This post is sponsored by Bar Keepers Friend, however all opinions are 100% mine. Affiliate links may be contained in this post.
I’m not even gonna lie – I had to google what copper was supposed to look like to make sure I was just cleaning it and not stripping it off this cookie jar.
That’s how bad it was.
Or how pathetic I am.
I picked up this sweet little cookie jar (that has never once housed cookies, only applesauce pouches and fruit snacks) on a Goodwill excursion a few years back. It was actually a half-off Goodwill day and I found it at the end of the day for a whopping $3 so not only was I shocked it was still there, but it was a great deal.
I had originally thought I might spray paint it in order to cover up all the spots on it. I’m not sure what all the “spots” were as it didn’t look like rust, but I figured it was beyond the point of no return. Not wanting to loose the copper feel though, I left it as is on my counter for the past three years.
I’m really glad I never went crazy with the spray paint on it. Because it looks like this now…
I know, right?
Here’s how I did it…
How to Clean Copper
You’ll Need:
- Water
- Damp Cloth (an older one you don’t care to mess up)
- Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish
- Gloves
Step 1
Rub the damp cloth over the copper to make it slightly wet.
Step 2
If you haven’t already, put the gloves on. Speaking from personal experience, if you do this without gloves, the cleanser will dry your hands out, so I don’t recommend going without the gloves.
Sprinkle Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish onto the copper. If you are working with a medium to larger sized item, work in small sections like I did.
Using the damp cloth, scrub the cleanser all around on the copper until you see the true shade of the copper appear.
On those spots I had, I did have to use a little more elbow grease to remove them, but they eventually came off just fine.
The image below was about halfway through my cleaning.
You can see the right side has been cleaned and polished with Bar Keepers Friend and the left has not.
Step 3
After you have cleaned the entire piece with Bar Keepers Friend, I suggest rinsing, then washing it with a little dishwashing liquid to remove any cleanser residue. Dry it with a towel afterwards to prevent water spots.
Crazy, right?
Grunt Labor saw it afterwards and said he never even knew it was supposed to look like that.
I didn’t tell him I had to go look up what copper was supposed to look like so I would know. 😉
Have you used Bar Keepers Friend before?
You might also wanna see…
How to Remove Rust from Chrome
How to Restore Hardware
You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.
Sign up to get my posts delivered to your inbox here.
Stalk Me Here:
Bloglovin / Pinterest / Facebook / Twitter / Google+ / Instagram
Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Bar Keepers Friend, however all opinions and admittance of not knowing what copper was supposed to look like are 100% mine.
I have used Bar Keepers Friend to get the gray spots/streaks off white dishes. Yesterday I cleaned a cereal bowl of my Mother’s. She was going to throw away. Love the product.
I have used Bar Keepers Friend on white dishes to remove the gray streaks left from utensils. Yesterday I cleaned a cereal bowl Mother was going to throw away. I love it and would enjoy the gift!
I love using BKF for cleaning my sinks. It’s great for hard water spots. Thanks for the giveaway!
I love my can of BarKeepers Friend and use it a lot. I did not know they had so many other products and would love to try them all.
I’d clean all my pots and pans. They probably need it more than I’m willing to admit.
The tough areas around my sink in the kitchen. The entire kitchen could use it all, thanks for the chance!
I use Bar Keepers to clean my white kitchen sink. Think i’ll try it on my white dishes as some of the other comments have suggested. Thanks for the give away.
I’d love to try this some old pots and pans!
I have never used this product before, but have heard a lot of great things about it. I would like to use it on old hardware first I think.
I use it to clean my sink in the bar:) It’s made in Indiana (GO HOOSIERS).
Gotta love it!
I HAVE A HOUSE FULL OF COPPER AND AN ENTRY DOOR COVERED WITH COPPER. I WOULD CERTAINLY PUT IT TO GOOD USE.
Love this stuff!!! What a great end result.
Oh the things I could clean if I had all the Bar Keepers Friend products! I would use it on everything possible from the patio furniture & bbq to the bathroom sink & dogs’ water bowls. Not to mention that my kitchen would be so bright & shiny that you would need sunglasses to walk in there! Thanks for the chance!
Love BKF. My mom has had it around the house since I was little and it was one of the first things I bought when I moved into my own house… I really need to remember that I want to use it on a jelly roll pan tonight
I’ve used Bar Keepers Friend for….well, forever! And it truly is one of my better friends 🙂 It is so perfectly safe for soooo many things that could be scratched by abrasive cleaners……such as a pretty little copper canister!
