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Even if rust stains aren’t a problem you have, you need this bleach-free rust stain remover in your life! It has multiple uses, not just rust stains. From mineral deposits and rust stains to knife marks on ceramic dinner plates, this product does not disappoint. Oh! And by the way, it’s safe for septic systems! My absolute favorite use for Bar Keepers Friend is obviously for removing rust stains. It removes rust from ALL…THE…THINGS! Even FABRIC!
If you have rust in your well water, you know what a pain in the neck it is! It leaves awful stains on EVERYTHING! The shower is the worst because so much of its surface is hit by the water.
{NOTE: If you don’t have a water softening system that removes the rust from your well water, this product is just a temporary fix!}
Sometimes I forget about adding the rust removing salt to our softening system. Here’s the filtering tank with plenty of salt, but when the stains happen this tank is completely empty.
And this is the ugly result.
Someone thinks they are cute. Yes, hello rust. I see you. Believe me!
A True Friend
Enter…Bar Keeper’s Friend bleach-free rust stain remover!
One of my besties for sure! Click To TweetBar Keepers Friend is a bleach-free powder cleanser. You can read more about BKF here. It is a fabulous product. I highly recommend it for all sorts of cleaning projects! They have a whole line of products. I have only tried one of them but after using this with such great results I cannot wait to try some of the other products. Like the cookware cleanser! I have a strong feeling it would work very well on enameled cast iron without scratching! Also the foaming spray I think would be great for fabrics. The idea of the soft scrub type cleaner is great too because you don’t have to be concerned with inhaling the fine powder!!
I will definitely let you know in some future posts if I like some of the other products.
I have also used it for stainless steel pots in my kitchen without a whole lot of elbow grease. You could use this on an enameled cast iron pot that is stained but I would caution you to be very careful! The directions say to be careful when using on surfaces that can easily scratch. The thing is with this stuff, as you will see, simply leaving it to sit on the stained surface for a few minutes is incredibly effective. There really isn’t a whole lot of “scrubbing” if you allow the product to start working before you start getting with it.
Here’s how I use this Bleach-free Rust stain remover in my shower.
The first step is to spray down the shower with hot water. Next, sprinkle BKF liberally all over the tub and shower. To make it easier to scrub I like to let it sit for ten minutes or so. It starts to work like magic. Like a disappearing act. Or the bit where the magician saws the lady in half, except for real!
You don’t need a whole lot of elbow grease with BKF. However, I use a green scrubby like the one below. They work really well to evenly distribute the cleanser.
Wet your scrubbing tool of choice and start to smear the cleanser all over the stained areas. It will make a sort of a paste with the water you sprayed and the water in the scrubby. Spread that paste everywhere!
You don’t need to scrub hard AT ALL. I promise. I know I keep saying that but you really need to know this it’s one of the best things about this product! It saves so much time and energy.
At this point, you just want to get the cleanser evenly spread over all the stained area. Once you have it spread evenly you can let it sit until the stains have disappeared. About 10 minutes.
Or feel free to scrub. The stains will scrub fairly easily but, I say:
Work smarter, not harder! Click To Tweet
See how the stains are disappearing where I smeared the cleanser?! It is so satisfying!
You may have to scrub a few little nooks and crannies. But, for the most part, you’re done. Give it a good rinse. And, voila!
So fresh and so clean, clean!
The End-ish
I have forgotten the rust removing salt in the softening system more than once. That mistake has cost me a few light-colored shower curtains. I haven’t figured out yet how to use BKF to remove the stains from plastic shower curtains. A good old fashioned wash in the machine DOES NOT do the trick. :/ So, I bought a dark grey curtain the last time I forgot. It hides the stains well! Happy cleaning!
[February 9, 2020 UPDATE: Woo Hoo! I did a little experiment the other day with a replacement plastic shower curtain liner that was terribly stained from yes once again forgetting the rust removing salt. I should set a reminder on my phone or something. Sheesh! Now that would save me some time and energy. Anyway, back to the experiment. I took the stained plastic liner down, put it in the tub with just enough water to cover it and then sprinkled the Bar Keepers Friend right on top. Swished it around to evenly distribute the product and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. The stains COMPLETELY disappeared with just a soak!!! I am telling you, THIS STUFF TRULY IS MIND-BLOWING!]
Have a wonderful day!
🙂 Leigh Ann
Leigh Ann
Leigh Ann Schooley is the owner and founder of Making My Abode, a blog dedicated to helping homemakers live well and simply on one income. She is a believer, wife, and mother of three with more than sixteen years of homemaking experience. Leigh Ann is the recipient of the Wife of The Year award eighteen years running. She has also won the Mother of The Year award every year for the past sixteen years. She is a Colorado native raised by her dad who taught her almost everything she knows. Leigh Ann lives with her husband and family in Colorado.
I love Barkeeper’s Friend! I have been using it to get the cutlery marks off my white plates, the burnt-on crud on the bottom of my pots and pans and on my baking sheets… Plus it’s been magic in the kitchen sink. What a game-changer!
Yes, Laura! I have yet to try it on my baking sheets. I am so glad to find out that it works well on them!
I have not tried this brand of cleaner yet, but I am going to get some of these soon! I like that it is bleach free. We can’t use any cleaner with bleach in the house. My husband cannot tolerate the smell and he starts to wheeze. I will try BarKeepers Friend. Thanks for the honest review.
You’re welcome Kristine! I hope it works well for you. The Bar Keepers Friend has no smell. Maybe just a bit of a metallic smell but nothing even close to how bleach smells.