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.
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.)
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.
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!
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.