Bar Keeper's Friend Should Be Your Friend, Too

Today's post is written by my Mom.

Isn't she lovely?  Ok, not so much.  

I found this Pyrex Spring Blossom patterned 1 1/2 qt oval casserole at the Goodwill Outlet a couple of years ago.  I often see glass baking pans at the Outlet covered in baked on grease, like this.  Most people think they're ruined, but I know better.  I have a secret weapon.

Bar Keeper's Friend (BKF)

Bar Keeper's Friend is a powdered cleansing product.  Unlike Comet or Ajax, BKF uses oxalic acid as it's main ingredient, making it especially effective at removing rust stains and polishing up copper bottom pans.  It is less abrasive, as well.  We use it around the house on the glass cooktop, stainless steel and aluminum pans, and of course, all our glass cookware.

Unfortunately,  I can't find a picture of that casserole after I cleaned it up, but let me assure you, a little bit of BKF and it cleaned up so well it looked brand new.  I found a lid for it and gave it to a friend as a housewarming gift.

I do have some other before and after pictures, though.

This is a glass cake plate I bought at an estate sale for 50c.  

It was covered in what appeared to be mineral deposits.

This is what it looked like partway through cleaning it.

I bought this sorry looking refrigerator dish for 25c because I wanted it's lid, but then decided to experiment with the BKF just to see how much it could be cleaned up.  It's still not a pretty Pyrex, but you can see the difference a little BKF can make.

Here are the two of them together, all cleaned up. 

Another Pyrex piece before

and after.

I bought this Blue Butterprint casserole even thought it was a bit faded from the dishwasher and had lots of little grey marks, because Blue Butterprint doesn't come along every day. 

I wasn't able to restore the shine, but I did get rid of the dark marks and the baked on food.

You do have to be a little bit careful with BKF.  Even though it is not as abrasive as some other cleansers, it is still an abrasive product.  I found out the hard way that it will scratch mirror-finish aluminum.  Duh.  I should have known.  It can also scratch plastic. And as with anything on Pyrex, tread lightly.

I have one other suggestion for cleaning Pyrex.  When it comes to getting crud out of the edges, try a toothpick.  Often you can rub crud off with the point of the toothpick.

So the next time you're at a garage sale and see a baking dish that looks like it's been cooked to death, don't be afraid to take it home and try some BKF resurrection of your own.

By the way, I have no affiliation with the people who make BKF.  I just like their product. 

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Share The Wealth Sunday
Roses of Inspiration

Ravelry Swap Reveal: Part Two, The Project Bag

I live close enough to one of the two Pendleton Woolen Mills (where Pendleton blankets and shirts are born) that I have driven past it countless times over the years on my way to church, friends' houses or estate sales.  For years I've wondered whether there was a factory store open to the public and what the hours would be.  One day, on my way to church, God sent me a sign.  Well actually, it was the factory sign that had apparently been there all along, just obscured by a grove of cottonwood trees.  Somebody cut down the trees, and I discovered the Mill Store.

Soon I stopped in and discovered that a decent variety of wool remnants could be found at reasonable prices.  Additionally, every cut fabric was 30% off, including remnants.  I wanted to do a project bag for the Ravelry swap, and after a very enjoyable time looking through all the goodies, I found three pieces I was sure would work.

I chose a solid piece in orange, and two coordinating plaids, one with a grey base, and one with a yellow base.  Each remnant was about a half yard of fabric.

I knew I wanted to make a Japanese Knot style bag, because this was going to be my first project ever sewn on a machine, and it doesn't require a zipper, drawstring or any other fastenings.  I found a pattern online and modified it to the size I wanted.  Then I set to work.

Unfortunately, being a novice at sewing, I didn't realize that working with wool brings it's own challenges.  The edges needed to be finished so they wouldn't ravel, and the weight of the fabric made it more difficult to manipulate and gather.  I also did not know that a Japanese Knot bag is a tricky pattern, no matter how straight forward it may seem.  Mom was confined to bed, so unable to help beyond giving advice, so I was on my own.  It was quite an adventure.   But I managed to pull it together just in time for shipping.

