http://www.care2.com/greenliving/brass-cleaner.html
Kitchen Cupboard Ingredients: Brass Cleaner
By Annie B. Bond, Care2 Green Living Executive Producer
Those old candlesticks you inherited could use a good cleaning, but is it necessary to reach for the synthetic commercial cleaner that may have toxic ingredients? No it’s not.
There is a better way to clean brass.
Most commonly used kitchen cupboard or refrigerator ingredients that
contain a natural acid, such as vinegar, Tobasco Sauce, ketchup, tomatoes,
milk, and lemon or lime juice, will remove tarnish.
The tarnish washes away
with an acid rub or soak. You might have to remove the lacquer cover if the
brass is new.
Do this by submerging the brass in boiling water with a few
teaspoons each baking soda and washing soda (available in the laundry section
of the supermarket). Once the lacquer has peeled off, polish dry.
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4 comments
add your comment »I am stunned! I knew most of the great uses for vinegar, but cleaning brass was a wonderful enlightenment! The cleaners you buy are horrible and scary to use! Thanks!
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why is this inappropriate?
True about the lacquer cover, but it's often thin and wears through. The brass will tarnish where there is no lacquer, often in a blotchy pattern where the lacquer is gone. Rubbing through the remaining lacquer is difficult, so removing it is necessary. Once you've cleaned the brass, you can re-lacquer the whole piece again or resolve to do occasional cleaning and polishing. Personally, I find the lacquer to make brass look very artificial and I like the warm look of hand-polished brass.
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why is this inappropriate?
The point of the lacquer cover is to prevent having to polish the brass. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth should take care of dusting. Use glass bobeches (wax catchers) on your brass or dripless candles so you don't need to clean wax.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
The point of the lacquer cover is to prevent having to polish the brass. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth should take care of dusting. Use glass bobeches (wax catchers) on your brass or dripless candles so you don't need to clean wax.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?