Cleaning brass – clean brass efficiently and easily

Brass is popular for decorating and many people decorate their homes with, for example, brass candlesticks, brass knobs, and brass handles. It is also popular in the kitchen and products such as brass cutlery and brass trays and dishes are found in many Swedish homes.

But how do you take care of things in brass and how should you polish brass?

Brass is an alloy, i.e. a mixture of materials where at least one is a metal, and brass includes copper and zinc. Because in those days, brass was called “poor man’s gold” and the color of brass depends on how much copper is included in the alloy.

But even though brass is popular and a durable material, there is also a downside: brass can easily become tarnished and lose its shine and luster, and can also acquire a green coating. In addition, brass is often used in brass candlesticks, which easily become full of candle wax over time.

How to clean brass

There are several different traditional methods, or so-called housewife tips, for polishing and cleaning brass and here we present three different methods.

But always start by gently cleaning your brass items with a little soap and warm water (don’t scrub hard, as you can scratch the surface of your brass items).

And remember to always test a new agent or method on a small area of ​​your brass items first to make sure the agent or method doesn’t work negatively for the surface of your items.

It is also important to remember to never use cleaning agents that clean by grinding, as this will damage the surface of your brass interior items. So avoid any agent that polishes by grinding and also avoid any cleaning sponges or other cleaning products that have an abrasive surface (eg some sponges and steel wool).

Clean with ketchup

It may sound completely crazy, but using ketchup is a popular way to clean and polish brass.

To clean brass with ketchup, do this:

1. Spread ketchup generously on the brass and leave it on for a while (there are different tips here, anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how dirty your brass is).

2. Carefully remove the ketchup with warm water.

3. Done.

Clean with lemon and bicarbonate

Cleaning with lemon and bicarbonate is also a classic housewife trick.

Do this:

1. Take a teaspoon of bicarbonate and mix with the juice of half a lemon.
2. Spread the mixture on your brass object with a soft cloth.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water.
4. Wipe clean and dry.
5. Done.