How to Clean Brass

Brass is a golden yellow colored alloy of copper and zinc, and it has been used by mankind for thousands of years. The proportion of zinc and copper can be varied to produce different types of brass for various uses. Brass is mainly popular for its strength, its striking golden color, as well as its resistance to corrosion. It is widely used in manufacturing musical instruments, coins, bolts, doorknobs, bearings, gears, locks, zippers, electrical appliances, and also for plumbing. Brass easily oxidizes when exposed to air, which tarnishes its surface. To protect brass from tarnishing, it is usually lacquered. Lacquer applied on the brass surface can prevent tarnishing for several years. In spite of this, brass products will tarnish over the years due to accumulation of dirt, dust and grease, and therefore would require proper cleaning.

How to Clean Brass
Before cleaning a brass item, it is very important to clarify whether it is true brass. This is because many of the products that look like brass are actually made of some other metals with a brass plating. Brass plating is usually applied to add shine and luster to metal surfaces. However, it is very easy to detect true brass, as what you need to do is to just place a magnet on the surface of the object. True brass does not attract magnets and so if the magnet sticks to that particular object, then it is more likely to be brass plated metal and not true brass.

Once you make sure that the particular object is brass, you can start cleaning it by following a simple procedure. For this you would require some gentle dishwashing soap or detergent, a toothbrush, a piece of cloth or rag, preferably cotton, and slightly warm or lukewarm water. Pour some detergent into the water to make a soapy solution. Now, take the soft cotton rag, dip it into the soapy water and wipe the brass object. This will clean the surface without damaging the lacquer coating. But if the object is not lacquered, you can partially immerse it in the soapy solution for a few minutes. Then use the cotton rag to rub it. For cleaning the cracks and crevices, you can also use a toothbrush.

Homemade Brass Cleaners
Apart from using a soapy solution, you can make a range of home made brass cleaners by using some readily available products. Such a cleaning product can be made by using vinegar and salt. Just pour some vinegar on the brass item and sprinkle some salt on it. Then use a soft cloth to wipe it thoroughly. Vinegar can also be applied alone to clean brass objects. Just dip a cloth in vinegar and then wipe the brass object with it.

Another easy to make homemade brass cleaner is a paste of lemon and baking soda. Take some lemon juice in a bowl and add baking soda to make a fine paste. Apply this paste to the brass and rub gently with a soft cotton cloth. It would gently remove the tarnish without damaging the surface. After cleaning, rinse it properly with water and use a cotton cloth to wipe and dry it completely. Otherwise the brass object would retain the water spots on its surface.

One of the easiest ways to clean brass is to use ketchup. Just cover the dirty brass with some ketchup and leave it for some time, after which wash it off with water. Do not forget to wipe it completely with a clean soft cotton cloth. Milk contains lactic acid, due to which it can also be used for cleaning brass. Mix equal parts of milk and water and immerse the brass piece into it. Now boil the solution slowly at low temperature for few minutes. Make sure to rinse it properly, otherwise it would smell like milk. Similarly, yogurt is used by many as a brass cleaner. For this, you have to apply a coat of yogurt on the surface of the object and let it dry completely. Then remove it with the help of a cotton cloth, and then rinse the object with clean water.

These simple tips on how to clean brass can help you to retain the shine and luster of your brass objects for years to come. Along with cleaning, what is equally important is to protect the brass objects from the accumulation of dirt, dust and grease. For this, you have to polish them and apply a lacquer coating on their surface. For polishing brass, first of all you have to remove the old lacquer from its surface. Use a clean cloth to apply some brass polish on the surface, after which buff it with another piece of clean and dry cloth. Now apply a thin layer of lacquer to give a protective coating. In place of lacquer, many people prefer to try something natural like olive oil or lemon oil to impart a protective layer on the brass surface. Whether you decide to use lacquer or natural oil, be sure to practice regular dusting to keep it free from dirt and grease.