I would use it to clean my pot sets and stainless sinks.
I have always liked to use this product.
I have pots and pans with a copper bottom.
I would use it to clean my kitchen, bathrooms, pots/pans and outdoor furniture.
Pots and pans first plus everything else in the kitchen including the sink.
i have a mitre plate metal that I use on my job when cutting wallpaper. It always gets rusty . Great product to clean with
Great giveaway! Thanks!
My pots and pans, but most importantly I have a big copper barrel we use when we have family over. We fill it with drinks and ice.
The cookie jar looks so beautiful!! I love BKF for cleaning our kitchen sink! I also used it when we moved into our new (new to us – 9 year old) home to clean the filthy stove top. It’s also works great on our Lustre Craft Cookware.
I have an antique dry sink that is lined with copper … that we use as our bar of course. That definitely needs a refresher! thanks for the opportunity!
I use my barkeepers to clean the oven door. Its a self cleaning oven but when the cycle completes, the inside of the door needs a little extra love everytime
That is a great idea, Edward! Mine is the same way as well – I’ll have to try BKF on it next time!
would use it on my new glass top stove.
Hmmmm, never thought to use BKF. I was taught to dip a cut lemon in salt and rub the tarnish away…and then display pieces were rubbed with lemon oil to prevent retarnishing! Might have to try it to see what works quicker!
i have never tried this product but have antique brass set, that needs cleaning.
I used to help my mom clean houses when I was younger, and she used BKF on nearly everything! I can’t imagine how fast she went through the stuff. It is amazing on porcelain sinks! And showers/tubs! And getting stains off the bottom of pots and pans! That stuff is a dream!! I wouldn’t mind adding a bit to my BKF arsenal. =)
I’m glad you said that about using it on tubs, Katie! I’ve got some spots I need to try it on! Thank you!
I would clean my pots, pans and sink.
I would use barkeeps to clean my sink and silver pans that I can’t get clean! Amazing how your copper container turned out after use!!
My sinks!
I would use this to clean the bathrooms.
My whole house could use this stuff! But first I would clean my glass top stove, stainless steel sink, & pots & pans. There is no end to what this stuff will clean, super product. Thank you for the tip & the giveaway. God bless.
Bike handles!
Nice job! I had no idea Bar Keepers Friend worked so well or that they had so many different products.
I would clean the sinks and bathtub water stains and the black marks inside of the dryer
I would use it on my pots and pans.
I have not tried this yet. I would love to try it on my pans. Some of them really need it.
I would use it to keep my stainless steel sinks sparkling.
I use BKF on my glass cooktop, stainless steel sink and my SS pots and pans. I love this product and would love to win this giveaway!
I use it to clean my stainless steel sinks and gas cooktop
Wow what a difference it made!
I’d use these items to clean my sinks and stove top. What an amazing job!
Most definitely would use this all around the house. Mainly on pots and pans.
I use Barkeepers friend on my sink and my pots and pans.
I have used Bar Keepers Friend on my bathroom sink
I use Bar Keepers Friend on my pots.
I collect old copper and have,well, probably about 500 pieces. Most need cleaning. I get them at garage sales and then they sit until I have time to clean them. You make it look easy and quick. Can’t wait to try Bar Keepers Friend on my old copper.
Hi Jenna, My Grandma told me about BKF back in the 70’s when I got my first apt. She said that I would never find a better product for removing embedded grime and soap scum from porcelain to polishing silver, brass and copper, all without scratching. She was an army wife and had to move a LOT, she said that she could get the groadiest tub or sink to look almost new using BKF in some of the rental units they had moved into. I never doubted her advice and have been using it ever since. It is the best!I am so glad the you know about it now too!
It is so awesome, isn’t it, Wendy?!! How cool is it that even our grandparents were rocking BKF and we still do!? It is really great stuff!
I use it on my stove top and S/S kitchen sinks.
I am new to BKF so I would have lots to do! Topping the list are my pots and pans.
I would clean my pots and pans as well as my grill. They all could use a good cleaning!
I already use Bar Keeper’s Friend for cleaning rust spots out of my bath tub.
I would use it to clean my sink and pots and pans.
I wonder if I could use it on my car wheels? Boy, they need some cleaning!
What wouldn’t I clean. I have a stove, dishwasher, sink, toaster and many other things that just won’t come clean as good as I would like them too. This product looks and sounds amazing….
If I won the Bar Keeper’s Friend pack, I would clean my new non stick cookware.
