Cleaning Brass & Bronze
A liking of patinated metals is completely subjective. For some, the look of a worn-out piece of brass or copper can conjure up the memory of their grandpa's well-loved and handed down pocket watch heirloom. For others, they would rather keep their metals bright, pristine and absolved of fingerprints to match the rest of their sleek interior aesthetic. Both these opinions are completely fair and it all boils down to how you like your metals; worn in or cleaned up!
Patina is a natural tarnish that forms on the surface of brass and other metals. The goldish, brownish, sometimes turquoise green speckled surfaces are caused by the brass itself being exposed to various atmospheric elements such as oxygen, rain or carbon dioxide. Patina takes years to naturally occur but can be removed with a couple of cleaning processes. We’ve tried some of these processes with ingredients found in your home to show you easy ways you can keep the shine on your oil burner.
Statue of Liberty in 1886 with her original copper surface next to modern day Statue of Liberty with her iconic turquoise patina
Bronze cleaning method
Ingredients:
Lemon Juice
Baking Powder
Small Bowl
Spoon
Cloth
Sponge
- Depending on the size of your item add one to two tablespoons of baking powder to your bowl
- Add ½ the amount of lemon juice to the bowl
- Mix then wait until bubbling stops
- Add ingredients until it reaches a paste consistency
- Spread the liquidy paste onto your item thoroughly
- Wait 20 minutes
- Use sponge to scrub the surface of the item and wash off with water
- Dry with soft cloth in a polishing manner
- Enjoy your newly cleaned bronze!
Tips:
- Using a new sponge will allow for a deeper scrub
- Scrubbing the item before rinsing with water will allow for the baking soda to act as an exfoliant
- Repeating the procedure twice will allow you to eradicate hard to reach stains
Before
After
Brass cleaning method
Ingredients:
Vinegar
Salt
Flour
- Mix equal parts of the ingredients to create a paste like consistency (Depending on texture you may need to add more vinegar or more flour)
- Coat your Brass item thoroughly with the mixture
- Let sit for 1 hour
- Scrub your item clean
- Enjoy your newly cleaned brass!
Tips:
- Using a new sponge will allow for a deeper scrub
- Scrubbing the item before rinsing with water will allow for the baking soda to act as an exfoliant
- Repeating the procedure twice will allow you to eradicate hard to reach stains
Before
After