bar keepers friend is my friend too

The new house has a porcelain kitchen sink.   I didn't even really pay attention to it, except that I remember noting that it was deeper than the sinks we've had in the past 5 or 6 places.  It wasn't until after we moved in and I was sort of like, "oh look, the sink is pretty."  I quickly realized that this sink needed different cleaning than any stainless steel sink we've had before.

See all these gray marks?  They are from all the pots and pans and silverware and what not.  I actually prefer to hand wash most of the dishes so lots of dishes get tossed in here. Why, you might be wondering would I want to hand wash the dishes when we have a dishwasher right next to the sink.  It's a mystery.  It's like sneaking a bubble bath for my hands in the middle of the day.

I tried vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and our natural cleaners with no luck.  I called the former homeowners and asked what they used.  We're friends, so it wasn't weird.  They had a cleaning lady (ahhhh....) but she said that she herself had used a bleach cleaner anytime she cleaned it.  I ventured down the chemical aisle and picked up something that made me cringe a little.  I used it and it didn't do anything about the gray streaks.

A quick google search led me to Bar Keepers Friend.  I found it at Target for under $2.  

You just pour it right on the area and give it a little scrub.  It worked like a charm. 

Just make sure that you rinse everything well. They first time I used it, I got really zealous and ended up with it on my forearms.  It didn't all get rinsed off and it burned my skin.  Not crazy bad, but I learned my lesson.

Sparkly clean sink.  You can even use it on stainless steel items if you want.  Bar Keepers Friend had been around since 1882.  The active ingredient is from the rhubarb plant.  It's made in Indianapolis, so I'm considering it local.  I just referenced the website and there is a long list of household uses.  I may try to clean the tile in our bathroom with it this weekend.  Good times at my house!

So, Bar Keepers if my friend too.  If only they could something about this pile of dishes.  At least they are clean. 

This is in no way a paid advertisement from the fine folks at Bar Keepers Friend, but wouldn't it be cool if it was.