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Can You Use Bar Keepers Friend on Cast Iron? (Answered)

Operating since 1882 Bar Keepers Friend has made a fortune and name for itself in the cleaning industry. There is almost no stain that can escape the powerful cleaning of this product.

However, there are some concerning warnings regarding its use on certain materials or surfaces. Today we’ll be going over those and other things related to Bar Keepers Friend. Keep reading below to know more about BKF and if it can be used on cast iron.

Can you use Bar Keepers Friend on cast iron?

We can use the Bar Keepers Friend (BKF) on the cast iron. However, we would need to follow a certain procedure to make that happen. Although the procedure is not something complicated either, just follow the instructions labeled on the product and you will be good to go.

The Bar Keepers Friend is a powerful product that can be used in many places and then again cannot be in other places. This is because the way it is designed is not like any other product on the market.

The Bar Keepers Friend will get rid of almost any kind of stain you can think of but sometimes, due to being so strong, it can damage certain materials or surfaces.

Marble and Gold can be two examples where we cannot use the Bar Keepers Friend. Therefore, we made a list of some of the most common places where the most stubborn stains reside. Let us go over them and see if Bar Keepers Friend can clean them out.

Cast iron skillet:

Bar Keepers Friend has no warning against using it on cast iron skillet.

Cast iron tub:

When it comes to any porcelain, fiberglass, tile, or more. Bar Keepers Friend has got your back for handling those types of things.

The Bar Keepers Friend has been known to save multiple people from ever replacing the bathroom tiles or even their dirty bathtub.

 Furthermore, the Bar Keepers Friend has been rated one of the best tub cleaners out in the market.

Cast iron stove grates:

Bar Keepers Friend has no warning against using it on cast iron stove grates.

Cast iron sink:

The Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser, Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser, and the Bar Keepers Friend MORE Spray+Foam is the bunch of products that we can use on sinks and cookware. However, only on stainless steel sinks and cookware. The marble sink is off limits for the Bar Keepers Friend.

Cast iron pan:

Bar Keepers Friend is not allowed to be used in cast iron pans that are not coated. The company warns against this act of using it on cast iron pan, that any kind of normal cast iron will get ruined.

 Bar Keepers Friend can only be used on the enameled and lacquered cast iron cookware. Those are the only coated cast iron pans that the Bar Keepers Friend is usable and will not damage the product.

Cast iron grates:

Even after taking the things outdoor in this case, Bar Keepers Friend does not sway away from cleaning almost all the rust. Cleaning cast iron grates can be one of the most difficult things to do.

 However, Bar Keepers Friend makes it as easy as cleaning up a piece of cake at a birthday party.

All we need to do is apply Bar Keepers Friend on the grates, add some water make a paste of it by scrubbing it gently, and then you are done after a rinse.  

Does Bar Keepers Friend ruin cast iron?

BKF is a product that cleans all of the sturdiest and most stubborn stains from kitchen appliances and other products. Here are two of the main reasons why it might ruin a cast iron if we use it on it.

Not Approved:

There are certain materials and surfaces that the Bar Keepers Friend is not approved to use.

Out of the many, one of them is called “Uncoated Cast Iron”. Their website also heavily warns against using it on any run-of-the-mill cast iron.

Therefore, we can assume that the Bar Keepers Friend will ruin cast iron that is not properly coated. Since the BKF is not recommended to use on such products.

A little too Powerful:

Bar Keepers Friend is a product that comes with elaborate and multiple warnings. This is mainly because the product is powerful enough to work in a few mins. They even warn us against keeping it on too long.

Considering all the warnings as well as the no go to use it on anything else other than a coated cast iron, says a lot. Specifically, it says not to use it on any normal cast iron.

Is bar keepers friend safe on enamel cast iron?

The BKF or the Bar Keepers Friend is one powerful reagent for cleaning. However, we cannot use this particular product all willy-nilly and apply it to everything we find. In fact, the product is not allowed to use on non-stick surfaces.

Not just that there are other things like marble, granite, plastic, uncoated cast iron pads, wood, gold, and silver. These are of the many things that this product is not approved to be used on.

Although we luckily say that the product is usable and is safe as well on enamel cast iron. This and another type of cast iron are the only ones that are safe to use the Bar Keepers Friend on.

How to clean enamel cast iron with bar keepers friend?

The Bar Keepers Friend is a product that can be used in a certain type of cast irons only. The company warns heavily against using Bar Keepers Friend on just any other cast iron.

However, in this case, we are going to talk about how to clean an enamel cast iron with BKF which is fine. Keep reading below to know about the process.

Gather the pans:

At first, we need to gather the things that we need for the cleaning process, and they are as follows; Bar Keepers Friend, an empty sink, a nonabrasive sponge, and finally a soft cloth or paper towel.

Rinse with water:

After getting the things we need; we start by rinsing the pan with water. We need to do this thoroughly and then leave it wet.

Sprinkle BKF:

We sprinkle more or less a tablespoon of Bar Keepers Friend at the bottom of the pan. We let that rest for a while before going on to the next step.

Use soft sponge:

We get that soft nonabrasive sponge that also needs to be damp and slowly start scrubbing the small areas of the enamel cast iron. We need to do this a few times in a circular motion.

Clean with water:

After scrubbing gently in a circular motion with the sponge we can now rinse the enamel cast iron with clean water.

Dry with paper towel:

After rinsing it properly, we get the paper towel or the soft cloth we got and dry the enamel cast iron.

Repeat the process:

We repeat the same steps for all the sides of the pan. This way the pan will be completely clean from any sort of stains and you will get your money’s worth from Bar Keepers Friend.

How often should you clean cast iron with Bar Keepers Friend?

Bar Keepers Friend is a product that needs no explanation when it comes to kitchen cleaning agents. A lot of people already use it and they have been around since most of our date of birth. 

The BKF is a great product but also is a powerful agent, using it without the cautionary guidelines will beget nothing good. Things will get worse and if you are uncertain about something always make sure to contact them or read the instructions carefully.

A normal misconception is with the BKF that you should not use it too often. But to be honest, using it is not the issue here regularly. If you need to clean any of the approved surfaces then go ahead, just do not do the things that they warn against.

Final thoughts

Bar Keepers Friend is an amazing product that has amazing prowess and it needs to be handled with care. Not all the surfaces are approved for cleaning with this cleaner. The BKF cannot be used on all types of cast iron, only on the coated ones can it be used safely.