Recipe 74 of 100 · The Country Cleans Mix Book
How to Clean Tarnished Brass and Copper
Vinegar, Salt and Flour Paste
Dull brown brass hardware, dark copper pots, cloudy door handles? Stir 1 tablespoon table salt into 1/4 cup white vinegar until it dissolves, then add 1/4 cup flour to a thick paste. Test the underside first, smear it on, leave 30 minutes to an hour, rinse warm and dry right away. Skip antiques: the patina is part of their value.
What it fixesDull brown brass hardware, dark copper pots, cloudy door handles and light fixtures.
You need
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Soft cloth
- Old toothbrush for detail areas
Mix it
- Stir the salt into the vinegar until it dissolves completely. Undissolved salt grains will scratch the metal.
- Add the flour a spoonful at a time and stir until you have a thick paste that holds its shape on a spoon.
Use it
- Test on the back or the underside of the piece first. If the metal does not change at all, it is lacquered or it is plated, and this paste will not help.
- Smear the paste over the whole surface about 1/8 inch thick.
- Leave it on for 30 minutes to an hour. Watch it. Copper often clears in 20 minutes, heavy brass may want the full hour.
- Rinse under warm running water and use the toothbrush on grooves and engraving while it is still wet.
- Dry immediately and completely with a soft cloth. Any water left on bare brass or copper starts tarnishing it again within a day.
Dale's noteMagnet test before you start. If a magnet sticks, the piece is steel with a thin brass or copper coating, and aggressive polishing will rub straight through the plating to gray metal underneath.
Don'tDo not use this on antique brass or copper you care about. The dark patina on old pieces is part of their value, and once you strip it off you cannot put it back.
This is 1 of 100 mixes in the Mix Book
Glass, wood, bathrooms, mold, kitchens, carpet, couches, laundry, floors, metal, odors and more. Every one with the same exact amounts, steps and warnings. A PDF in your email within a minute.
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