Can you make oxalic acid from Bar Keepers Friend?
While the process for making oxalic acid is pretty cool, it’s probably a lot easier to pick up a can of Bar Keepers Friend from your local grocery store! Felicia Savage is a content strategist, agile marketing enthusiast, and Digital Marketing Manager at Bar Keepers Friend.
Is oxalic acid in BKF cleanser?
Even though oxalic acid is a core ingredient, it makes up just under 10 percent of BKF’s cleanser. You don’t want to just use straight oxalic acid to clean your cookware or wipe down your counters.
What is the surfactant in Bar Keepers Friend?
Linear Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate serves as the surfactant in Bar Keepers Friend. Surfactants are compounds that “lower the surface tension of water, making the molecules slippier, so they are less likely to stick to themselves and more likely to interact with oil and grease” and so on.
Does Bar Keepers Friend powder really work?
Yes, oxalic acid is the active ingredient that sets the product apart, and definitely the major reason Bar Keepers Friend powder works. But the other component that helps it really clean? Abrasives.
Does Bar Keepers Friend contain oxalic acid?
Bar Keepers Friend's seemingly magic powers come courtesy of its main ingredient, oxalic acid. This natural substance attacks rust, lime, tarnish and other stains on a molecular level, breaking the bonds holding them together to eliminate all trace. It works on multiple surfaces, too.
What acid is in Bar Keepers Friend?
oxalic acidThe canned product's primary active ingredient is oxalic acid. Bar Keepers Friend has various cleaning uses.
Is Bar Keepers Friend just citric acid?
The Bar Keepers Friend ingredients in the Soft Cleanser are: Citric Acid. Polymeric Dispersant* Nonionic Surfactant*
What does Bar Keepers Friend contain?
Bar Keeper's Friend, if you haven't heard of it before, is a powder cleanser—and a powerhouse cleaner. The active ingredient is oxalic acid, a natural compound that's found in rhubarb and spinach and works at a molecular level to break the bonds of stains like rust and lime deposits.
What cleaner has oxalic acid?
Bar Keepers Friend Relax. It's not what you might think. In fact, if you look on the back of a can of one of my favorite cleaners, Bar Keepers Friend, you'll read: Contains oxalic acid. That miraculous product, Bar Keepers Friend, a 12-ounce can is highly diluted generic oxalic acid.
What should you not use Bar Keepers Friend on?
6 Things You Should Never Clean with Bar Keepers FriendDon't use BKF on polished stone such as marble or granite. ... Don't use BKF on concrete, wood, or any other porous surface. ... Don't use BKF on appliances with protective layers. ... Don't use BKF on lacquered, painted, mirrored surfaces, or colored grout.More items...•
What products have oxalic acid in them?
Leafy greens and other plant foods are very popular among the health-conscious. However, many of these foods also contain an antinutrient called oxalate (oxalic acid)....beet greens.rhubarb.spinach.beets.Swiss chard.endive.cocoa powder.sweet potatoes.More items...•
Is Bar Keepers Friend baking soda?
Is this stuff just baking soda in disguise? (It is not.) It's an entirely different chemical, oxalic acid, and it is hardcore. While my interactions with human beings have withered and my home bar-keeping has skyrocketed, I'm spending more and more time with Bar Keepers Friend.
What is the difference between Soft Scrub and Bar Keepers Friend?
So, What's the Difference Between Bar Keepers Friend Powdered Cleanser and Soft Cleanser? The bottom line is that the Soft Cleaner can be easier to use and more convenient, while the original Powdered Cleanser may be better at deep and restorative cleaning.
Is TSP oxalic acid?
Tri- sodium phosphate (TSP) eats away the built-up dirt on the deck while oxalic acid brings out the grain and original brightness and color of the wood. The best part is these chemicals are safe for treated lumber or to prep for re-staining or coating your deck or patio.
Are barkeepers friends toxic?
The main ingredient in Bar Keepers Friend is oxalic acid. Although it occurs naturally in some plants and vegetables, such as chives and rhubarb, it is considered toxic. You must use caution with this ingredient because it has caustic (corrosive) properties. That said, oxalic acid is 100% water-soluble.
Will oxalic acid damage stainless steel?
