Bar Keepers Friend Powder Review: I'm Glad I Discovered It

Bar Keepers Friend is one of the best kept secret cleaning products around as far as I'm concerned, and no, no one is paying me to say that. I just like this stuff.


This is a product which comes in powder form (there is also a liquid version which you can read about here, but this page is dedicated to reviews of the powder version) and its active ingredient is oxalic acid.

Oxalic acid is actually a chemical found in, of all things, rhubarb.

That makes Bar Keepers Friend (or BKF to those of us who use it a lot) different than some cleansing powders which rely on bleach to help them clean, and/or contain abrasives. BKF does not have either abrasives or bleach in it, but boy, it sure can clean.

This stuff has been around for a long time, and has been manufactured in Indiana since the 1880s. Despite it being around for a long time for some reason lots of people don't yet know about it, and often, unfortunately, it can be a bit hard to find in stores, especially outside the Midwest.

I actually grew up using this product in my own house, in the powdered version. The first uses of this product I knew about were in the garage, since it was my Dad who used it. However, as I've gotten older I've learned all kinds of great uses for Bar Keepers Friend, plus you lovely readers have told me even more.

Below you'll find a compilation of some of the best uses and reviews of this product I've received from readers, or that I know about from using it myself.

To start you out though, here's a couple more general reviews and praises of this product sent in to me by other readers.

A reader, Roxana, says: "I have used this for years. It is the best on pots and pans and stainless sinks. I prefer the powder form, it seems to be most effective. If you need liquid, you can turn this into a paste or liquid. One product, one hundred uses."

Further, another reader, Allie, told me this story:

"I moved into a 1970's house about a year ago. When I started to clean things out and move my stuff in, I found a can of Bar Keepers Friend powder in the bathroom.

At first I didn't think much of it and thought this stuff is too old to use. Well, later that night I cooked dinner for my family. Sauce was everywhere and it got all over the stove-top and counter.

Later that night I decided to clean up the kitchen. I didn't have anything to clean up this mess. I remembered the cleaning powder I found in the bathroom. I went down the hall and grabbed it. Came back and started using it on the stove-top.

To my amazement the powder worked and my stove-top was sparkling white again. I couldn't believe it, after all these years that this product was still good enough to use.

It busted through the toughest mess and didn't scratch the stove top or my counter.

I started using it everywhere, in the bathroom tubs and sink and even the porcelain kitchen sink. I even use it to clean the front of my stainless steel fridge.

It's funny that the name of this stuff is called Bar Keepers Friend, now I know why.

Bar Keepers Friend Products {Referral Links}

Below I've collected a number of uses for this product. If you've got your own you'd like added to this or another page of the site please share your general purpose cleaner reviews here, or read others that have already been submitted by others.

It's The Best On Porcelain Sinks

Lara sent in the photo above saying, "We recently bought a house. The white porcelain kitchen sink was really scratched and dingy. The 'before' using BKF is the left. The 'after' is the right side. I was very pleased with the results! It's good stuff!"

Thanks for sharing this use and awesome photo Lara!

You're certainly not the only person who has told me about the magic that is BKF for porcelain. In fact, another reader used it to clean her dingy vintage porcelain sink as well, and as you can see from the before and after pictures on the right, it did a great job for her too!

Best Product For Cleaning Stainless Steel Sinks

Just like BKF is great for cleaning porcelain sinks, it also does an amazing job cleaning and making stainless steel sinks shine.

In fact, several readers have shared how they use it on the how to clean a stainless steel sink page of the site. Go over to read the reviews, and how they do it.

Cleaning Stainless Steel Pots With Bar Keepers Friend Powder

Momw4kids shared these pictures of the bottom of an All Clad stainless steel pan which she cleaned with Bar Keepers Friend.

As you can see, this pan looks like many pots and pans which have been used a lot, and put under heat, especially if you've got a gas stove top.

Normal scrubbing just won't budge these types of stains, so that's where BFK came in.

She explained her technique for cleaning the pots as follows: "I used the rough side of a Scotch Brite No Scratch (blue) sponge. I rinsed the pan with water, so that a little water remained, then sprinkled Bar Keepers on surface, then used swirl motions to clean. Repeated the process several times."

Once she'd finished using this product there were just a few spots left.

Please note that while the original BKF obviously works for cleaning pots and pans (as shown by these pictures), there is also a BKF Cookware Cleanser & Polish designed specifically to clean both stainless steel and copper cookware.

Click the link to see reviews of this product, plus before and after pictures sharing results.



Before during and after courtesy of Amazon.com

Removed Rainbow Heat Marks From Pot: Before & After Pics

Joseph Ekaitis shared a before and after picture of a pot he cleaned with Bar Keepers Friend.

He had placed the pan in the dishwasher's pots and pan cycle, and instead of getting it clean it left heat marks and residue within it. However, using this product he got it shining again in no time.

