keep Bar Keepers Friend from clumping?

Turning to another 1st-world dilemma, how do you keep Bar Keepers Friend from turning into a solid clump inside the container?

It just comes with a peel-off sticker over the openings at the top so air gets in and causes it to form solid clumps. I’ve tried putting an old lid from a different container on top but it isn’t a tight fit, it just rests on it, and doesn’t seem to work very well.

I’m sure there is no intention on the part of the company to make people need a new can sooner than they would have otherwise (cough), but has anyone come up with a way to make it last longer?

I wish I had enough moisture in the air during the winter to worry about my BKF clumping.

From the BKF website:
“A helpful tip for those who may want to cover their can of BKF if stored under the sink or in a humid environment is to cover the top of the can with a sandwich bag (a rubber band can be used to make an air-tight seal if necessary).”

They also mentioned choosing to not sell it with a lid to make the product more affordable to the consumer.

Additionally, they sell a liquid version but it is more expensive.

Transfer it to a Tupperware container.

The liquid version smells bad, and is also less abrasive.

My BKF clumps. It is a nuisance. Recently when it became a solid lump I pried the lid off and broke it up with a fork, then left the canister uncovered. Now I have to be careful not to shake too much out.

The product should come in a container with a lid, like bulk size spice containers. How hard is that? Maybe I’ll just transfer the BKF to one of those spice containers the next time I have an empty one (labeling it clearly, of course.)

Maybe cover the container with a piece a foil and put a rubberband around it.

Never had mine clump or harden unless it was an old can and I’d been reckless about water getting in. I usually leave a piece of the sticky top in place.

Otoh, my kosher salt surprised me, this week. Despite being sealed with plastic and a rubber band and kept in a dry place, it’s starting to be a little lumpy. Weird.

Never had any issues with BKF powders in rather humid Seattle and assumed that it had some sort of anti-caking agent in. :slight_smile:

We haven’t had that problem in humid HI either, or at least H hasn’t mentioned it—he’s the primary user of it.

Funny I forgot you can get it in powder form - I’ve been buying the liquid!

I actually had issues with the liquid stuff - the granules were clumping into a ball that was impossible to break up by shaking. So I went back to the powdered stuff!

The powdered stuff works better. It also smells awful, but the odor dissipates quickly.

I agree that the powder works much better. I keep one bottle of the liquid for really delicate cleaning because it is less abrasive and just doesn’t seem to have the same cleaning power.

Fresh liquid stuff works just as well as the powder, but becomes less efficient because the particles settle as it sits, so the liquid coming out of the bottle loses its scrubbing power.

Mine also clumps. I solved the issue by covering the top with a sandwich size ziploc baggie and secure with a rubber band.

If cleaning copper, all you need is table salt and vinegar. Removes tarnish immediately.

How did I not know about this product before? Just bought it today and cleaned my textured shower stall floor and it is clean for the first time ever!

For me, the clumps develop when I sprinkle it in/on a pot that is in hot water, so I attribute it to the steam rising from the water.

Also, the liquid BKF splashed on a shirt of mine and immediately bleached it, so I threw it in the trash and will never buy it again.