How to clean brass at home?

Many people have items created from brass - for example, jewelry, an old brass samovar, etc. Items can be very different. They need to be regularly looked after, but not everyone knows how to do this correctly.

There is nothing complicated about it. It is only necessary to recall some recommendations when planning to clean brass at home.

It is worth noting that antique brass items that belonged to many generations of owners need special care. To get rid of greens, oxidation on brass, you can use both simple folk and special modern means. These methods do not require special knowledge, skills, they are absolutely safe for human health. They allow you to get rid of pollution in the shortest possible time and give the brass surface its original shine.

If you are going to start cleaning a brass product, you will first need to make sure that it really consists of this material. To check this, you can use a regular magnet: just attach it to the surface. Brass without impurities should not be attracted.

So that you don’t have to think about how to quickly clean a brass product, if spots have already appeared on it, do not forget about preventive measures. Wipe the surface regularly using a clean material. Olive oil should be applied to this fabric. A small amount is enough: if the layer is too thick, imprints will remain on the surface. Olive oil will protect the brass product.

Before cleaning, carefully inspect the brass product.To choose the appropriate processing method, you need to understand if there are any other impurities in the composition, whether there is a varnished coating. Think about whether to wipe a rare item, because it’s possible to remove an interesting patina, which gives it additional beauty and originality.

If you are going to clean an item at home, wash it thoroughly. To do this, use a solution of a mild detergent (just one teaspoon is enough) and plain water. Put the product there, wait half an hour and process it using a soft rag or brush. Then the item will need to be thoroughly wiped so that it becomes completely dry.

Then the turn of the main stage of cleaning will come:

• Oxalic acid. In its pure form, such a tool is practically not used. Oxalic acid is a part of various detergents, allowing to clean washstands, tiles, bathtubs. Apply it to the surface and wait. The tool should become darker. Then clean the item using a brush and apply baking soda to it. Rinse thoroughly at the end. Brass products that have not been cleaned for a long time are useless to wipe with a small amount of such a product. You need to take 10 liters of water, 200 g of oxalic acid, mix them and use the resulting solution.

• Yogurt. The result will be good if there is a lot of lactic acid in this product. Put a faded object in a yoghurt pan, wait about 60 minutes, then rinse the brass in water and wipe using a soft material.
• Ketchup. For brass products, ketchup is suitable with a large number of “acidic” preservatives and with a minimum of coloring substances. Take a sponge, apply a product on it and rub it on the subject. Wait 20 minutes and remove ketchup with terry or cotton stiff material. Wash the product and wipe it with a dry cloth.
• Toothpaste. You can get rid of stains on a brass product using regular toothpaste. To soften and remove heavy dirt, wash the item using a soap solution. Then apply toothpaste on the stains, clean the surface with a regular cloth. A toothbrush is used only to treat hard-to-reach areas.
• Acetone. Using this tool, you can remove oxides from brass. After treatment with acetone, the product becomes very beautiful, begins to shine. Dip a small cotton swab into the solvent and wipe the surface. It must be processed until complete removal of contaminants. The product can be pre-soaked. Add salt and vinegar to the water, boil the solution. To achieve best results, it is recommended to boil for several hours. The product may darken - this is normal. Darkening will gradually disappear when soaked.

• Citric acid, vinegar. A mixture of table vinegar, flour (1 cup) and water will help get rid of old pollution. Put it on the outside of the product and wait, it should dry. Then clean the surface and polish it. You can get rid of impurities using only vinegar. Heat it on a stove and treat the surface using a cotton swab. Stains that are poorly removed must be treated many times.
• Stains, oxides are also removed with citric acid. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, pour salt into it and mix - it should turn out to be a mushy mass. Spread it on the surface, clean and rinse using normal running water. After that, the item from brass will need to be thoroughly wiped.
• Salt. Salt can be used not only in combination with citric acid. Fat-free cream is also suitable.Pour salt into them, mix. Put the resulting product on the surface, wipe. If the contamination is very strong, the paste will need to be kept for about sixty minutes. Then rinse the product and wipe it thoroughly. Remember that the salt must completely dissolve, otherwise the subject may be damaged.

• Soap solution. A brass product must be soaked in a soapy solution. If the contamination is not very strong, soaking will be sufficient to ensure that the surface is cleaned. Put shavings from laundry soap in warm water, dissolve it. Place the product in soapy water, leave it there for a while until the liquid cools down. Then drain it and rub the item under running water using a soft bristle brush.

• Sandpaper. If brass is smoky, treat it with fine-grained sandpaper. In this case, it is not necessary to press very hard, otherwise the surface may be damaged. For hard to reach places it is better to use a chemical cleaning method.

Many brass items have a lacquer finish. It is applied in order to maintain a beautiful surface gloss and to prevent oxidation of the product. If this coating is broken, the metal is oxidized and as a result a new coat of varnish has to be applied. To get rid of the paintwork material, many keep brass objects under hot water. This method of removing varnish is the most gentle.

You can choose another option: boil an object of brass for three minutes, for this you need to use dishes without aluminum alloy. Some use special compounds to remove varnish coatings. You can buy such a tool in a store that sells metal products. If you are going to use the composition, you must first read the instructions. When the varnish has completely disappeared, clean the item, choosing the most suitable way to get rid of dirt.

To apply a new coat of varnish, prepare a cotton disk or brush. Spread the paintwork material as evenly as possible across the surface. When applying a new protective layer to an item made of brass, be very careful. Otherwise, you can damage the surface with the used tools, nails, leave fingerprints on it. If you apply the varnish correctly, the product will be reliably protected and will retain its luster for a long time.

After cleaning, the brass surface must always be polished. This process is carried out using special tools. It is necessary to apply the selected composition to the product and polish it for shine using a soft cloth.

We recommend watching a video on how to clean and polish brass products at home.