How to Clean Old Brass Doorknobs

Polish brass door knobs with a polish wheel to restore luster.

Modern door knobs have a protective tarnish-free alloy skin to extend the luster and shine of the fixture. But most door knobs are older models and have been tarnished over time. Brass tarnish is a natural oxidation process and though it is formed as a natural protective layer, it must be removed to restore shine. Though brass cleaners or polishes can be applied by hand, it will take hours to achieve a result that a professional polishing wheel can achieve in a minute. Polishing by hand can not duplicate the same brilliance as a buffer.

Things You'll Need

• Screw driver
• Undiluted ammonia
• Gloves
• Polishing wheel
• Polish pads
• Polishing compound
• Brass sealer

Instructions

1. Remove the fixture from the door by unscrewing the screws from the door.

2. Soak the knob in undiluted ammonia for an hour. This is only necessary for badly tarnished door knobs.

3. Wear gloves when working with polishes.

4. Remove the ultra thin outer layer of brass tarnish by polishing the knob with a high speed polishing wheel with polishing rouge. This step will leave fine scratches on the knob.

5. Buff away the fine scratches by applying a polishing compound on a new polishing pad fitted into the polishing wheel and buff the brass.

6. Replace the buffing pad with a new one and burnish the knob without any compounds.

7. Spray a light coat of brass sealer to protect the brass from tarnish.

References

• Ask the Builder: Cleaning Brass the Professional Way
• Home Tips: Door Repair Brass Cleaning