Cleaning your AC SS

[YT2095]

I assume you're talking about Bar Keepers Friend being primarily oxalic acid, YT? Actually, oxalic acid is both a mild abrasive and a bleaching agent ... it can be used to bleach wood, remove stains like tea, coffee, mustard, and Kool Aid, or fruit juices as well as rust, hard water deposits and metal tarnish. When I use it I scrub with BKF, rinse well with water, then wash with a liquid dishwashing detergent, rinse well again, and then hand dry.

Foods that contain oxalic acid extend far beyond rhubarb leaves ... such as buckwheat, star fruit, black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, rhubarb stalks, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, chocolate, most nuts, most berries, beans, asparagus and tea - for starters. And, the human body can actually produce a synthesized oxalic acid from ingestion of mega doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) that are in excess of the body's daily dietary needs.

indeed I was, and yes it`s a very good reducing agent, although in plants it`s rarely the free acid but rather Oxalate salts.
an idea of the toxicity can be found here: OXALIC ACID
it`s the strongest of the organic acids too, but great for getting Rust stains off clothes without affecting the garment!

 

[Andy M.]

Actually Andy, BKF didn't make a dent in the carbonized oil on this pan. Brillo, however, cleaned it right off, even on the shiny outside of the pan. The shiny stainless is a lot more durable than you think. I don't use BKF anymore.

View attachment 2320

BKF is not the best for the condition in your photo. that's why I recommended Dawn Power Dissolver. Spray it on and wait. The stuff comes off with a teflon safe sponge.

Brillo works as well but the shine on the SS is reduced some.

 

[Caine]

I bought my tri-ply stainless pots and pans to cook with, not to admire my handsome face in, so I really don't care what they look like, as long as they're clean. Mine go into the dishwasher, with Electra-Sol dishwasher detergent. I've even been known to get aggravated with cleaning my Calphalon One frying pan by hand and end up throwing THAT into the dishwasher. Yes, the ouside gets a kind of white haze on it, but, I don't cook with the outside, and the inside comes out spanking clean!


BTW, after a few hand washings, the white stuff pretty much goes away.

 

[fishboy605]

an idea of the toxicity can be found here: OXALIC ACID

The reason THAT is so toxic is because you are ordering it from a chemical company and it is 99-100% pure which would mainly be for college chemistry courses. BKF is not nearly as potent.

 

[YT2095]

possibly yes, that assay on the Oxalic I have in my Lab is 99.999% Ethandioic acid dihydrate, and it`s handled carefully.

as for BKF, I`de still be very carefull, better safe than Sorry and all that!