In 1882, a chemist named George William Hoffman cooked in afrying pan a very sour but resistant vegetable, which was verycommon in the gardens of yesteryear, after cooking the vegetable he realized that the pot shone from having cooked itover there and how it waschemical I did not hesitate to experiment what properties it had andwhy it cleaned and left it shiny at the enddiscovered which had OXALIC ACID.

​

Found naturally in rhubarb and other greens such as spinach, oxalic acid attacks stubborn rust, tarnish and lime stains at a molecular level, breaking the bonds that hold them together.

Using that active ingredient, our chemist formulated an oxalic acid-based cleaning powder, sold it in taverns for use as a brass rail polish. Delighted with the results, tavern owners nicknamed the product "Bar Keepers Friend."