Have you ever used Bar Keepers Friend? This hard-surface cleaner has a cult following in cleaning circles. It's made by a family-owned company that manufactures in Indianapolis, Indiana. The active ingredient is oxalic acid, which you can also find in rhubarb, spinach, and other veggies. Bar Keepers Friend is biodegradable and safe for septic systems, too. And it's got a cute back story: It was discovered by accident when a chemist, who was boiling rhubarb, found that the pot he was using got clean as he cooked.

But all that would be meaningless if it didn't work! Besides being a homeowner favorite, this acid-based cleaner is endorsed by a lot of the big players in the kitchen space (among them: All-Clad, Calphalon, Eletrolux, Viking, Formica, and Kohler) as the best way to clean their products.

How does it work? Oxalic acid is slightly more acidic than white distilled vinegar, and BKF (as we affectionately call it) has an abrasive in it that's slightly rougher than baking soda to help loosen up grime. Because it's so strong, you wouldn't want to use it on something porous like stone or fabric, but it has all sorts of uses around the kitchen.

12 Ways to Use Bar Keepers Friend in the Kitchen

1. Cleaning rust off ceramic.
2. Polishing tarnished copper.
3. Scrubbing scuffed porcelain dishes.
4. Cleaning rust deposits out of dishwashers.
5. Cleaning caked-on food from a slow cooker.
6. Degunking stainless steel pots and pans.
7. Degreasing gunky stovetops.
8. Deep-cleaning induction cooktops.
9. Getting rust off knives.
10. Sprucing up chrome appliances.
11. Polishing brass silverware.
12. Removing caked-on dust from windows.

For each of these, the directions are about the same when you use the original cleanser: Shake the powder onto the spot, let it sit, use a sponge or rag to scrub it up, then rinse. The combination of acid and abrasion is what does the work.

Oh, and if you're wondering why it's called Bar Keepers Friend, that's a fun story too: It was originally marketed to bartenders to keep their brass bar rails shiny.

Do you use BKF? What's your favorite use for it?

When you think of Labor Day sales, you probably think of mattresses, right? While it's true that you can get some great deals on stuff for sleeping, you can also save big on stuff for your kitchen and dining room. Here are some of the best sales happening this weekend.

Get up to 40 percent off Appliance Special Buys, which include things like this Samsung Side-by-Side Refrigerator (now $998 instead of $1,329) and a GE Slide-in-Range for $997 (instead of $1,799).

Select home items at Target are 30 percent off and you can save another 10 percent if you use the promo code HOME at checkout. For example, this Hudson Filament Swag Light, which would look amazing over an island, is on sale for less than $41 and you'll get another 10 percent off.

Touting it their biggest Labor Day sale ever, Overstock is offering up to 70 percent off and free shipping when you spend $45 or more. Save on area rugs, patio furniture, and kitchen finds (including this Kitchen Island for a little more than $300).

Now through September 18, World Market is marking down all dining furniture by up to 50 percent and open-stock dinnerware pieces by up to 30 percent. Take advantage to get this Gold And Marble Leilani Tulip Dining Table (for $323), or any other dining table for that matter.

Take up to 70 percent off outdoor furniture, browse dining furniture that starts at just $49, and shop kitchen gear — also at up to 70 percent off. We're eyeing this Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker for less than $50.

Until September 5, Lulu & Georgia is having a tiered sale: Take 10 percent off $300 with the code GOOD, 15 percent off $550 with the code BETTER, 20 percent off $800 with the code BEST, and 25 percent off $1,500 or more with the code BANANAS. Save on small accessories, or splurge on that dining room furniture you've been eying — like this Zelia Bar Cart.

Planning a kitchen renovation? Save up to 35 percent on custom cabinets ordered in the store, get wood-look tiles for 99 cents each, and save up to 40 percent on select appliances. Even some faucets, like this Kohler one, are on sale.

The more you buy at West Elm this weekend, the more you'll save. Spend at least $100 and you get 15 percent off. More than $500 (ahem, this Mid-Century Buffet) will get you 20 percent off, $1,000 gets 25 percent, and a whopping $3,000 will save you 30 percent.

What will you be buying this Labor Day Weekend?

When tasked with bringing a dish to a cookout or party (like, say, for Labor Day), there are a couple classics that probably pop into your mind — namely, pasta salad and coleslaw. If having to choose between these two sides causes you anxiety, don't stress: You can combine the two for the ultimate potluck win.

Depending on how much time you have, you can either the follow the recipe here for a homemade dressing or buy some at the grocery store. A mixture of mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh lemon juice, the dressing is creamy yet light, and slightly sweet yet tangy. Once you have your dressing you just need to toss it with some cooked elbow macaroni, cucumber, green bell pepper, celery, red onion, and a package of coleslaw mix.

The macaroni salad benefits from an hour stint in the fridge, but it's best eaten the day you make it — so be sure to time things accordingly before you head out for your Labor Day plans. That chill time lets the sharp edges of veggies mellow out a bit, while letting the pasta soak up all the flavor from the dressing.

Show up with a big bowl of this and you're sure to be the hero of the BBQ!

