National Secondhand Sunday: Cleaning Up Secondhand Finds Using BKF

November 27, 2024

National Secondhand Sunday is the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Its purpose is to encourage everyone to consider secondhand gifts. Secondhand gifting promotes sustainability by reusing rather than discarding still usable items. Bar Keepers Friend wholeheartedly supports this. The thousands of secondhand treasures restored using BKF make us proud.

What Others Had to Say about Using BKF to Bring Secondhand Finds Back to Life

“I love the look of aged brass. To me, the tarnish is a much-loved patina. But for some pieces, the tarnish needs to be removed. All it takes is some elbow grease and Bar Keepers Friend.”  — She’s Crafty — How to clean thrifty finds.

15 second Tik Tok Video: I cleaned this thrifted brass vase with Bar Keepers Friend

“If you want to restore tarnished brass  to the item’s shine, use a liquid metal cleaner and polish like Bar Keepers Friend according to package directions.” — Better Homes & Gardens Magazine — Secondhand Finds

“If you find Alex and Ani bracelets in the Rafaleian gold finish (brass with a gold color finish), use Bar Keepers Friend to remove tarnish, and they will look brand new. Great stuff in general; it’s the only thing that gets scuffs and stains out of my farmhouse sink.” — BdBurchell

“If you are wondering what cleans brass up of the black spots, instead of throwing out clean with bar keepers friend cleanser, it took all the black off the brass on this bed, and the brass came up new, like a new bed! Cast iron and solid brass headboard from a thrift store for 15 dollars.” — Tanya P — Secondhand Finds

Some Benefits of Secondhand Gifting

• Promotes Sustainability

When you gift by choosing secondhand items, you help reduce waste and minimize their environmental footprint of tossing things away.

• Supports Local Charities

Many, if not most, thrift stores and secondhand shops are run by nonprofit organizations, so shopping secondhand often supports local causes.

• Encouraging Creativity

Finding unique secondhand items can inspire creativity and personalization in gift-giving—and it’s a lot of fun!

How to Celebrate

Here are some ways to observe National Secondhand Sunday.

Shop at Thrift Stores

Visit local thrift shops or online secondhand marketplaces to find unique gifts. On the west side of Indianapolis, we have Goodwill, Salvation Army, and several other thrift stores. What’s in your area?

Host a Swap Party

Gather friends and family to exchange items they no longer need, promoting reuse and creativity. I heard of one group who made a white elephant game out of doing this.

Share Your Finds

Use social media to showcase your secondhand gifts and encourage others to participate.

Secondhand Gift Exchange

Why not make your family, co-worker, or friend gift exchange a secondhand event?

National Secondhand Sunday is a Fun Day!

National Secondhand Sunday is a fantastic opportunity to rethink consumer habits, embrace sustainability, and support local communities. By choosing secondhand, we can all contribute to a healthier planet while finding unique and meaningful gifts for loved ones. So, when you see a secondhand treasure and use BKF to spruce it up, why not take a few before-and-after shots? We’d love to hear from you. If you have photos, you can upload them here.

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

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.