Today on the Happy Garden list, one of our list members, Nanette, mentioned a way to polish brass she learned from her husband. After she had been working on some brass handles for a while here husband told her a tip he'd learned in the Navy. Soak them in KoolAid. She tried it and it worked like a charm.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I bought these bookends at a thrift store and want to know if anyone can tell me how to clean them. The tarnished area is a gray/green color and feels gritty. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Brasso is a tarnish remover and cleaner and this should do the trick for you. Just use a cloth and apply the cleaner to the item, allow it to sit there and then buff it out with another cloth.
If you wanted to go natural for cleaning. You could use white vinegar, baking soda, or lemon juice. Or, CLR no scent metal cleaner!
Learned quite by mistake, the cheapest ketchup works best. Cover the it's for a hour, then will off. Sometimes it takes several times. A toothbrush can help get yuck out of the crevices!
I want to find out what I can use to clean brass, apart from Brasso. I need to clean all my door and window handles.
Roger from South Africa
To clean brass, use equal amounts of Coca-Cola and ammonia (Pepsi won't work). Mix contents in a glass bowl, dip a soft cloth into solution and wipe the brass article to remove tarnish. Rinse and wipe dry.
By Linda
Keep decorative items dusted and clean. Wash in sudsy, lukewarm water, rinse and dry. Never use hot water on lacquered items as it loosens the lacquer; do not polish them or soak them in water.
Source: www.msue.msu.edu/
One of the best brass cleaners I've ever used is Worchestershire Sauce. Rub it all over and let it sit for a bit and rinse off. Does a beautiful job.
Annie
----> For brass & copper plates & bowls:
Take a lemon half, dip lemon into salt & use lemon to scrub the piece over sink.
When done rinse thoroughly to stop the chemical reaction.
Well to clean brass I have heard of filling a saucepan up of ketchup and put the brass item in there. put the saucepan on heat and bring to boil and take item out and give it a good polish.
Even the store brand ketchup will polish brass. Just use a soft cloth and polish it the same way you would use Brasso.
Aluminum Foil! Seriously - take a piece and crumble it into a ball and rub away.
From Alton Brown - Good Eats: Good Wine Gone Bad
Copper cookware is nice to use, but difficult to clean. No problem. Just dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of white vinegar and stir in enough all-purpose flour to create a thick paste.
What keeps it from looking black the next day after you polish. I live in Maui on the South end towards the lava fields. Can condensation cause it to look dull and if so what to do to prevent it
All these tips may work but it is not necessary to work so hard to clean copper and brass! My restaurant buys brass cleaner called Brassmate. It is a non hazardous liquid that requires NO rubbing at all. I use it on my copper pots as well as my brass at home. Brassmate is a good product and I'm just passing on what I have found.
Thank you for feed back on cleaning brass, can't wait to try the suggestions offered. kathy
I clean a church and have a little dillema. The foyer has a very nice ceramic tiled floor with some brass inlayed strips. (I just found them a little bit ago because the last person didn't pay attention to them).
The best way is to use a buffing pad on the floor machine. That keeps the brass shiny.
i work on the altar guild. we use a lighter fluid to clean the brass candle covers. we spray pam on the bottoms so the wax doesnt stick, but i guess dirt woould stick to your floor. i cant picture what you are talking about at all. how about brasso? that is something else we use to clean our big brass stuff.
Derek and Sandy, Thanks for the input from both. I have things to try lighter fluid on and I'm definitely going to start using Pam on some things!! Derek, I've seen your name on a few posts, are you a professional cleaner?
I am looking for a fast and easy way to clean a brass chandelier.
Go to any nice store that sells lighting. This is where contractors go to get all the lighting for new homes but these stores are open to the public as well. Ask them if they have a spray that they sell for cleaning chandeliers. I had one and used the spray and it was easy and cleaned it beautifully. Just put newspaper down to catch the drippings. It has been so long ago I can't remember anything about what kind of spray it was but I'll bet these stores will have someone who will help you.
Hi! I had a chandelier at one time and I cleaned it with a spray that was specifically for chandeliers. Try going to a store that sells light fixtures (contractors go to these stores to purchase lighting for homes they are building) but these stores are open to the public as well. There should be someone who can help you. I can't remember the name of the spray because it has been so long ago but it was easy and did a beautiful job. Just spray (put newspaper down to catch the drippings) and that's all there is to it. Lowes or Home Depot may have sprays like this too since they sell lighting as well. Good Luck.
While working on a brass USMC plaque I managed to spray some WD40 on the surface. How, pray tell, can I remove the stain it left?
Cleaning brass plate. All oils, including oils from your fingers, will discolor brass. Try not to touch it with your fingers.
How do I clean a brass occasional table?
By kathy from western Australia
Make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water. Use a small brush to brush it on. This might take some elbow grease.
I would like information on cleaning brass fireplace doors that got burned and discolored.
By cindy choate from IN
There is excess tile grout covering my polished brass shower drain. How do I remove the grout without damaging the polished brass finish on my shower drain?
By Ken
How do you clean the brass around a shower stall?
By Lucy
