Want to clean copper, grape juice stains, even rust? Go pick up a golden tin of Bar Keepers Friend and let the cleaning alchemy begin!

All right, so as a Mormon I'm not likely to be tending bar any time soon. Nonetheless, a product called Bar Keepers Friend is one of a handful of indispensable cleaning agents in my household. Draw near, gentle reader, and I shall expound upon its glories.

For those who haven't yet used the stuff, Bar Keepers Friend is a powdered cleanser and polish. Like other powdered cleansers (Comet, Bon Ami, Ajax, etc.), it comes in a 12 oz. can with a shaker top; directions for use are pretty standard—wet surface to be washed, apply cleanser, scrub with a wet rag or sponge, rinse. BUT, my friends, BKF is no ordinary cleanser, for it is SOOPER COOL! In addition to cleaning the standard countertops, sinks and tubs, BKF cleans and polishes up stainless steel, copper and brass, AND it removes nasty stains from all sorts of surfaces. It can even clean up killer rust stains.

I use BKF to clean my copper-bottom pans and to remove the odd discoloration that sometimes forms on the bottom of pots cleaned in the dishwasher. I use it to clean the brass throat of my kitchen sink drain. I use it to get tomato-based stains out of plastic dishes. I've made a paste of BKF and water and used it to pretreat stains on white clothes before throwing them into the washing machine. I've used it to get black scuff marks off the walls and floor (scrubbing very gently and using plenty of water works best). It does a fantastic job on whitewall tires and takes the rust off the chrome details of your car or bike. If there's a household stain that hasn't responded to any other treatment, chances are good that I can defeat it armed only with my handy can of BKF and a wet rag. *insert heroic pose and gleaming teeth here*

It's worth pointing out that there are a few places where you should NOT use Bar Keepers Friend. BKF is mildly abrasive, like most cleansers; it can pit or discolor silverware, remove certain high-gloss finishes, and should not be mixed with other household cleansers. Because the powder has a bleaching action, it should not be used on items you have not tested for colorfastness.

One of the active ingredients in Bar Keepers Friend is oxalic acid, which gives the powder its strong anti-rust action. Oxalic acid is poisonous if eaten—so if you have wee kiddywinkies in your home who enjoy putting non-food items in their mouth or eyes, keep this and all other household cleaners well out of their reach. (Needless to say, you shouldn't eat it either.) Bar Keepers Friend is an environmentally safe product and does not leave behind harmful residues.

The only other problem I have with BKF is actually finding it for sale at the supermarket. Albertson's and Safeway both stock it, but I usually have to hunt around for the little gold can since they don't seem to keep it with the other cleansers. (Go fig.) However, if you absolutely can't find BKF in your local store, don't despair; you can now order it online. Go to http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/ and take a gander at their fine website. They offer a whole slew of fine household cleaning products, including the INDUSTRIAL SIZE bucket containing a whopping 640 oz. of BKF. If you're not quite ready for that kind of commitment, they'll also send you a free sample of BKF if you ask nicely and provide a mailing address (now isn't that thoughtful? Those folks in Indiana are right nice).

SerVaas Laboratories, the makers of BKF, claim this nifty little cleanser has been around since 1882. It's withstood the test of time, and passed the Test of TPK with flying colors. Recommended even for religious teetotalers.

All material displayed on this website is © 2001-2010 by S. B. Houghton, writing under the alias "The Pirate King." All rights reserved.
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