Cleaning product evangelism

Emp_Fab

I have discovered the most amazing stuff ever.  I've been searching for years for something that will properly clean off the smeary-oily coating that builds up on my windscreen after a few weeks of motorway driving.  Nothing I'd tried to date worked - with the exception of Coca Cola (and I've tried everything you can think of - even potatoes).  Anyway, I've been getting fed up of buying 2l bottles of Coke and pouring them over the windscreen (and getting some very funny looks in the process !), so I spent some time Googling and found a post on a forum from someone who used to work in a car dealership and he mentioned that they used to use something called 'Bar Keeper's Friend'.

So, I got some.  (£2.75 in Lakeland).  It's a white powder that is a mixture of citric acid and oxalic acid.

OMFG !!  This stuff is streets ahead of any other cleaning product I've used - not just for the car either.

I tried it on that caked-on vegetable oil 'varnish' that you get on steel roasting trays and frying pans - I've previously scrubbed and scrubbed with brillo pads / super rough scourers etc, and after wearing my arms out, I might have got some of it off.  This stuff....  is nothing less than powdered magic...  a small dab of it on a damp cloth and within a few seconds, it's all coming off.

Everything I've tried it on so far has turned out like new with the minimum of effort.

...and yes, it cleaned the windscreen in seconds too.  Magic in a bottle I tells ya....

Myranda

Does it clean dog piss off laminate flooring that's not yet been laid?

Emp_Fab

Oooh... you know how to hurt a guy.

holnrew

I am intrigued. Reckon it will last long?

Emp_Fab

What will last long ?

holnrew

The bottle.

CabbageCat

When I was a Little Chef monkey we had this anonymous pink powder that we called "Pink Powder". It was a cleaning panacea. Everything it touched was as good as new. Maybe it's the same stuff as your Bar Keeper substance (but pink).

stickyfiddle

Lakeland cleaning stuff is always brilliant. Their "sticky stuff remover" is great

wibble

A vinegar solution or a window cleaner with vinegar in it (eg Mr Muscle), together with old newspaper usually does the trick.

Make sure you clean your wiper blades as well. And it helps if you don't use a car shampoo with waxes in it all over your windows!

frankus

what do you clean the wiper blades with?

PolarityMan

IM BARRY SCOTT AND IT's NOT WHAT I'D RECCOMEND

Emp_Fab

holnrew said:

I am intrigued. Reckon it will last long?

Er... I suppose a lot depends on how often you clean with it and how much you use when you do.  :-)

In reality, it's a reasonable size bottle and it's only a couple of quid, and unless you've got acres of stinking stubborn stains, I reckon it will last for at least six months.

Myranda

Emp_Fab said:

holnrew said:

I am intrigued. Reckon it will last long?

Er... I suppose a lot depends on how often you clean with it and how much you use when you do.  :-)

In reality, it's a reasonable size bottle and it's only a couple of quid, and unless you've got acres of stinking stubborn stains, I reckon it will last for at least six months.

So... not a toilet cleaner for Holn then?

Emp_Fab

LOL....  I doubt even pure fluoroantimonic acid would be good enough for that.

(isn't Wikipedia fab ? !)

Phil_aka_Pip

Given the thread title I'm surprised you didn't say it'd wash your sins away too

TTony

I shall recommend it to my cleaning operatives.

monquixote

What does it do to car paintwork?

Myranda

monquixote said:

What does it do to car paintwork?

Cleans it all off... 

Handsome_Chris