Bar Keepers Friend Is Chefs’ Best-Kept Cleaning Secret

In my experience as a professional chef, the job is roughly 40% cooking and 60% cleaning. I stood behind the line for nearly a decade, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve clocked a couple thousand hours of cleaning time. Food safety is vital when you’re serving hundreds of people per day, so restaurants are serious about their cleaning procedures and products. 

During my first year of professional cooking, I was introduced to Bar Keepers Friend, a powdered cleaner unlike anything I had used before. To say it worked like magic is not an understatement. I immediately bought my own container and still use it today. It uses oxalic acid — a chemical found in rhubarb — to break down stains and grime that other cleaners can’t touch. 

Bar Keepers Friend (2-Pack)

I was first introduced to Bar Keepers Friend as a cleaner for the stainless steel reach-in refrigeration units. But a few weeks later, the chef had all our beat-up stainless steel skillets stacked in a prep sink. Over time, these pans had taken on oil stains that were nearly impossible to scrub off with regular detergent, not to mention the black soot on the bottom from gas burners. With a few minutes and a bit of elbow grease, I watched these pans transform into what looked like brand-new cookware.

At home, I still use Bar Keepers Friend to polish my stainless steel dishwasher, fridge, and cookware, but over the years, I’ve found countless other uses for it. I typically buy the two-pack because it’s a better deal, and as I’ve found, two cans last for years. Once every three months, I gather all of my aluminum baking sheets, covered in brown stains and black gunk, and give them a good scrub with Bar Keepers Friend. It’s the only product I’ve found that can actually get that stuff off cookware. It’s also what I use to scour my sink during weekly kitchen deep cleans. It polishes the steel and also removes dried-on or built-up residue. It’s also my secret weapon for removing those pesky utensil marks from dishes.

Outside of the kitchen, I use it to clean my bathroom. Knowing how well it worked on my porcelain dishware, I used it to clean my tub once, and I’ve never gone back. It works on the stainless fixtures, too. I hate scrubbing a tub more than any other chore, and after letting the Bar Keepers friend sit for a few minutes, the soap scum wipes right off. It’s also excellent for tough rust stains, according to Editorial Director Dylan Garret. “I have used it to clean and loosen rust off a bike seat post that had fused itself to the frame, finally managing to pry them apart,” he said. I’ve also heard success stories from people who’ve used it to clean grill grates, tile floors, and power tools. Going into the holiday season, when my kitchen and cookware are getting way more use, I know my trusty can of Bar Keepers Friend is going to save me time cleaning.

There are a few things Bar Keepers Friend should never be used on, the biggest one being nonstick cookware. Marble and granite aren’t compatible with Bar Keepers Friend, so it’s not recommended for cleaning countertops.

If you’re over scrubbing with a mountain of different cleaning products, it’s time to pick up a can or two of Bar Keepers Friend. It was my go-to in professional kitchens, and now, I can’t live without it at home. 

Other Bar Keepers Friend Products I Love:

Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser (2-Pack)

Bar Keepers Friend Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish Spray (2-Pack)

Bar Keepers Friend Coffee Maker Cleaner (2-Pack)

Bar Keepers Friend Stone & Granite Cleaner and Polish

At the time of publishing, the price for a two-pack was $14.