Do you have any tips for cleaning pots and pans? If so, click the link to share them with me, or read others that I've already collected.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Cleaning Stoneware Scratches With BKF

OhioMom shared a before and after picture of her 15 year old stoneware dishes, which had lots of scratches from near constant use.

The plate on the right has been cleaned with BKF, while the one on the left shows what they looked like before.

Wow, what a difference!

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Used BKF To Clean Glass Top Stove

Nenne Jane shared before and after pictures of how she used this product to clean her glass top stove.

The top picture shows the before shot, and the bottom picture is the after shot.

She explained about the before picture, "This streak stayed on my cooktop for weeks, cleaning it with anything wouldn't remove it until I used BKF."

Here are more tips for how to clean a stove top shared by readers, if you'd like more ideas. Plus, if you've got your own I'd love to hear those as well.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Remove Rust Stains From Fiberglass Sink With BKF

Gail Moore shared a before and after picture of how this product worked on her fiberglass sink, as both a cleaner and rust stain remover.

As you can see it was quite stained from rusty well water on the right hand side.

The left hand side had already been cleaned with the BKF.

She explained her technique for using this product was as follows: "I used a Scotchbrite regular green scrubber lightly rubbing the Bar Keeper's around and round."

Everyone knows how easily fiberglass can get scratched, so I checked to make sure this product would be safe for it, and it is advertised as being safe, and non-scratching for this surface! That means it could be used on your fiberglass bathtubs, showers, sinks, etc.

You can check out even more tips for how to clean fiberglass here, or share your own as well!

In addition, check out these tips for removing rust stains from all types of surfaces, or share your own.



Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Great Bathtub Cleaner

A reader, Tracie, sent in the photo above. She said, "Ajax, Comet, Magic Eraser....nothing worked except BKF!!

True story, my tub during reno."

You can check out even more tips and product reviews for bathtub cleaning here if you want more ideas.

How To Clean Kettle With Burnt On Splatters And Grime

Jan M. shared her before and after pictures, showing how she cleaned her metal kettle using Bar Keepers Friend powder.

As you can see the kettle had gotten grimy and dirty with constant use, and since it stayed on the stove top while others things were cooking, and getting oil and grease splatters all over it.

That is always a sticky mess that is almost impossible to remove with just plain old dishwashing liquid.

However, that stuff was not match for BKF, and now the kettle looks as good as new.

Before and after photos courtesy of Amazon.com

Bar Keepers Friend Does An Awesome Job

Lisa provided the product photo above, and recommended using BKF to clean toilets.

She stated: "I use nothing but this!!! Sprinkle it around the sides, use your toilet scrubber and let it sit.

I'm a house keeper and I use this all the time. Don't waste time with SOS pads. You're going to damage the enamel."

This Is The Best Cleaner I've Ever Used

A reader, SueEllen, sent in the photo above, saying, "There's a cookware version that polishes, too. The. Best."

Another reader, Dawn, said this: "This has always been by far the BEST cleaner I have ever used in my entire life... It still surprises me how many people have never heard of it.

I use it literally for everything and it never ruins anything.

At first I was scared to use it thinking if it worked that good then it would damage things but I just cleaned my front loading washer with it and sparkles like no one would believe.

I have used it for sinks, dishes, toilets, tubs... you name it."

Taylor's note: Did you know there's also a liquid version of this product? You can check out the Bar Keepers Friend Liquid Cleanser reviews here.

Barkeepers Friend Powder Is A Great Secret I Stumbled Upon

by Billie

Billie shared a secret she learned about a great cleaning product, Bar Keepers Friend.

Billie says:

Bar Keepers Friend is a great secret I stumbled upon. One of my roommates, a few years ago, was using it and offered me some to clean the gunk off our outside patio chairs. It worked so fast and so good, I loved it.

I had never heard of it before. It is great for anything that is stuck on just about anything.

I use it in my kitchen every week. In addition, I have used it to scrub any and everything from my bathroom and utility sinks, counters, tubs and showers, refrigerator-in and out, microwave, on any metal or stainless steel, most plastics, my deck chairs and patio or lawn furniture, our jaccuzi, fan blades, and even to scrub my plastic flip flops and the outside of my white leather top tennis shoes.

It does not scratch, but you do have to be a bit careful of the pressure you apply when using on some plastics or something fragile, such as my leather uppers on my tennis shoes.

Scuff marks are easily removed, as is just about anything dirty.

Bar Keepers Friend is very inexpensive; much cheaper than most other name brands. It is sometimes hard to find, so you have to look for it. Usually the stores I shop at have it, but it is never in a big fancy display, which is why I say you have to really look for it.

But, this stuff is so great and time saving. Seriously, do yourself a favor and get some.

Taylor says:

Thanks so much Billie for sharing your review of this product. As you can see, I've got several glowing reviews of it.

If anyone else has tried Bar Keepers Friend I would love to hear what you've cleaned with it. You can share your reviews here, for this or any other general purpose cleaner.

Bar Keepers Friend Products {Referral Links}

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