The History of Bar Keepers Friend

In 1882, chemist George William Hoffman cooked some rhubarb in a tarnished pot. When he was finished, he noticed that the formerly tarnished pot was sparkling clean. Being a chemist, he did some research and discovered that oxalic acid, which is present in rhubarb, is an effective cleaner for rust, tarnish, and lime stains because it attacks them at a molecular level, breaking the bonds. Hoffman realized this was a useful discovery and set to work creating an oxalic acid-based cleaning powder, which he sold to tavern owners as a polish for brass bar rails. The results were so impressive that the tavern owners began referring to the product as “Bar Keepers Friend” and the name stuck. Shortly after World War II, U.S. Navy veteran Dr. Beurt SerVaas was running a small plating shop. He noted that customers routinely asked him how to clean metal items. He always answered that his grandmother used Bar Keepers Friend, so he decided to purchase the product from the Gisler Polish Corporation — then the distributor of Hoffman’s invention — in 1956. Today, Bar Keepers Friend is made in Indianapolis. The current product line has undergone only minor changes in ingredients and packaging since Hoffman invented Bar Keepers Friend in the 1800s. It is known for its ability to clean a variety of surfaces effectively, including cookware, sinks, tile, and more.