I’m wondering if it’s possible that I’m the only person walking around who didn’t know how to quickly remove those obnoxious and pesky dark scratch marks from my dishes. You know, they’re the ones that are embarrassing when you have guests — to the point that you rummage around until you find the dish that you hope is the least offensive. Look at what I mean.
Seriously, it looks as if a toddler armed with a number 2 pencil went on a scribbling spree all over my white bowls.
I did notice, however, the dishes I have that are a little pricier – Pottery Barn versus Cost Plus World Market, for instance, didn’t seem to have these marks. I don’t know if that’s across the board, it’s just my experience.
Above is a white bowl similar to the scratched one, and just as old, but it’s from Pottery Barn and still looks like new.
Since nothing I tried removed the marks, I did what any resourceful person does in the 21st century — I Googled my way to pristine dishes. After all, if I could Google how to layer my hair, this was going to be a breeze. It was.
For me, the key was to get it done quickly. I didn’t want to soak the dishes in peroxide for five days or smear them with toothpaste, stand on my left foot with 11 inches of tin foil wrapped around my right ear and wait for the magic to take place. I wanted to clean them without dulling the glaze, and then move on.
I know you probably already know this, but maybe there’s one person reading who’s going to be as gobsmacked and thrilled as I was to learn that all it takes for the dish makeover is to grab a can of Bar Keepers Friend. (The Very Handsome Luke makes any product shine.)
As often as I’ve had to find this powdered cleanser for readers of my Where Can I Find It column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, I admit that it never occurred to me to buy it myself. I just assumed it was similar to Ajax or Comet, which I do buy. It’s not. There’s no bleach in Bar Keepers Friend, and if you want to know how it was developed by a chemist while he was cooking rhubarb, then read here.
I grabbed a can the next time I went to the store and gave it a whirl.
Couldn’t be simpler. Sprinkle on a bit of Bar Keepers Friend, then using the scrubby side of wet sponge start rubbing off those pesky marks. As you can see just to the upper left of the powder, my first try easily got rid of the marks. Note that if you have hairline cracks on the glaze, which I do on these bowls, then Bar Keepers Friend can’t uncrack the glaze. It’s good but it’s not magic. Close, though.
But the before and after is still amazing, and BKF added new life to dingy dishes.
I confess that not only did I have some embarrassing bowls, but I also owned a set of flatware that I loved, but some of the knives were spotted with rust, which I couldn’t remove, even using rust remover. I bought these about 20 years ago from Williams-Sonoma, and I still don’t know why they rusted. Any clue is greatly appreciated.
You got it. I tried my new best friend, BKF, on my favorite flatware but, this time, I used the soft sponge side, not the scrubby because I didn’t want to risk scratching the steel.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have my knives back all sparkly and shiny.
Now, I’m on a roll and I want to get started on the grill. We’ll see how BKF does with that Herculean task. In the meantime, how do you use Bar Keepers Friend? Tips and tricks?
The very sweet Dexter is always eager to help when I need a cute factor for a utilitarian product.
Chez Sabine 
As always wonderful info. I needed that! Love those beautiful helpers. Hug them for me, they cheered me up!
Glad they pleased you, Laura!
Can’t wait to try on my dishes and flatware. Thanks for the great info
Thank you! Great info as always. Luke and Dexter are so adorable.
Deya, thanks. They are pretty cute when they’re not driving me crazy. :)
who, what, when, WHERE, why
Walmart? Smart & Final?
And while you are at Smart & Final, those pumice blocks for scraping grills works GREAT for removing paint from fenders and car bodies in preparation for a paint job.
Love a good pumice stone! As for BKF, you can pick it up at most grocery stores with the other powdered cleansers; Walmart probably has it, too. It’s usually not hard to find. Thanks for reading!
This is non-abrasive, right? I’m thinking of applications.
It’s slightly abrasive, but not at all like Comet or Ajax. I would test it first and make sure that you use it with a sponge or cloth, not a scrub because that will cause scratching on some materials. (My dishes were fine with a scrub) For instance, I used it very lightly on my stainless cooktop with a soft, wet cloth and it turned out great. It’s something I might use on that maybe a few times a year, not for daily cleaning. The key here is to make sure to always use it wet. The can gives you plenty of information. But, for me, it’s really user friendly. But don’t use it on gold or marble. It’s not for cleaning jewelry. Also, there’s a liquid and now a spray. Not sure how they work, though. Thanks for commenting, by the way.
Hello, My name is Chrissy and I work for Bar Keepers Friend. This is a great blog!! We appreciate your kind words. It’s exciting to read how our products help around your home. Thanks again.
Thank you, Chrissy. Love when I find a product that works so well and easily. Thanks for reading.
WOW! I thought I needed to buy a new set of dishes. I have never tried Bar Keepers Friend but will go out and buy some today. Looking forward to unmarked dishes.
Leah, thanks. I’m starting to feel less alone. I think you’ll be pleased with the results. Now, I want to know what else it does. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.
The reason your knife blades rusted was that they are made from 18/0 stainless. Some manufacturers Oneida, Supreme, Laufer, Georgian House and so many more quality manufacturers made the handles with 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel; the blades were made of 18/0. 18/0 could be honed to sharpen the blade. I am an old flatware maven and as far back as I go 1978 no one ever sharpened the blades…at least in the U.S. So the blades were prone to pitting and rusting especially if and perhaps you used lemon additives in the dishwasher.
another reason for stainless knife blade rust, i’ve recently learned after having the same problem, is that the blade is often made from 13/0 stainless steel for the extra hardness of more iron, less chromium. also, chlorine bleach will react with stainless steel causing corrosion. (my bad!)
thanks for the info on bkf. i use it for other things, but after my mistake with the bleach, i didn’t feel much like experimenting with it for fear i might make things worse. i feel more confident about using it on my flatware now..
As far as how do get rid of scratches. The answer is to have them professionally polished. I do my stainless flatware and serving pieces. You can’t get rid of the scratches with a cleanser.
Im so excited to find this post! I have Noritake dishes that have thesis marks! Def gonna get me some BKF!! Also, re: the post about silverware, I have 18/8 Gorham SW and it occasionally gets rust marks. Comes off with a light scrub from an SOS pad however the key is to make sure you don’t have anything that does rust in your DW near the silverware. Once I eliminated and replaced those rusty items, no more spots!!!