Most stainless steel sinks will benefit from a cleaning with Barkeeper’s Friend. It will take the spotty, almost tarnished look from the sink.
HOW TO USE BARKEEPER’S FRIEND
1) Be sure that the entire area you will be cleaning is damp. Clean only the sink, not the faucet. Sprinkle the Barkeeper’s Friend sparingly, but be sure there is enough to thoroughly clean the sink. Because the Barkeeper’s Friend, chemically, as well as with gentle abrasives, removes build up and stains, it leaves nasty dark gray stains on whatever cloth is used to clean the sink. Rub the Barkeeper’s Friend in the direction of the brushing on the sink – usually around the perimeter and vertical strokes (back to front or front to back of the sink) for the bottom of the sink.
2) Use only a cloth or paper towel with Barkeeper’s Friend. DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF SCOURING SPONGES OR PADS (the white or green ones) or ANY TYPE OF SCOURING PAD (such as Brillo or Choreboy). You will scratch the sink surface. Because of the staining problem, I tend to use paper towels to clean the sink, or an old already stained dishrag.
3) Barkeeper’s Friend leaves a white residue that must be rinsed away – I keep rinsing out the dishrag until it runs clear – and then use it to wipe the rest of the residue. Rinse down all of the white residue that is left. The rinsing of the residue is tedious if there is a lot of Barkeeper’s Friend in the sink – why we sprinkle it on sparingly to start!
4) To make the sink look its best, dry the whole inside and lip of the sink with a dish towel, rag or a paper towel.
5) If you didn’t wash the sink strainers in the dishwasher, wash them with Barkeeper’s Friend before you do the sink.
After you cleaned the sink, wipe down the faucet with a paper towel damped with Glass Plus, Windex, or All Purpose Kitchen Cleaner. Make it shiny by drying with a fresh paper towel or dish towel if there are streaks or spots, set in the sink strainers, and admire your work!
At our house we do the sink with Barkeeper’s Friend once or twice a week. – then we never have much buildup to deal with. If you just need to do a quick touchup, you can sprinkle a little of the Barkeeper’s Friend on a cloth or paper towel and clean the area, then rinse and dry.
