Thanksgiving Cleaning with BKF from the Grout Up!  

November 11, 2020

This post will be the first of three about using BKF’s many products to prepare your home for the holiday season. We’ll concentrate on one of the first things you’ll want to focus on—your floors, baseboards, grout, and well, anything close to the ground.

As I write this, it’s November 1st, only 23 days until Thanksgiving. This year will not be a traditional celebration for many folks, including my wife and I. It’s predicted there will be less travel, smaller gatherings, and more virtual visits. My wife and I will be celebrating with my two daughters and four grandchildren virtually. The kids all live in Florida. We don’t feel comfortable or safe traveling.

Even so, there are traditions my wife and I will continue to honor. I’ll bake a turkey and make cranberry sauce. She’ll make mash potatoes, gravy, a green bean casserole. I’ll watch football while she knits. And as it turns toward evening will choose a Christmas movie to watch. And, just as if we were hosting a Thanksgiving Day for friends and family, we will deep clean our home before turkey day.

I know we don’t have to clean the homestead. I understand only my wife and I will be in attendance. However, we will be sharing our home virtually, and besides, it wouldn’t feel right not to clean. Do you know what I mean?

Cleaning your Grout with BKF

I use BKF to clean the tile in front of my fireplace. We use the fireplace most nights in the fall and winter so it can get dark and sooty. BKF works wonders. I use Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser about once a week, and it keeps it shiny. For tougher grime I use BKF Powder.

“I came across a few mentions of using BKF to clean grout. Of course, I had to try it for myself.” said Shifrah Combiths of Apartment Therapy. “I wet the grout a bit, sprinkled on some Bar Keepers Friend, worked it in with a scrubby pad, and wiped it off. The grout was clean!”

How to Clean Your Grout with BKF

What you’ll need: 

• Two small buckets filled with water
• Two sponges or soft rags
• One scrubbing cloth or brush
• Bar Keepers Friend Powdered Cleanser.
• Gloves

Wet the grout – begin with one three or four-foot section and lightly wet the grout with your sponge.

Sprinkle a small amount of BKF on the wetted grout.

Scrub the grout with the brush.

Rinse and repeat as needed.

Here’s a one-minute video that shows you how to clean your grout with BKF.

Don’t Forget the Baseboards 

Okay, I must admit I forgot the baseboards in my bathroom. The front bath is my domain. My wife has her own bathroom. Earlier this year, I deep cleaned my bathroom with BKF. I talked about it in this post, Bar Keepers Friend Fall Cleaning Checklist. However, I didn’t clean as deep as I thought I had because, like I said – I forgot the baseboards. Sigh.

Last week as I mopped my bathroom floor, I noticed the baseboards. They were grimy. How did I miss this? I’m going to use the excuse that men are hunters and only notice moving things. That’s why we can never find the catsup in the fridge.

Anyway, I grabbed a can of  BKF Spray + Foam, which is perfect for a vertical application because, unlike many cleaners that wash down, Spray and Foam clings to vertical surfaces. I let it sit for about a minute and then wiped it off with a cloth. Voila! I deep cleaned my bathroom baseboard in minutes.

Granite and Stone Floors 

Do you have a granite or stone floor entryway? If so, we have the product for you. Bar Keepers Friend Granite & Stone Cleaner & Polish. BKF Granite and Stone cleaner can be used on more than floors and countertops; it works great on marble and quartz. And it does wonders with bathroom vanities, sealed stone tile, backsplashes, polished stone mantels, and fireplace surrounds.

Have a Happy (and Spotless) Thanksgiving

Yes, this year will be different for many of us, but everything hasn’t changed. Bar Keepers Friend will still make your home the envy of everyone who visits you on Thanksgiving Day, whether it’s a few family and friends, a virtual visit, or you and your partner.

Bonus Thanksgiving tip: One of the things I do to give our home that holiday ambiance is put a pot of water on the stove, add a couple of slices of lemon and then sprinkle it with rosemary, thyme, and oregano. It smells like the holidays.

About the Author

Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek and on weekends (after COVID-19) he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook: A crash course in effective management.