Bar Keepers Friend in the Dishwasher

[a440]

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Just wondering if anyone else has tried this?  Or something similar.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">I had some very baked on crocks that I did not have the time to run a "Soak & Scrub" in the KDS-18.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">I thought what the heck and put 1 tablespoon of "Bar Keepers Friend" in the pre-wash cup. Put my regular detergent in the "wash" cup. Ran a "normal cycle".   Of course this was an experiment, and I was shocked at the cleaning it performed!  I have done this several times with amazing results. </span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">I would not go over the 1 tablespoon.  When the cup opens in the pre-wash you can hear the "suds" start.  It has never overflowed.  It did clean in the loads that I have experienced with perfectly.  These are loads that I would have used the "Soak & Scrub" for.  And yes I have tried normal cycles without the "Bar Keepers Friend" with results being some crocks and casserole dishes having some "left overs" still on the utensils. </span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Any other experimenters out there?
</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Brent</span>

 

[tomturbomatic]

I would be careful. It is an acid and will strip the glaze off porcelain. It is OK to use a weak acid from time to time to remove calcium/magnesium hard water deposits, but only one that dissolves completely like citric acid. BKF has abrasives that do not always completely dissolve. You don't want to be bombarding the interior of the dw or the items in it with abrasives nor subjecting it to acid repeatedly if it does not have a lime buildup. I don't know what kind of crocks you were washing, but not all glazes are acid resistant either. You can't replace that 18. It would be a shame to shorten its life or ruin the appearance of it by using non-dishwasher-approved chemicals in it.

 

[a440]

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Good Point Tom.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Now I know why BKF gives me dishpan hands!</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Brent</span>

 

 

[combo52]

BAR KEEPERS FRIEND

I would also be very careful using anything with abrasives in the dishwasher as it may grind away the carbon and ceramic water seal in the pump. The resulting seal leak can ruin the motor and many other parts under the machine. Ruined motors from water seal leaks are one of the most frequent reasons that people replace DWs as it can cost a lot to fix, its like having bad bearings in a FL washer. My brother had an early 1980s WP DW that had developed a slight squealing noise from the pump seal and noticed that after cleaning a lot of items with BonAmi cleanser and putting them through the DW for the final cleaning the squalling sound was gone, so we figured that the abrasives in the cleanser had re-honed the water seal. I have used this trick since then to eliminate seal squeal but would be careful about doing it to often.

 

[a440]

Thanks Guys!

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">John  & Tom,</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Thanks for the education!  I feel so dumb because the thought never entered my mind about the abrasives on the shaft seal!  Duh!!!</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Are there any additives that you would suggest that would not be harmful to the dishwasher.  Besides STTP?</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium;">Brent</span>