How to clean brass at home?

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

There is nothing complicated about it. You just need to remember some of the recommendations when going to clean the brass at home.

It is worth noting that antique brass items that have belonged to many generations of owners need special care. To get rid of greenery, oxidation on brass, you can use both simple folk and special modern remedies. These methods do not require special knowledge, skills, they are absolutely safe for human health. They allow you to get rid of dirt 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 hold it to the surface. Brass without impurities should not be attracted.

In order not to have to think about how to quickly clean a brass product, if stains have already appeared on it outside, do not forget about preventive measures. Wipe the surface regularly using a clean material. This fabric should be coated with olive oil. A small amount is enough: if the layer is too thick, prints will remain on the surface. Olive oil will provide protection for the brass piece.

Inspect the brass product carefully before cleaning.In order to choose the appropriate processing method, you need to understand whether there are any other impurities in the composition, whether there is a varnish coating. Think about whether it is worth scrubbing a rare item, after all, this way you can 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 (one teaspoon is sufficient) and regular water. Put the product in there, wait half an hour and process it using a soft cloth or brush. Then the item will need to be wiped thoroughly so that it becomes completely dry.

Then comes the turn of the main cleaning stage:

• Oxalic acid. In its pure form, such a tool is practically not used. Oxalic acid is found in various detergents that allow you to clean sinks, tiles, bathtubs. Apply it to the surface and wait. The product should get darker. Then scrub the item using a brush and apply baking soda to it. Rinse it thoroughly at the end. Brass products that have not been cleaned for a long time are useless to wipe off 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 this product contains a lot of lactic acid. Place the tarnished object in a pot of yogurt, wait about 60 minutes, then rinse the brass in water and wipe with a soft material.
• Ketchup. For brass products, ketchup is suitable with a large amount of "acid" preservatives and with a minimum of dyes. Take a sponge, apply the product to it and rub it over the object. Wait 20 minutes and remove the ketchup with a terry cloth or cotton tough cloth. Wash the product and dry it with a dry cloth.
• Toothpaste. You can get rid of stains on brass products using regular toothpaste. To soften and remove stubborn dirt, wash the item with soap and water. Then apply toothpaste to the stains, clean the surface with a regular tissue. The toothbrush is only used to treat hard-to-reach areas.
• Acetone. Using this product, oxides can be removed from brass. After treatment with acetone, the product becomes very beautiful, begins to shine. Dip a small cotton swab in the solvent and wipe the surface. It must be processed until the contamination is completely removed. The product can be pre-soaked. Add salt and vinegar to the water and bring the solution to a boil. For best results, it is recommended to boil for several hours. The product may darken, this is normal. The darkening will gradually fade as you soak.

• Citric acid, vinegar. A mixture of table vinegar, flour (1 glass) and water will help get rid of old dirt. Apply it to the outer surface of the product and wait, it should dry. Then clean the surface and polish it. You can get rid of dirt with just vinegar. Heat it on a stovetop and treat the surface using a cotton swab. Stains that are difficult to remove need to be treated many times.
• Stains, oxides are also removed with citric acid. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon, pour salt into it and stir - you should get a mushy mass. Spread it on the surface, clean and rinse using normal running water. After that, the brass object will need to be thoroughly wiped off.
• Salt... Salt can be used not only in combination with citric acid.Low fat cream is also suitable. Pour salt into them, stir. Apply the resulting product to 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 dry thoroughly. Remember that the salt must completely dissolve, otherwise the item may be damaged.

• Soap solution. The brass product must be soaked in soapy water. If the contamination is not very strong, soaking will be sufficient for the surface to be 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 and scrub the item under running water using a soft bristled brush.

• Sandpaper. If the brass is smoked, sand it with a fine-grained emery paper. You do not need to press very hard, otherwise the surface may be damaged. For hard-to-reach areas, it is better to use a chemical cleaning method.

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

You can also choose another option: boil a brass object for three minutes, for this you need to use dishes without an aluminum alloy. Some people 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 using the most appropriate method of removing the dirt.

To apply a new coat of varnish, prepare a cotton ball or paintbrush. Spread the paint over the surface as evenly as possible. Be very careful when applying a new protective coat to a brass item. Otherwise, you can damage the surface with the tools used, nails, leave fingerprints on it. If you apply the varnish correctly, the product will be reliably protected and retain its shine for a long time.

Always polish the brass surface after cleaning. This process is carried out using special means. You need to apply the selected composition to the product and polish it for a shine using a soft cloth.

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