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Got Scratches?

If your dishes no longer look that presentable...
I have a tip for you!

It is called Bar Keepers Friend...
has been around for over a century...
is cheap as borscht...
and can be purchased at any Canadian Tire Target near you.

Why had I not heard of this product before?
Who knows. 

But I'm spreading the good news today.


I purchased some off white vintage-y looking dishes  ten years ago...
 a Martha Stewart line at Sears...
on clearance.

Not long after...
I found an open-stock porcelain line of dishes called Cream Lace which matched up just perfectly.
I added all kinds of pieces to my set and would mix-and-match them on the table.

The Cream Lace dishes still look brand new.
The Martha Stewart line...
not so much!
The surfaces were covered in scratches left by the utensils.

What to do?
A google search recommended using Bar Keeper's Friend.

I went on a hunt...
found it at Canadian Tire for around $2...
came home and scrubbed away all my scratches in no time less than 30 minutes.


The dishes are back on the table...
looking presentable once again!


30 comments:

  1. Great tip, thank you!

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  2. I use it on my stainless steel sink - shines without scratching. It's great for removing soap and water deposits from bathroom drains too. I didn't know this tip for dishes though - thanks!

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  3. It does work well...it's wonderful!

    If you are a Pyrex (vintage) collector or even own a few pieces, do not use it on any of the painted surfaces or on the motifs...it could possibly (and I had it happen ONCE!) damage it. The white areas are fine and that's where you see marks the most on Pyrex.

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  4. I've used it on my sinks but hadn't thought to use on plates. Thanks for the tip

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  5. I've used it for years but didn't know you could use it on dishes.

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  6. thanks for the tip! love those dishes. ;)

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  7. Works great for pots and pans too. Shines them up like new after getting food cooked on that is usually so hard to remove. ;-)

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  8. Thanks Judy - I had no idea those scratches could be removed. I almost bought a new set of everyday dishes because of the scratches on my Debbie Travis set but decided I couldn't justify the cost. Now I'm glad I kept them and will go find that product!

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  9. BKF is great for removing rust spots too - even on fabric.

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  10. I use it on my white sink ~ the best product for getting it sparkling white again! Great stuff ~ I'll remember the tip to use it on my dishes.

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  11. I too use it on my white sink, works great! Thanks for the tip about white plates...will have to try this.

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  12. And it does a wonderful job cleaning my stainless steel pans. I scrub them first, then wash in hot soapy water. They shine!

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  13. Bar Keeper's Friend is great on a lot of things that you don't want scratched :-)

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  14. Bar Keeper's friend is most always found in the Dollar Store where I live! I bought Pfalzgraf Winterberry dishes, a whole set, at a consignment shop for only $ 4 ! Nobody wanted them because they were covered with black lines and spots. The Bar Keeper's Friend made them look brand new! Wheee! Love these dishes for the holidays and never thought I could afford to splurge for them!

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  15. I've been using it for almost 40 years. I love this product!

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  16. This is great! I've also used a baking soda paste (baking soda and water) or stainless steel cleaner that I use on my pots.

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  17. Who knew? I have some utensil marks on my dishes and will look for this product at Canadian Tire too - thank you for the tip.

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  18. Another product that works is Bon Ami, available in most USA grocery stores. It is the sink cleaner in the yellow shaker can with the newly hatched chick and the logo "Hasn't Scratched Yet!" My mom always used BonAmi and her now 50+ year old sinks still look new. Ajax and Comet used to scour the surfaces off porcelain and make them porous.
    (Plus as good non-drinking Christians, using a product name "Bar Keeper Friend" was scandalous!)

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  19. My daughter told me of this trick. BKF is the best stuff out there for so many things and I have been using it for some time. I never thought to try it on my dishes until she mentioned that she saw this tip on Pinterest. It works great to get that greasy sticky gunk off things and to even shine up my toaster. The liquid BKF is great for the shower walls and enameled cast iron pans. Love this stuff.
    Thanks for sharing the tip!!

    PS Thoughts on Life and Millinery. That is pretty funny!! hehehe I will be hiding my can of BKF now!!!

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  20. Wonderful information. Thank you!

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  21. BKF and Zud are the only things recommended for antique claw foot tubs. So, one or the other is always here for my claw foot tub. I use it for Correlle baking dishes and for the stop top Correlle. It cleans all the black/brown stains from the bottom where it sits on the stove eye. I use either of those powdered cleaners on appliances, too. I have been using BKF for over 35 years on the tub and Correlle. So far, I have not ruined anything with it, even wood. I am very cautious with wood.

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    Replies
    1. I also use it on my Correlle table ware. A drop of Dawn encourages bad spots. Oh, rust spots on dishes disappear with BKF and Zud.

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  22. I have never heard of this and am so glad for the tip!!! Must try this on my old earthen ware plates that look pretty worn and awful right now!!!

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  23. What a great tip. I am going to try this on some very expensive Denby cups that I have been too embarrassed to use because of the dark marks on the outside of them!

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  24. Good tip! I will remember this (hopefully). Another thing about pyrex, they will explode if they are hot and you lay them down on water. So, if you have water on the kitchen counter and take it out of the oven and set it down, it will explode. You have to put them on a hot pad!

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  25. Great tip about the dishes. Do you have one for cleaning cloudy/milky looking glass?

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  26. I love your dishes! I have a thing for white-on-white dishes - bought some years ago that's called "White Wicker" and was delighted to find some pieces years later on a sale table at a hardware store! I also have my mother's wedding/engagement china, although many pieces are missing. I wish Bar Keeper's Friend could fill in the chipped pieces in the decorative rim of Mom's china :(

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  27. I use BKF for sinks, and it is my "last resort" if plain salt or baking soda can't do the job on baking dishes, the stovetop, etc.

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  28. I use it on the glass in our shower stall, and on the shower surround. Clean the soap scum right off!

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