Brass is now the metal of choice in the world of décor – whether it is for lighting purposes or any art object. Therefore, it is essential that people know all the tips and tricks about how to clean and polish brass for a high shine.
Now whether you have bought yourself some cabinet pulls or a vintage lamp, you can read on ahead to learn how to have these objects looking their best.
Polish Brass: Assess the Condition of the Piece
Before you can go ahead and polish brass, you will need to check whether it has been lacquered. Lacquer is used to prevent tarnish on these pieces. So, if you see that the shiny coating is missing or has come off in some places, it signifies that the piece has been lacquered. If this is the case, then you can only take your piece to a metal refinisher. Once this has been done, it will be ready for the next steps.
Polish Brass: Apply a High-Quality Polish
To remove any discolouration’s on your piece, you will have to use a product which has been specially manufactured to polish brass. You should follow the given instruction of the product and use soft material in the process. We recommend that you use any knit cotton material such as that which is used in an undershirt.
Some good brass polishes include:
- Blue Magic
- Wright’s Brass Polish
- Twinkle Brass & Copper Cleaning Kit
- Bar Keepers Friends
- Brasso
Polish Brass: Go Natural
If you wish to DIY, you can even polish brass using baking soda, lemon or salt. The procedure in these methods is quite the same, but it saves some money while also requiring a little elbow grease.
Lemon and Baking Soda
Here you will have to mix the juice from half a lemon to about a teaspoon of baking soda. This mixture should be stirred until it has been made into a paste and this should be applied on the brass with a soft cloth. If the tarnish on the piece is substantial, then you should let this mix sit on the piece for about 20 minutes. After this recommended period, the piece should be rinsed and dried.
Lemon and Salt Polish
In this process, you will slice a lemon into half and cover one of the cross-sections with about a teaspoon of salt. This piece of lemon will then have to be rubbed on the tarnish while squeezing to release juice. Lastly, you will have to rinse and dry the piece. Both these processes can be repeated if the tarnish is still present.
Polish Brass: Let the Brass Age Gracefully
In most cases of antique pieces, tarnish only adds more beauty to the object. With experience, you will learn that some beautifully patinated items get degraded because of the decision to restore it. If this isn’t the case with your pieces of décor, then you know now how to effectively polish brass.
Polish Brass: WD-40
Another option is to try some WD-40 to protect and polish brass and gold. All you need to do is to is spray some WD-40 on its surface, use a cloth and clean the brass until it’s got its shine back.
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