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The First Thing You Should Do with a New Bottle of Bar Keepers Friend

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town life in Tallahassee, Florida, which she now calls home. She's been writing professionally for twenty years and she loves lifestyle photography, memory keeping, gardening, reading, and going to the beach with her husband and children.
published Dec 20, 2022
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Someone holding container of Bar Keepers Friend.
Credit: Sarah Crowley

If I had to put together the ultimate cleaning set, Bar Keepers Friend would be first on my list. Let me tell you why! It can be used in every room in the house — on a toilet, a Dutch oven, and nearly everything else. And while there are a few things you should know about using the product beforehand, it’s a problem-solving, safe, go-to cleaner that’s both versatile and effective. It’s so effective that I have a container of it under every sink in the house!

Bar Keepers Friend
$9.80
Amazon
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There are two main kinds of Bar Keepers Friend: One is the straightforward, classic powder that comes in the cardboard container with sprinkle holes on top and is the most popular. This one is great, but it needs to be used wet. Often, it’s easy to moisten the powder, but in some applications, such as cleaning stubborn scuffs from walls or baseboards, it’s tricky to whip Bar Keepers Friend into paste-like consistency. In these instances, go with Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser.

Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser
$14.99$13.14
Amazon
Buy Now
Credit: Sarah Crowley

Use Bar Keepers Friend to Clean Stains from Dishes

Whichever container you’re opening next, there’s one thing you should do with the stuff before you tackle your usual cleaning: Use Bar Keepers Friend to clean unsightly stains from your dishes. 

Your mugs, for example, are good candidates for this treatment — especially the ones that have white or light interiors. You might have stubborn coffee or tea stains that are hard to remove with regular washing. While the mugs aren’t exactly dirty, they’ll look so much better restored to their unstained state. Wet the mug, sprinkle BKF (as it’s affectionately known among fans) inside, and scrub! If you’re using the soft cleanser, just squeeze some into the cup. Like magic, the stains will come off easily. Wash, rinse, and allow to dry as usual. 

Credit: Sarah Crowley

Use the stuff on plates, too. If they’re veined with marks, clean them off with (you guessed it!) Bar Keepers Friend. It’s the same drill: Get Bar Keepers Friend just wet enough to have the consistency of a thick paste, and scrub! You’ll have your dishes and cups looking like new in no time.

This post was originally published on Kitchn. Read it there: The First Thing You Should Do with a New Bottle of Bar Keepers Friend