How and Why to Spot Test Our Products

April 2, 2025

If you’ve followed Bar Keepers Friend long enough, you’ve likely noticed that we always recommend spot-testing withour products! However, it’s not only our products you should test. Any cleaner used to clean a sensitive surface, such as metal, porcelain, or glass, should be spot-tested before cleaning the entire object. Knowing how to do spot testing effectively is essential. Luckily for you, we’ve laid out the steps in this handy how-to guide:  

How and Why to Spot Test Our Products

Choose an Inconspicuous Spot

You should spot test any time you’re cleaning a material not recommended for the cleaning product or if you’re unsure what the surface material is.

Most cleaning products list what they can clean and how to use them. For example, we highly recommend the original powder for glass, bronze, aluminum, and stainless steel., but not for polished stone, gold, silver, or painted surfaces.

Select a small, hidden area on the surface you want to clean. This could be the bottom of what you want to clean or another inconspicuous area. I spot-tested it inside the bell when I first tried BKF powder on my brass trombone –  Cleaning My Musical Instruments.

Is it Recommended?  

There are thousands of examples of people using BKF products on “unrecommended” surfaces. Some were successful, and some were… not so much. It’s always best to exercise caution.

“I must tell you, in this cleaning session, I broke some rules. I cleaned materials not always recommended for Bar Keepers Friend, such as a wood camping table, and some things I wasn’t sure about, like clay flowerpots. So, before I attempted to clean something I was unsure about, I tried a small out-of-sight spot first, and you should always do the same.” — Using Bar Keepers Friend Outdoors.

Apply the Cleanser

Whether you’re using the original Powder Cleanser,  Soft Cleanser, or any of our products, follow the directions on the label. Use a small amount of the cleaning powder on your chosen spot. Allow the cleaning powder to sit for the recommended time on the label.

After the specified time (for most BKF products, it’s only a minute or two), wipe away the cleanser and inspect the spot. Look for any adverse reactions, such as discoloration, fading, or damage to the material.

If there are no negative effects, the cleanser is likely safe to use on the rest of the surface—as long as it is all one material. By spot testing, you can ensure that the cleaning powder will effectively clean without causing any damage to the surface.

Pro Tip: If the surface you want to clean is damaged, such as scratched, faded, or peeling, it might be best to avoid strong cleaning products.

Whether cleaning your kitchen, bathroom, or garage, BKF has many products that do a great job and make the job easier. We’d love to know what your favorite BKF products are! Let us know, and send us your before and after photos. They may end up in our gallery!

If you enjoyed this post, you might find this helpful: Which BKF Product for What Surface?

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.