Time-tested ways to clean brass from oxide at home

Household utensils and dishes, decorative items, jewelry made from brass attract not only the gloss of the golden surface, but also their resistance to abrasion and corrosion.

With proper care, brass products have been decorating people's lives for decades. Unfortunately, with prolonged contact with the external environment, brass loses its gloss and becomes covered with dark oxide spots.

Time-tested methods will help you return the product to its original appearance at home. We will tell you more about how to clean brass from oxide at home.

Folk remedies

Some improvised means can restore the shine and luster of darkened brass products quickly, efficiently and, importantly, with minimal financial costs.

Toothpaste

To remove dark green oxide deposits from a brass surface, use toothpaste.

Antique items with engraving, relief surfaces are cleaned with an old toothbrush, onto which a small amount of paste is squeezed out.

Smooth surfaces are wiped with a paper towel on which a thin layer of toothpaste is spread.

For cleaning, you must choose a toothpaste without abrasive whitening particles. Otherwise, the glossy surface of the brass product will be disfigured by scratches and abrasions.

Acetone

Clean small brass items from oxide as quickly as possible Acetone will help (alternatively, you can use nail polish remover).

The steps are simple: dark oxide stains on brass are wiped with a cotton sponge generously moistened with acetone. After cleaning, the product is rinsed under running water, blotted with a paper towel, and rubbed with a woolen cloth.

Table vinegar

Regular table vinegar will help restore the shine and luster of tarnished brass dishes.

Algorithm of actions:

• 250 ml of table vinegar (9%) and 1 tbsp are diluted in five liters of water. table salt;
• bring the solution to a boil; lower the product with a coating of oxide and boil for three hours;
• The already cleaned item is removed from the vinegar solution and rinsed under running water.

In order for brass to acquire a radiant shine and gloss after cleaning, the product must be dried and rubbed with a soft woolen or felt cloth.

Lemon juice

It is convenient to clean small items and brass jewelry with lemon juice.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Baking soda powder and cool clean water are mixed in equal proportions.
2. The oxidized products are dipped into the resulting solution and left for fifteen minutes.
3. Transfer the products from the soda solution into a container with lemon juice and leave for forty minutes.
4. Things cleaned of oxide are rinsed under running water and then wiped dry with a soft cloth.

To remove stubborn, old oxide stains, the gentle cleaning procedure with lemon juice must be repeated two or three times.

Table salt and cream

A cleaning paste prepared from available ingredients will help quickly restore the shine to a brass product that has darkened over time.

The steps are simple: fine table salt is mixed with cream to form a thick paste. The resulting mixture is applied in a thin layer to the darkened surface and left for thirty minutes. Afterwards, the product is washed under running water and wiped dry with a clean towel.

Household chemicals

When you need to very quickly restore the shine and luster of brass products, special chemicals will come to the rescue (available in a large assortment on the shelves of hardware stores). TOP 3 most effective compositions:

Starwax

This copper, brass and bronze cleaner will clean and restore the shine to your favorite items. No ammonia. Suitable for cleaning engraved surfaces. The average cost is 550 rubles. (volume 250 ml).

Dr.Beckmann for metal cleaning

Dr.Beckmann metal cleaner will thoroughly clean the brass surface from oxide, grease and other stubborn contaminants. A composition based on carnauba wax protects the brass surface from the rapid appearance of dark oxide stains. The average cost is 340 rubles. (volume 250 ml).

Cleansing cream Cinderella

Designed to add shine to products made of brass, copper, bronze and other metals (with the exception of polished aluminum). Soft natural abrasive in the cream Gently removes various contaminants, oxide deposits. The thick creamy consistency of the product ensures its economical consumption. The average cost is 40 rubles. (volume 250 ml).

Cleaning with any chemical means is carried out strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The interaction time of the chemical composition with the brass surface must not be exceeded.Any actions with cleaning products should be carried out only with rubber gloves, in a well-ventilated area.

How to remove oxides from a brass samovar?

Cleaning a brass samovar from oxide takes place in several stages.

Disassembly

To thoroughly clean all parts of the samovar, it needs to be disassembled; to do this, remove:

• top cover,
• key,
• crown,
• stand and handles.

Such preliminary preparation will help to better clean stubborn dirt in hard-to-reach places.

Cleaning the inside

There are several ways to carefully remove the layer of scale inside a brass samovar. The simplest one is to fill the samovar with raw potato skins and add water. and boil for thirty minutes.

Afterwards the peel is left in the samovar for another twenty-four hours. During this time, the layer of scale softens to such an extent that it can easily be removed with the hard side of a dishwashing sponge.

If a layer of scale has accumulated on the walls of the samovar for more than one month, Citric acid will help remove it. Dry powder (250 g) is poured into a samovar, filled with water, boiled for five minutes, cooled, and left for twelve hours.

Citric acid softens the layer of lime deposits on the walls of the samovar, after which they can be easily removed with a soft sponge.

External cleaning

A means of cleaning brass from oxide, proven by more than one generation of housewives, is oxalic acid.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Dissolve 1 tbsp in a liter of warm water. oxalic acid.
2. The resulting mixture is carefully applied to the brass surface and left for five minutes.
3. The samovar is washed off with clean cool water. To neutralize the aggressive effect of acid on brass, cleaned surfaces are wiped with a sponge soaked in soda solution (1 tablespoon mixed with water to a thick paste).

After cleaning, the samovar must be wiped dry with paper towels. Otherwise, with prolonged contact with water, dark spots may appear on the brass surface.

The video will show you how to clean a brass samovar:

Precautionary measures

To maintain the gloss and shine of the brass surface During the cleaning process you cannot use:

1. Products that contain large abrasive particles, sandpaper, hard metal brushes and sponges (they leave scratches and abrasions that permanently destroy the gloss and shine of brass).
2. Alkaline compounds. Cleaning with acetic or hydrochloric acid is justified only in exceptional cases when other methods and means have not helped achieve the desired result.

Prevention

By following some recommendations, you can save your favorite things from brass from the rapid appearance of dark oxide spots:

• After use, dishes and other household utensils made of brass must be washed under running water and wiped dry with a towel;
• brass jewelry is stored only in closed boxes (bright sunlight negatively affects the glossy surface); from time to time the jewelry must be taken out and rubbed with a velvet or suede napkin;
• Interior items made of brass (sconces, chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps) are regularly wiped with a soft, clean rag; periodic treatment with a special varnish will help make caring for brass door handles easier.

Brass products require care and attention. Cleaning should begin at the first sign of the appearance of oxide (dark plaque). The longer a product remains dirty, the more difficult it is to restore it to its proper condition.

Adviсe

Gently scrubbing with yogurt will help remove light darkening. brass surface. The product is dipped into a container with a dairy product and left for an hour. Afterwards, the item is taken out, wiped with a soft sponge under running water, and dried with a soft towel.

Video on the topic of the article

The video will show you how to clean brass products:

Conclusion

It is easy to bring brass products into proper shape at home. All you need to do is choose the right product and protect your hands with gloves. and you can begin the process of removing oxide deposits.