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When it comes to choosing a good cleanser, you must have been bewildered by the difference between Bar Keepers Friend vs. Ajax at some point. These two products are familiar to most families and highly trusted, so it becomes quite difficult to decide which one to choose.
So, you might wonder how exactly Bar Keepers Friend is different from Ajax. Which one is best and why? We’ll be taking you through a complete comparison of Bar Keepers Friend vs. Ajax Cleanser, which covers all the differences.
Bar Keepers Friend Vs. Ajax Comparison
| Bar Keepers Friend | Ajax Cleanser | |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaner Type | Powder-Based Oxalic Cleaner | Powder-Based Bleach And Abrasion Cleaner |
| Scent | Barely Detectable Scent Of Bleach Despite No Bleach Present | Strong Bleach Odor |
| Origin | 1882, George William Hoffman (Founding Chemist) | 1806, Colgate Palmolive |
| Sizes | 21 Ounce Container | 14, 21 & 28 Ounce Containers |
| Best Uses | Cleaning Stained & Dirty Stainless Steel, Brass, Bronze, Copper Alloys, Aluminum, Ceramics, Porcelain, Glass & Corian | Cleaning Steel, Glass And Other Non-Delicate Surfaces |
| Chemical Composition | Oxalic Acid, Glass Oxide Abrasive, Surfactant | Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate, Soda Ash, Trichloroisocyanuric Acid, Fragrance, Dye |
| Affordability | $9-$11 Per 21 Ounce Product | $1.28 - $1.50 Per 21 Ounce Product |
| Product Range | 10 Product Lines, Bulk Kits, Various Microfiber Cloths, Multipurpose Scraper, Cleaning Kits | 1 Ajax Powder Cleanser, 7 Ajax Liquid Cleaners |
Bar Keepers Friend Vs. Ajax
Battling grease, grime, and stubborn stains? Our breakdown of Bar Keepers Friend vs. Ajax Cleanser supplies everything that you need to know to decide which is best for your particular cleaning needs.
Bar Keepers Friend
Bar Keepers Friend has the number one ranking as a non-bleach cleaner in today’s market. It is an efficient cleaning agent for removing mineral deposits like lime, rust stains, and calcium build-up, and it’s fantastic for polishing stainless steel.
Cleaner Type
Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser is a powder-based acidic multipurpose cleaner for nonporous surfaces that you apply to a surface before scrubbing to degrease, remove grime, clean and remove stains.
It is unsuited to delicate surfaces as the abrasive nature can damage the region beyond repair but is especially good for metals like stainless steel.
Scent
Even though Bar Keepers Friend is not supposed to have a scent, it carries a light odor mildly reminiscent of bleach. One only truly detects a scent from this excellent cleanser when you combine it with other cleaning agents like bleach. By itself, oxalic acid doesn’t have a smell.
Origin
Bar Keepers Friend is a product that has been around since 1882 when a chemist named George William Hoffman created it for the first time.
Since the founding and acquisition of the chemist’s endeavor by the Gisler Polish Corporation, the company has relied on a formulation of oxalic acid to deliver superior powder-based cleaning power. In 1956, Bar Keepers Friend was purchased by a US Navy Veteran, Dr. Beurt SerVaas.
Today, the company runs under the same ownership and is headquartered in Indianapolis.
Sizes
You’ll find Bar Keepers Friend powder available in single packages weighing 21 ounces each. There are also two packs and six-packs available, granting a discount on the basic price.
Best Uses
Bar Keepers Friend is best suited to cleaning dirty or stained stainless steel, brass, bronze, copper alloys, aluminum, ceramics, porcelain, glass, and Corian.
It is highly effective in the kitchen for cleaning sinks, cookware, stove cooktops and exteriors, non-stone countertops, backsplashes, porcelain, and ceramic dishes, and drain floors.
Customers will love its powerful cleaning ability in the bathroom for cleaning sinks, bathtubs and showers, faucets, toilets, and tile and grout as long as it’s not colored. The abrasiveness can cause colors to seep, darken or fade completely.
There are countless outdoor cleaning uses, including but not limited to Rust stains, Plant and pollution grime, Vehicles and boats, siding, grills, tools, sporting equipment, porcelain, glass, and Corian.
While effective at cleaning vehicles, boats, bikes, and other large motorized crafts like jet skis, always do a surface test first to make sure that your cleaner isn’t too strong. Do a test before cleaning brake dust on wheels too.
Chemical Composition
One of the best features of Bar Keepers Friend is that it utilizes a formulation based on oxalic acid, which is naturally sourced from plants like spinach and rhubarb.
Oxalic acid excels at removing stains from metal and eliminating rust due to the way that it converts insoluble iron compounds into a soluble form that allows them to be cleaned away.
It is frequently used across cleaning products spanning everything from laundry solutions to intensive multipurpose cleaners. The patented cleaning powder also contains glass oxide abrasive and surfactant.
Glass oxide has medium aggressiveness abrasion properties giving Bar Keepers Friend its affinity for cleaning metal and deep stains set into a broad range of surfaces. Its surface-active agent or surfactant increases spreadability and adds germicidal properties to the powder.
