How to Polish Tarnished Brass

Clean tarnished brass with a homemade cleaning routine.

When brass becomes tarnished, it immediately deteriorates in quality, turning it from an attractive surface into an eyesore. To properly polish the brass and remove the tarnish, you must use something that removes all of the residue and tarnish without harming the brass itself. By putting together a few common household cleaning products, you are able to effectively clean, polish and remove tarnish from the brass surfaces around your home.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• 1 cup vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 1/8 tbsp. salt
• Water
• 3 cleaning rags
• Old toothbrush

Instructions

1. Fill a bowl with 1 cup of either lemon juice or white vinegar.

2. Dip a cleaning rag into a bowl to absorb the liquid, and wring out the rag. Both are slightly acidic and safe for use on the brass.

3. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of salt over the cleaning cloth, which creates a gritty texture.

4. Scrub the wet, salty cloth over the brass surface. Continue until you clean all of the brass and remove all tarnish.

5. Dip an old toothbrush into the leftover vinegar in the bowl, and sprinkle the toothbrush with 1/8 tbsp. salt.

6. Scrub the toothbrush along cracks and crevices to remove tarnish.

7. Rinse a fresh cleaning cloth with water, and wipe over the brass to remove the cleaning solution.

8. Buff the brass dry with a clean cloth.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Brass Cleaning