With the last days of summer still ahead of us and the heat sticking to our backs, you might think grilling, grilling, and grilling are your only options for dinner. But picking at grilled chicken while scrolling through everyone else's vacation photos is a straight path to lunacy.

So put down the grill tongs, step away from the envy, and have yourself a deliciously rollicking staycation, where you can be eating salsa-dipped chorizo and potato sandwiches in Mexico one day and Streuselkuchen in Germany the next.

6 Cookbooks That Will Give You a Cheap Vacation

With these six new cookbooks tucked under your arm, you can cook your way past the wanderlust and into a deeper experience of the ingredients and techniques of these must-travel destinations. Bonus: Your Instagram feed will inspire just as much envy as that beach pic your friend just posted.

Bangkok is one of the top-ranked travel destinations in the world, and this book will slip you into the busy city and take you on the food tour of a lifetime. The beautiful photography captures a busy city — a monk looking out the window of a commuter boat, hands turning skewers of grilled meat at a market stall — but leaves out the over 16 million tourists that crowd the city each year.

Opt out of the tourist herd and opt in to a staycation with Punyaratabandhu, who will guide you through the essential and the innovative recipes and show you the pleasures of sourcing and cooking Thai ingredients every day, instead of just vacation-binging on them.

Admit it: You may be in a taco rut. But you don't have to save the diverse miracles of Mexican food for nights out — Nopalito will usher you into a kitchen in Mexico, where anyone can master the fundamentals and extract them into unexpected and delicious weeknight dinners.

Let this gorgeous book pull you into the food and culture of Mexico, then walk determinedly into your kitchen and make those salsa-dipped chorizo and potato sandwiches.

Not every revered cuisine has a pin-on-the-map destination, and Persian food is one of those. Persia was once the world's largest, most powerful, and intellectually advanced empire, and although Persians as an ethnic group are now mostly in Iran, it's a culture and a cuisine that flaunts modern borders.

It's hard to find a more ancient or humbling culinary tradition than this, and just a few nights eating at the table with Taste of Persia will inspire the same feelings of awe and curiosity that only the world's greatest wonders can.

Summer gives us the simple luxury of extra time for tinkering, and if you want to plumb the depths of delicate and sophisticated baking, book yourself for a few afternoons in the kitchen with Classic German Baking. It will transport you to a warm German kitchen, where something soothing is always baking and Weiss is happily explaining where it came from and how it was made.

Think of it as the coziest baking class you've ever taken, where you can wear your slippers and you don't have to share the stand mixer or Streuselkuchen with anyone.

Do you know where Macau is? You don't have to answer that, because this cookbook will take you there no matter how geographically challenged you are. It's a fascinating look at a cuisine that's hard to define (think: equal parts European, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish_.

It's a trip just to page through the book; it's half cookbook, half comic book, and fully fun and quirky. So if you want to stretch the bounds of where you can travel within the four walls of your kitchen, immerse yourself in the world of Fat Rice.

If a yoga retreat someplace exotic isn't on the calendar this year, bliss out with this cookbook instead. Focused on the traditional cooking of Southern India, sometimes referred to as the "yoga diet," this cookbook shows you how to cook vegetable-heavy meals that are light and fresh.

You'll find a rice and lentil hand crepe to eat poolside and a beet yogurt raita to freshen up everything from the grill. Pair the recipes with these six mindfulness techniques for busy weeknight cooking, and you'll be just as relaxed, rested, and gloriously well-fed as post-vacation you has ever been.

What's your favorite cookbook that transports you to another place?

You read that right. Etsy is holding its first ever Labor Day sale. There are tons of shops taking part, across all sorts of categories (think: jewelry, home and living, toys and games, weddings, and more). We perused through the offerings to make this curated list of our seven favorite finds for a kitchen or dining room.

1. Salad Plate, $19 at SinDStudio: Order this porcelain salad plate with a blue, red, black, or green rim. You can also get a matching dinner plate for $20. Note: These prices reflect the special sale of 15 percent off.
2. Banana Pancake Candle, $13 at SilverDollarCandleCo: Every day can smell like Sunday brunch day with one of these sweet and syrupy candles. Each soy candle (marked down by 20 percent) is handmade and burns for about 40 to 55 hours.
3. Industrial Barstools, $359 for two at Hisbrand: This shop is offering 10 percent off when you spend $150 or more, which makes a decent dent on these wood-and-metal stools (normally $399 for counter height).
4. Meh Coffee Mug, $14 at southerlycharm: Marked down by 10 percent, this coffee mug will tell it like it is so you don't have to.
5. Floating Shelves, from $37 at JustKnotWood: Whether you're replacing upper cabinets in favor of open shelving, or you want to add some storage on a few empty walls, these floating shelves can help. Spend $100 and get 10 percent off.
6. Donut Kill My Vibe Art Print, $11 at TickTockPress: Hang this 8x10 print in your kitchen and you're sure to start each day off right — and craving a donut. It's currently marked down by 15 percent.
7. Copper and Concrete Planter, $80 at EttaAndOdie: Normally $100, this beautiful planter would add a nice touch in the corner of any dining room or breakfast nook.

More sales you should know about: The Best Labor Day Sales Happening This Weekend