How to Clean Antique Copper & Silver

Clean antique copper items to restore their original beauty.

Antique copper and silver items often tarnish over time, resulting in a dark coating on the surface of the metal. This tarnish blocks the natural color and shine of your antique items, but you can remove it with some homemade cleaning solutions. In addition to tarnish, some copper items may be covered with a thin layer of lacquer. Lacquer protects the copper but this coating can become damaged over time. If you notice any peeling lacquer, you must remove it before you can clean and polish the copper.

Things You'll Need

• Stock pot
• Washing soda
• Tongs
• Towels
• White vinegar
• Salt
• Spray bottle
• Hot, soapy water
• Whiting
• Denatured alcohol
• Soft cloths

Instructions

Remove Lacquer on Antique Copper

1. Pour 2 gallons of water into a 12 quart or larger stock pot.

2. Add 1 cup of washing soda to the water in the stock pot.

3. Heat the water until it boils on your stove. You can place a lid on the stock pot to trap heat and make the water boil faster.

4. Insert the antique copper item gently into the boiling water.

5. Watch the copper carefully as it sits in the boiling water. When you see the lacquer begin to peel off, remove the item from the boiling water with tongs.

6. Wipe the copper firmly with a clean towel to peel away the loosened lacquer.

Clean Antique Copper

1. Combine 1 cup of white vinegar with 3 tablespoons of salt in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to mix the salt into the vinegar.

2. Spray the copper with the mixture to thoroughly soak the metal.

3. Wait approximately 30 minutes to give the salt and vinegar mixture time to clean the copper.

4. Wipe the copper firmly with a clean towel to remove the salt and vinegar.

5. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to clean the antique copper and restore it's original shine.

Clean Antique Silver

1. Wash the antique silver thoroughly in hot, soapy water to remove any dirt or grease on the surface of the metal.

2. Rinse the antique silver in clean water and dry it with a clean towel.

3. Mix 3 tablespoons of whiting with 1 tablespoon of denatured alcohol to create a paste. Whiting is available at hardware or home-improvement stores and is sometimes sold as calcium carbonate.

4. Dip a soft cloth into the paste and gently apply it to the antique silver in one direction. Do not apply the paste in a circular or back and forth motion.

5. Use a clean cloth to rub the polish firmly into the silver, still rubbing in one direction. Continue to rub until the silver appears clean.

6. Wash the silver again in hot, soapy water to remove all traces of the whiting and denatured alcohol.

7. Rinse the silver in clean water and dry it with a clean towel.

References

• Utah State University Extension: Making a House a Home
• University of Florida: IFAS Extension: Hazardous Household Substances
• UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences: How to Care for Your Furnishings