The calcium build-up from hard water stains not only looks bad, but it hinders cooking and can hide bacteria. Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser contains oxalic acid, which breaks down and removes calcium deposits from hard water. Better still, it is non-abrasive, so it safe for stainless steel.
A Deeper Dive Into Bar Keepers Friend Ingredients
Besides oxalic acid, what’s in Bar Keepers Friend? Are the other ingredients toxic?
What Bar Keepers Friend Says
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) aims to protect and improve human health globally. Bar Keepers friend is an NSF-certified product, and products with an NSF certification have proven compliance with public health standards.
Is Bar Keepers Friend Safe to Use on Cookware?
I’ve mentioned that ingesting Bar Keepers Friend is harmful, so you might be wondering if cleaning your cookware with it puts you at risk.
How to Use Bar Keepers Friend Safely
As long as you follow the instructions, refrain from mixing it with other chemicals like bleach, and wear protective gear, you can use Bar Keepers Friend safely.
FAQs About Bar Keepers Friend
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Bar Keepers Friend:
Bar Keepers Friend Alternatives
If you’re concerned about the toxicity of Bar Keepers Friend, here are the best alternatives.
Bottom Line: Is Bar Keepers Friend Toxic?
Now that you know the ingredients in Bar Keepers Friend and how to use it safely, you can make an informed decision as to whether its toxicity is worth the risk.
What is the active ingredient in Bar Keepers friend?
As a retired PhD chemist, I am always interested in great home cleaning products and how they work. One active ingredient in Bar Keepers Friend is oxalic acid, an extremely strong chelating agent that I am familiar with from the laboratory. Without getting too technical, a chelating agent binds super strongly to metals (magnesium, calcium, iron, etc.). Since bathroom scale is mainly magnesium carbonate with some calcium carbonate, oxalic acid reacts with the scale, sucking out the metal and turning the carbonate to carbon dioxide (a gas), making the scale magically disappear. If you are interested, the chemical reaction for oxalic acid reacting with magnesium carbonate is HOOCCOOH + MgCO3 --> MgOOCCOO + CO2 + H2O. Similarly, rust is iron oxide, and the oxalic acid binds to the iron, breaking up the rust and making it disappear when rinsed away."
How does Bar Keepers Friend Work?
Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish has become the premium house-hold cleanser used by many a home brewer. Using a non-bleach, plant based cleanser plus mineral scrubbing micro particles, BKF attacks tough stains from two directions.
What is the best product to clean brewing kettles?
We often talk about how imperative it is that your brewing equipment is kept clean and sanitized, we've recently discovered the wonders of Bar Keepers Friend, a wonderful cleaning product that will clean your brewing kettles and keep them bright and shiny!
What is a bar keeper friend?
The beauty of Bar Keepers Friend is that while its name may refer to its use in keeping a bar clean (it began as a polish for brass rails in turn of the century taverns), it's an all-purpose product that is used to clean all kinds of stainless steel products such as pots and pans, acrylics like bathtubs and counters and cooktops.
What is the chemical that breaks down rust?
The oxalic acid, found in plants such as rhubarb, attacks hard rust and lime stains at the molecular level, breaking up the bonds that hold them together. Once those bonds are broken down, the mineral micro scrubbing particles move in to finish the job, polishing as they remove dirty brewing deposits.
Bar Keepers Friend's secret ingredient comes from food
So what is it about this stuff that sets it apart from other cleansers? An active ingredient in Bar Keepers Friend is oxalic acid, which just happens to occur naturally, in high amounts, in the rhubarb plant (which is actually a vegetable).
It's not just the acid that makes Bar Keepers Friend work
Yes, oxalic acid is the active ingredient that sets the product apart, and definitely the major reason Bar Keepers Friend powder works. But the other component that helps it really clean? Abrasives.
A WWII Navy and CIA veteran took over Bar Keepers Friend in 1956
Navy and CIA veteran Dr. Beurt SerVaas had first learned about the product from his grandmother, who used the product in her kitchen. Armed with this knowledge, SerVaas later used the product at his electroplating business before taking ownership of Bar Keepers Friend in 1956.
