Can You Clean Your Menorah with BKF?

December 14, 2022

So, can you clean your menorah with BKF? Maybe. Menorahs aren’t all the same. Menorahs come in various materials, including gold, silver, brass, ceramic, and glass. According to the Hebrew Bible, the original menorah was gold, and only fresh olive oil was used as fuel to light the lamps.

How to Clean a Brass Menorah 

The first step in how to clean a brass menorah is knowing whether it’s brass or brass plated. Brass is an alloy derived from copper and zinc, while brass plating is a layer of brass alloy. Scrubbing too hard can scratch the plating. Before using BKF on brass plating, test a small spot. So how do you tell the difference between brass and brass plating?

“A sure way to tell the difference between the two is to use a kitchen magnet. If the magnet sticks, then the hardware is brass-plated. You will need to be extra gentle with brass-plated items. If the magnet does not stick, then the hardware is solid brass.” — How to Clean Door Hinges and More

• Wet the brass menorah using a damp cloth or sponge
• Apply BKF Powdered Cleanser or Soft Liquid Cleanser
• Let it sit for one minute
• Clean the surface using a soft sponge
• Rinse
• Use a soft dry towel to dry and polish
• Repeat as needed

Pro Tip: To reach hard-to-access areas, gently use a soft-bristled toothbrush.

BKF fan Melanie submitted these Before & After photos of her brass candle holders. Thank you for sharing this with us, Melanie!

How to Clean a Glass Menorah 

• Make a paste of Bar Keepers Friend Powdered Cleanser and water. Note: Be stingy with the BKF powder. You don’t need much
• Rub it on the menorah and then let it sit for two minutes
• Next, wipe up the paste with a soft wet cloth
• Shine it with a dry rag or paper towel

How to Clean a Ceramic Menorah 

To clean your ceramic menorah, you can use either BKF Cleanser or Soft Cleanser, a sponge or non-scratch scrubber pad, some water, and a clean, dry cloth.

Sprinkle the powder cleanser, or apply the soft cleanser onto a damp sponge or scrub pad, and spread the solution over the menorah. Then let it do its magic for two minutes. Next, gently wipe the menorah and shine it with a soft dry cloth.

Cleaning a Silver or Gold Menorah 

Although many of our fans have used BKF on silver (sterling silver is OK) and gold, we advise against it. If you decide to try BKF on silver or gold, test it in an out-of-sight spot first.

“You can use Bar Keepers Friend to clean tarnished silver trays and serving dishes. Use it sparingly, as a little goes a long way on silver! You’ll be shocked at how shiny and clean your silver can look. This little pitcher was a vintage thrift store find that was horribly tarnished. I honestly didn’t think it would ever look new again! But after a couple of minutes of scrubbing, it was bright and shiny! — Jill N.

What about Candle Wax? 

BKF products will remove candle wax to a certain extent, but a significant build-up left over time may take more than one cleaning with BKF. I mentioned this to a friend who shared this hack for cleaning candle wax from The Maids website.

“Put your hair dryer on medium heat and begin melting the wax. As it softens, dab the wax with a white paper towel. Continue dabbing with clean parts of your towel until the wax no longer transfers. For remaining wax residue, wipe the area with hot, sudsy water and a clean cloth.” — How to Remove Candle Wax From Any Surface

Whatever material your menorah is, we know one thing for sure it is made of love. Happy Hanukkah.

Photo by Dad Grass on Unsplash