the stainless steel sinks in the kitchen. My grandmother recommended it to me and she is 96 and been using it for who knows how long. Get a grip on yourself and realize how many things in this world are dangerous in large concentrations( LIKE CAFFEINE) Besides oxalic acid is present in tea leaves, rhubarb, black pepper, spinach, chocolate, nuts and most beans just to name a few.
Oxalic Acid can be dangerous if you inject it at 75mg/Kg of body weight. If you weighed 150 pounds, you would have to injegest 5 grams (about two tablespoons) to be at a point of having a 50% chance of death. You shouldn’t need more than 5 grams to clean most things.
This product is great for stainless steel. It cleans it very well while also applying a layer of oxide which is what makes stainless steel stain free! Using bleach or a metal scrubby will actually cause your stainless steel to rust.