2022 is the 140th anniversary of Bar Keepers Friend
One look at the product's packaging and you might be able to tell this cleanser & polish has been around a long time. But would you have guessed Bar Keepers Friend was first sold in 1882? The Washington Post reports that back then, the powder was sold in brown paper bags.
The Bar Keepers Friend logo represents the swinging doors of a saloon
It's so subtle you might not have noticed, but the logo is in the shape of two old-fashioned saloon doors in honor of the product's history. While the product has had different logos and packaging throughout its long history, this one pays special homage to the company's roots ( according to the company itself ).
You can clean your sneakers with Bar Keepers Friend
White sneakers look great until they're no longer white, right? While bleach might come to mind for brightening your kicks, Bar Keepers Friend can actually work on tough shoe stains, too. Keep a can near a utility sink at home for cleaning grimy shoes.
Bar Keepers Friend works on rust
Save your rusty utensils, car parts, and tools from a bleak future in the landfill by scrubbing off rust with Bar Keepers Friend. Yes, there are other products specifically marketed for use on rust, but who doesn't love a multitasker that can clean everyday messes and save things that nearly need refurbishing?
How long does Bar Keepers friend sit?
Bar Keepers friend is amazing at how quickly it works. For most applications letting it sit for one minute is enough for BKF to work its magic.
How to stop eye irritation from gloves?
First, wash your hands, then remove contacts, and then rinse your eyes with water and continue doing so for a few minutes. If eye irritation persists, seek medical advice.
What to do if BKF gets on your hands?
If BKF gets on your hands, wash with soap and water. If skin irritation occurs, get medical attention. Be sure to take a list of BKF ingredients with you.
Is BKF cleaner recommended for 2021?
June 16, 2021. There’s no denying that Bar Keepers friend is an amazing product. Our fans sing the praises of our products all the time. However, there are times when BKF products are NOT recommended. While BKF cleaners are highly effective in combating rust and grime within mere minutes, there are things you shouldn’t do, ...
Do you have to wear gloves when cleaning with BKF?
Always wear gloves when cleaning with BKF products. OK, I’ve broken this rule and gotten away with it, but that doesn’t mean I always will, and neither will you. I’m going to commit right here and now to wearing gloves when I use BKF.
Can you use BKF on surfaces?
While BKF cleaners are highly effective in combating rust and grime within mere minutes, there are things you shouldn’t do, and certain surfaces you shouldn’t clean, with BKF. After all, it’s a very powerful cleanser. Here’s our guide on the ways NOT to use Bar Keepers Friend:
Does BKF scratch glass?
The micro-abrasive particles may temporarily leave a white film if not rinsed completely. The abrasive used in BKF will not scratch glass or porcelain when properly used.”. — Bar Keepers Friend FAQ. 8. Don’t Make a Dry Run. Bar Keepers Friend was never designed to be used dry.
What can Bar Keepers friend do?
Bar Keepers Friend can tackle mineral deposits on the shower door, rust on the grill, crayon marks on your painted walls, and so much more. It certainly does belong in every cleaning caddy and is worth considering for messes in rooms throughout the house.
Can you use Bar Keepers friend on stainless steel?
Don’t use it on stainless appliances without knowing this fact first. Bar Keepers Friend can remove rust, and this includes those irritating marks on your stainless steel refrigerator. Just know that Bar Keepers Friend can compromise the coating that minimizes fingerprints.
Is it safe to mix bar keepers friend with bleach?
Mixing cleaning products is always dangerous, and this bears repeating when discussing what not to do with Bar Keepers Friend. In particular, when Bar Keepers Friend, an acid, is mixed with bleach, toxic chlorine gas fumes are produced. Use Bar Keepers Friend alone, and rinse any areas you used it on before using any other cleaners in the same spot.
Is Bar Keepers friend safe?
In addition to making sure you’re not inhaling it, it’s important to protect your hands by wearing gloves. 4. Don’t actually use it on everything.
Can you leave Bar Keepers friend on too long?
Leaving the product on too long can cause discoloration on some surfaces, so don’t take a chance with this one. Use a timer and be sure to rinse it off once it’s worked its magic. 2. Don’t use it without getting it wet. Bar Keepers Friend in classic powder form allows users the flexibility of adjusting the ratio of cleanser to water, ...