How to clean brass at home?

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

There is nothing complicated about it. It is only necessary to recall some of the recommendations, intending to clean the 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 tools. These methods do not require special knowledge and 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 an original shine.

If you are going to start cleaning the brass product, you first need to make sure that it really consists of this material. To check this, you can use an ordinary magnet: just attach 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 there are already stains on it outside, do not forget about preventive measures. Wipe the surface regularly using clean material. Olive oil should be applied to this fabric. A small amount is enough: if the layer is too thick, prints will remain on the surface. Olive oil will protect the brass product.

Before cleaning, carefully inspect the product from brass. To select the appropriate processing method, you need to understand whether there are any other impurities in the composition, whether there is a varnished coating. Think about whether to scrub a rarity product, because so you can remove an interesting patina, which gives it additional beauty and originality.

If you are going to clean the object 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 in there, wait half an hour and process it using a soft cloth or a brush. Then the item will need to wipe thoroughly to make it completely dry.

Then it will be the turn of the main cleaning stage:

• Oxalic acid. In its pure form, this tool is practically not used. Oxalic acid is a part of various detergents, allowing to clean sinks, tiles, baths. Apply it to the surface and wait. The tool should be darker. Then clean the object using a brush and apply baking soda on it. At the end, rinse it thoroughly. Products made of brass that have not been cleaned for a long time, it is useless to scrub with a small amount of such a tool. 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 the pan with yogurt, wait about 60 minutes, then rinse the brass in water and wipe it using soft material.
• Ketchup. For brass products suitable ketchup with a large number of "acid" preservatives and with a minimum of coloring matter.Take a sponge, apply the product on it and rub it on the object. Wait 20 minutes and remove the ketchup with terry or cotton cotton. Wash the product and wipe it using a dry cloth.
• Toothpaste. You can get rid of stains on the product from brass, using ordinary toothpaste. To soften and remove heavy dirt, wash the object using a soap solution. Then apply toothpaste on the stains, clean the surface with a standard napkin. Toothbrush is used only to process 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 needs to 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 the best results, it is recommended to boil for several hours. The product may darken - this is normal. Darkening will gradually disappear when soaking.

• Citric acid, vinegar. To get rid of old pollution will help a mixture of vinegar, flour (1 cup) and water. Apply it on the outer surface of the product and wait; it should dry. Then clean the surface and polish it. It is possible to get rid of pollution by means of only one vinegar. Heat it on the stove and clean the surface using a cotton swab. Spots that are poorly removed, need to be processed many times.
• Stains, oxides are also removed by citric acid. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon, put salt in it and mix - it should make a pasty mass. Spray it on the surface, clean and rinse using normal running water. After that, the object of brass will need to wipe thoroughly.
• Salt. Salt can be used not only in combination with citric acid. Low fat cream will also do. Pour salt in them, mix. Apply the resulting product to the surface, wipe. If the contamination is very strong, the paste will need to be held for about sixty minutes. Then rinse and dry thoroughly. Remember that the salt must completely dissolve, otherwise the object may be damaged.

• Soap solution. Brass items should be soaked in soapy water. If the contamination is not very strong, soaking will be enough to clear the surface. Put shavings from laundry soap in warm water, dissolve it. Put the product in soapy water, leave it there for a while until the liquid has cooled. Then drain it and rub the object under running water using a soft bristled brush.

• Sandpaper. If the brass is smoked, process it with fine-grained emery paper. Press it while you need not very much, 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 coating. It is applied in order to preserve the beautiful gloss of the surface, and prevent oxidation of the product. If this coating is broken, the metal is oxidized and as a result it is necessary to apply a new layer of varnish. To get rid of 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 made of brass for three minutes, for this you need to use dishes without aluminum alloy. Some use special formulations to remove varnish. 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 lacquer disappears completely, clean the object, choosing the most appropriate way to get rid of dirt.

To apply a new coat of lacquer, prepare a disc made of cotton or a brush. Spread paint over the surface as evenly as possible. When applying a new protective layer on a brass object, be very careful. Otherwise, you can damage the surface with tools, nails, fingerprints. If you apply the varnish correctly, the product will be reliably protected and will retain its gloss for a long time.

After cleaning the brass surface should always be polished. This process is carried out with the help of special tools. You need to apply the selected composition on 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.