Wednesday, June 16, 2010

What my Bar Keepers Friend (and my Hubby) taught me about Faith

Chris and I moved in to my Grandparents house almost a year ago.  My grandparents are the sole owners of the home, they had it built in 1953. 

We have a well, and we have rust in our water.

When we moved in, well actually prior to moving in, we cleaned the house from top to bottom...and I mean top to bottom!!!  There's isn't a square inch of this house that hasn't been touched by Chris, my Mom, Dad, or I to make it the lovely, clean, white walled, new carpeted, new flooring that is is today!

However, due to the fact that our water has rust in it, unfortunately, the sinks and the bathtub have have this annoyingly yellow/orangey stain near the drains. 

I'm a pretty clean person, I don't like for my house to be messy, or for there to be toothpaste, or a glob of soap left in the sink after it's been used.  So, to be perfectly honest, I haven't been real jazzed with the fact that these stains have been looming under me (literally) since we moved in.   Chris told me I should use some Bar Keepers Friend, and the stains would come right now...but what would he know about it...so I ignored him and moved on. 

I was embarassed to have to tell Kevin and Erin (when they stayed for our birthday party) that the shower truly was clean, even though it didn't so much look like it.  Chris again told me I should use the Bar Keepers Friend, again I ignored him.

I've sprayed with bleach cleaners, left in sit for a good while, then scrubbed and scrubbed, and been able to get some of the yellow/orangey stain up, but never to where it was fully gone.  Chris told me over and over that I should use Bar Keepers Friend, and over and over again I ignored him.

My sadness over this staining issue affected me greater when I started noticing a hint of that yellow/orange rearing it's ugly head on our brand new bathroom sink that we installed in the front bathroom right after we moved!  But it came out when I scrubbed, my concern lighted a little.

Then...last week...it happened!

Chris cleaned off the stovetop, and in doing so put the burner grates in our kitchen sink.  They put a square rust ring on my sink bottom....ergghhh...so he said, "don't worry, I'll clean it up with my Bar Keepers Friend!

...and he did, and it came right up

...it was AMAZING!

So last night I'm cleaning the bathrooms in preparation of company this weekend, and I decide I'm going to try out my Bar Keepers Friend on the tub and on the back bathroom sink.

I clean both as I normally would, with the bleach cleaner, and then I pour on my Bar Keepers Friend, and let it sit, for about 2 hours.

and then....

I began with the tub, and lo and behold...the yellow/orangey annoying stains practically wiped away! 

...again, I was AMAZED.

I yelled for Chris to come in and look at the tub...

Being the wonderful husband that he is, he didn't say I told you so, and just told me he thought it looked great.

I moved to the back bathroom and began on the sink...it looks like we put in a new silver drain.

There are no rust stains at all.

*Side note: I realize this is probably not that interesting to you right now...but it will get better, I promise.

My Bar Keepers Friend saved my bathroom tub and sink from their demise, and all is right with the world again.

The moral of my story:  My husband was right (yes Chris, that's in writing, and will be on the world wide web until the end of time).  He and my Bar Keepers Friend taught me, that when things seem hopeless, whether they be large or small...

if you have faith in yourself, those you love, and the tools God give you, you make anything shine like new!