Here's the finished object.  I used the solid orange with the grey plaid for contrast. 

The lining is done in the grey plaid with an orange bottom, and the bag is fully reversible.  Even though the wool was a challenge for a novice to work with, it makes for a very sturdy bag, and I'm very pleased with the choice.  My swappee sews and she was very impressed.  Because she sews, I sent along the leftover material, including the majority of the yellow and orange plaid.

When I was practicing with the sewing machine, I made this little needle book, which I also sent.  Wool makes an excellent needle book.  Now that the sewing machine is set up again, maybe I can sew a make-up bag in less than 24 hours (sewing by hand isn't difficult, but it is time-consuming, lol).

Part Three of the Ravelry Swap Reveal is coming soon.
If you haven't seen Part One, it was mostly yarn.

I'm linking up with these parties:
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Show and Share
Roses of Inspiration
Think Tank Thursday
Frugal Friday

What the Frickety-Frack? Friday

Welcome to what I hope will be a regular feature on my blog, "What the Frickety-Frack Friday," where I share the weird, unusual, creepy, puzzling, or even downright terrifying things I've seen offered for sale or just around town.  The things that make me say, "What the Frickety-Frack?"

Today was the grand opening of a new Salvation Army Thrift Store.  They closed down the old store a few months ago and moved to a new location very near my house, and I have high hopes for this new location.  The store was very crowded.  I guess the opening of a thrift store is the height of the social season in my neighborhood.  I didn't buy anything, but I did get into an altercation with a woman who thought she owned the aisles and was incensed that I didn't jump when she barked.  And I do mean barked.  She even growled a little.  When I refused to let her run me over with her cart, she told me that I needed to go home and take some prozac so I wouldn't be so "rude."  I guess someone's on medication, but it ain't me.

So she qualifies as weird, and a little terrifying.  I don't have a picture of her.

 

But she looked kind of like this.

Except with a really bad page boy haircut.

Like I had in kindergarten.  Thanks, Mom.

I did sign up for the drawing for a free flat screen TV, an autographed Mariners' baseball and an autographed Trailblazers' basketball.    It appeared the Trailblazer organization may have donated a bunch of Blazers gear, including shorts, jerseys and shoes.  My boyfriend saw the first rack of shoes and exclaimed "Look, they have real shoe sizes!"  He is six foot seven and wears a size 14 :)

And then we saw this.

What the Frickety-Frack?
It appears to be two dragons made from shells.  And they are about to KISS!
Dragons making out in aisle five.  Yours for only $14.79.

But wait!  There are more!

And they are even weirder.
In this version, one dragon appears to be kissing the other dragon's tail.

Perfect beach cottage decor, right?

If you like the second one, there is a third that is a mirror image of it.
Bookends!
No wait, a three piece set for your mantle.
"Romantic" Shell Dragon Statues.

Would you have bought them?

If after seeing these pictures, you absolutely feel that you cannot live without them, they can be yours for the grand sum of $44.37 plus tax, shipping, and a fee of $50.00 to cover my pain and suffering should I be recognized purchasing such atrocities.  Before you ask, NO, I will not split up the set.


I'm linking up with these parties:

Show and Share
Thrifter Share
Vintage Bliss Tuesdays
Roses of Inspiration

Yard Sale Finds

Yesterday I went out in search of estate sales and stumbled upon a great yard sale. She didn't have a lot of stuff but the woman had almost everything priced at 25 cents. My brother is expecting a baby any day now so wherever we go we look for baby things.

We found a five pack of brand new onesies for $3.00, assorted pants for 50 cents and hats for 25 cents. I don't know the prices of baby things but when we gave them to my brother he told us that pants cost $6.00 a pair.

And this was the find of the day.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

No, we didn't buy the baby. Sorry to disappoint. That is the Fisher Price Zen Infant Seat. The one we found was in nearly new condition, only used at Grandma's house a handful of times. The list price is $99.99 but you can get it at Amazon today for about $62.00. We paid $12.00.

I'm linking this post to:

Debbie-Doos Garage Salen Party @ Debbie-Doos