How to Clean Ice Skating Blades with BKF

February 3, 2021

So, the outdoor skating rink in your neighborhood just reopened (with social distancing, of course). You’ve been cooped up and looking for something fun and safe to do. Skating outdoors fits the bill. You’re ready. You even plan to comb your hair and put on something besides pajama bottoms! However, there’s a problem. Your old skates look awful. You can polish the leather uppers, but what about the blades? They’re dirty, tarnished, and even have a few rust spots. You’re not sure how to clean ice skates. The good news is we’re sure. We know how to clean ice skate blades!

How to Clean Ice Skates 

Historically, ice skate blades have been made from tempered carbon steel and then coated with chrome. In recent years lightweight aluminum and stainless-steel blades have gained popularity.

Cleaning Chrome Blades

What You’ll Need 

• Nonabrasive sponge or cloth
• Bar Keepers Friend Powdered Cleanser
• A small container of water
• Soft dry sloth

How to Clean Your Chrome Blades 

• Dampen your sponge or cloth, and then shake a little Bar Keeper’s Friend onto it. Rub it to create a paste.
• Scrub the blades in small circular motions. You’ll notice your rag getting a brownish-red build-up from the grime and rust, occasionally rinse the rag and add more powder to paste.
• If you find that some of the rust spots aren’t coming off with just the cloth and Bar Keepers friend. A soft-bristled toothbrush may help for tough spots.
• When it’s all clean, wipe the blades down with a wet cloth and then polish with a soft dry cloth such as microfiber.

How to Clean Stainless-Steel Blades 

The answer for cleaning stainless-steel ice-skating blades is easy! Just use Bar Keepers Friend Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish Unlike many other products on the market, this product doesn’t have any harsh abrasives. BKF Stainless Steel cleaner is specifically formulated to clean stainless steel without scratching or dulling surfaces.

• Shake the product for a few seconds
• Spray the blades
• Let it sit for about one minute
• Wipe the blade with a nonabrasive cloth or paper towel
• Dry and polish with a microfiber cloth

How to Clean Aluminum Blades 

For aluminum blades, you can use the original powdered Cleanser or our Cookware Cleanser & Polish. That’s right, Cookware cleanser! This product was developed for aluminum pots and pans and works great on all things aluminum – even your ice skate blades.

• Wet the blades
• Sprinkle a bit of Cookware Cleanser & Polish on both blades, both sides
• Gently rub the edges with a wet cloth or sponge
• Rinse within one minute of application
• Wipe the blades dry and watch them shine up!  

Pro Tip: Whether your skates are chrome, stainless steel, or aluminum, before you clean the blades, test a small spot.

Don’t Just Take Our Word for it

“Because of a recent thread, I became curious about which common household product could do the best job removing rust from blades. I tried three nonabrasive products – Lime-A-Way, Bar Keepers Friend, and Naval Jelly. There was one clear winner – Bar Keeper’s Friend.

Bar Keeper’s Friend was applied using a damp Q-Tip to which the powder was applied. I did about a minute of vigorous rubbing on a couple of rust spots. Even the spot that remained after using Lime-A-Way was subsequently improved by using Bar Keeper’s Friend. It took care of fresh spots quickly too and left the best finish.” — Skating Forums

Good Times and Clean Skates  

Doesn’t ice skating sound fun? And it’s even more fun when you clean those old blades with BKF. I can picture them throwing light across the rink like a mirror catching the sun. Have fun. Stay safe.

About the Author

Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek and on weekends (after COVID-19) he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook: A crash course in effective management.