Affordability
You’ll find Bar Keepers Friend retailing for approximately $9.21 per 21-ounce container.
Product Range
Similar cleaning power and reliability can be expected from the entire Bar Keepers Friend product range.
The company’s current line of products includes the famous Cleanser and a coffee maker cleaner, coffee maker descaler, cooktop cleaner, cooktop cleaning kit, cookware cleanser & polish, granite & stone cleaner & polish, various microfiber cloths, MORE spray & foam, soft cleanser, stainless steel cleaner & polish, toilet bowl cleaner, an ultimate cleaning kit, and a multipurpose cooktop scraper.
There are also bulk packages available for institutions, including an institutional cleanser, MORE spray, soft cleanser, and cookware cleanser.
Ajax
As one of the most trusted cleaning brands in the industry, Ajax Cleanser is a highly reliable choice that offers outstanding versatility. Here’s a look at what makes it such a great product and when you’d choose it over Bar Keepers Friend.
Cleaner Type
Ajax Powder Cleanser is a powder-based cleaner that combines the powerful cleaning action of bleach with mild abrasion.
Scent
The first thing that you’ll notice about Ajax Powder Cleanser is its strong bleach smell. It’s the main odor that one smells despite a faint odor of cedar pine being detectable. Expect a slightly bolder odor than other cleaners.
Fortunately, stronger cleaning action can be expected as opposed to other bleach cleaners. There are few bleach-based products that can compare to Ajax which makes the intense scent bearable for most.
Origin
Ajax Powder Cleanser is a product from Colgate Palmolive that was first founded in 1806 by William Colgate, Burdett J. Johnson, and the Peet Brothers, William J. Peet, and Robert Peet.
The company launched the Ajax Powdered Cleanser in 1947, which featured a formula that’s pretty close to today. Eventually, by the 1960s, Ajax had become so popular that it birthed an extended product line, including numerous other cleaning agents.
Sizes
You will find Ajax Powder Cleanser available in 14, 21, and 28-ounce packages.
Best Uses
Ajax Powder Cleanser has a wide range of uses, and it can wipe out 99.9% of bacteria on steel, glass surfaces, or other surfaces.
You can achieve a slightly deeper cleansing by using Ajax, but it leaves a lot of residues, which means that you’ll need to use significantly more water to clean up the surface as opposed to using Bar Keepers Friend.
Ajax is an outstanding cleaner for surfaces with well-set dirt, grease, and grime like pots, pans, ceramic surfaces, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, outdoor items, and all types of surfaces.
Keep in mind, Ajax’s powerful action can damage delicate surfaces, so always perform a test on a small area first if you’re cleaning fiberglass, plastic, or anything enameled.
Chemical Composition
Ajax Powder Cleanser includes calcium carbonate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, soda ash, trichloroisocyanuric acid, a fragrance compound, and dye. Calcium carbonate is a cleaning agent that’s one of the mildest, finest abrasives around.
Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate resembles sand in its consistency and is a fantastic detergent and pesticide. Soda ash is effective at removing grime and high performing spot cleaning.
Trichloroisocyanuric acid is an organic bleach and disinfectant that strongly resembles chlorine in both its cleaning activity and odor.
Affordability
Ajax Powder Cleanser is sold in 21-ounce containers at an average price of around $1.28 to $1.50 each. Considerable discounts are found when buying Ajax in bulk and when opting for larger packages.
Product Range
Colgate-Palmolive has a reliable range of Ajax cleaners available. The scratch-free standard Ajax Powder Cleanser heads up the line and is the only powder-based product available.
There are also dish soaps, namely Ajax Ultra Vinegar & Lime, Ajax Ultra Charcoal & Citrus, Ajax Ultra Super Degreaser Lemon, Ajax Ultra Triple Action Orange, Ajax Ultra Bleach Alternative Grapefruit, and Ajax Ultra Bleach Alternative Citrus Berry on offer.
Differences Between Bar Keepers Friend Vs. Ajax
The main differences between Bar Keepers Friend and Ajax are as follows:
- Bar Keepers Friend is an acidic cleaner that is composed of oxalic acid, whereas Ajax is a bleach-based cleaning product.
- The type of abrasives used in each cleanser is different. BKF uses micro scrubbers and mild abrasives useful for quick cleaning of a variety of surfaces, whereas the abrasives in Ajax cleanser can damage the finish of cookware.
- There’s very little risk of Bar Keepers Friend causing an allergic reaction or breathing problems, whereas Ajax, as a bleach-based cleaner, is known to agitate the lungs and skin if care is not taken.
Bar Keepers Friend Vs. Ajax Cleanser, Conclusion
Both of these outstanding products offer near-unbeatable cleaning power. Deciding which is best for your home all depends on whether you prefer bleach-based or zero-bleach cleaning agents.
Keep in mind, BKF is an acidic cleaner which makes it more effective at removing rust stains. It should be a prime choice for anyone cleaning metal. However, for everything else, the winner between Bar Keepers Friend Vs. Ajax Cleanser is up to you!