I used it on a tub that I tried everything under the sun to get clean and this worked like magic.
I use bar keepers helper to keep my old porcelain sink, sparkling white . It was what my grandmother used on
It too.( Its the same sink)
I would clean my golf cart
Porcelain ,Faucets, windows,COINS
would use it to clean everything
I have used Bar Keepers Friend for years! I use it on everything from tubs to sneakers. Thank you so much for offering such a wonderful giveaway!
I’d clean everything!
I’d clean my old copper tea kettle!
My kitchen and bathroom sinks.
I would clean my copper teakettle
I’ve heard BarKeepers Friend also works well at cleaning the inside of pots like my enameled cast iron dutch oven, so I’d see if I could get mine white again.
I would use it on all my stainless steel pans!
I’d clean the top of my stove.
I use BKF all the time: On my All-Clad and Le Creuset pots, my stainless-steel sink,the bathtub and on thrift shop ceramic that has gray utensil stains. Couldn’t do without it!
I have plenty of pots, pans and cookie sheets that I would love to tackle with this!
I have a few copper pieces and a couple of silver canisters that I would use Bar Keepers friend to clean.
I’m 45 and have been using BKF since I was a teenager. It is simply amazing stuff. Tip: transfer the powder to a labeled clean shaker container, such as the ones in which grated Parmesan cheese is sold.
I have many pots and pans that could definitely use this.
This stuff is a dream! I clean for a living and I don’t go a day without using it! I’ve only used the powder though, I’d love to try some of the other ones to see how they work on an old dirty faucet!
coriwestphal at gmail dot com
I have old copper mold from my grandmother I would clean them up had no idea you could clean copper like this.
I would clean my pots and pans.
I use on my sinks and it works really well
I use it on everything I can that I want clean this stuff is amazing I LOVE it! I tell my friends abiut it all the time. When I go yardsaling and find old copper pans I buy them for cheap and clean them up looks brand new.Thanks fir the chance
I clean everything with it I love this stuff its awesome. I buy pots and pans at yard sales that people think are trash bring them home clean them up brand new ! bingo lol LOVE this stuff.
My cookware has definitely seen better days and could really use a good cleaning. Hope to win!
I have some copper flower pots this would be great to try on!
I use Bar Keepers Friend to clean Tupperware. It gets out any and all stains.
I would use it on the sink.
I have copper pans that I would continue to use Bar Keeper’s Friend to keep shiny.
BKF for my sinks and faucets. It’s the only thing that works.
I would use it on my Revereware pots and pans with the copper bottoms to mske them look new again.
I use BKF to clean my sinks and faucets. Also the bottoms of my cookware. Cuts the buildup like a charm.
Looks great and I love your counters! I’d use bar keepers friend to clean the nasty stove top of our new house!
All of my pots and pans, they need it.
I would clean my pots and my sinks!
I love using it to clean vintage Pyrex!
I would clean my bath and kitchen..especially my bathroom! It gets horrible
I need to try this on my pots and pans. Wow, I can’t believe how nice it works. For sure getting some!
I would definitely clean the pots and pans.
i would clean the counter tops and the sinks in the house !
I use it to clean my kitchen sink
I clean all my porcelain items and stubborn stains on my pots.
I read other comments that used it on plastic items. I am going to try it on my plastic containers. I currently use it on my copper pans.
I would do my outdoor light fixtures. Thanks so much for the chances to win.
I have some cookware that needs cleaning badly
I would be cleaning everything!!!! But I wuld start with my shower!
I have some baking pans that I can never seem to get clean!
I would use it to clean my pots and my white porcelain sink.
I would use it to clean my stainless steel sinks in the kitchen.
I’d use their products to clean my copper bottom pans and my stove cooktop.
I would clean everything I could get my hands on with Bar keepers Friend…. I can clean pots, my sinks, I like to go treasure finding at the thrift stores and now I can buy things I usually pass up because they look tarnished and need some sort of help that I didn’t think I could give them…. so that will be so fun finding things just so I can use and try Bar Keepers Friend… that is exciting for me !!!!
I’d clean my stainless cookware with it.
I have some pans/Pots that need to be cleaned using this!! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
I would use it on my pans.
I have a collection cooper tins for candy my grandmother left me but I could not use because of how they looked. I would use this on them.
Love to use it for my sinks
I love this cleanser, Use it all the time but not for copper. I use steel wool to clean my copper stuff. My friend uses catsup. Whatever works yes?
That’s right – whatever gets it shiny!