How to Polish Metal Surfaces

Stainless steel is a common metal surface.

Polishing metal surfaces can make your home look cleaner and more pristine. In fact, a clean bathroom with dirty and unpolished faucets and metal hardware will not appear clean to your guests. Paying attention to this type of detail can also help metal surfaces in your home last longer. This is because tarnish and oxidization can eventually cause decay. Polish any metal surface, depending on which type of metal it is.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetable oil
• Cloths
• Lemon
• Baking soda
• Silver polish

Instructions

Stainless Steel

1. Apply a small amount of vegetable oil to a clean cloth.

2. Rub the cloth over the stainless steel. Rub in the same direction as the stainless steel grain.

3. Rub with a clean cloth to remove the greasy residue from the stainless steel.

Brass

1. Juice 1 lemon.

2. Add enough baking soda to make a thick paste with the consistency of toothpaste.

3. Apply the paste to the brass, using a clean cloth. Rub until the brass is polished.

4. Rub off the brass polish with another cloth, then buff the brass.

Silver

1. Apply silver polish to a clean cloth.

2. Rub the cloth into the silver until all of the tarnish is gone.

3. Rinse off the silver polish with clear water.

4. Dry the silver completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Silver tarnishes faster when exposed to certain foods, including eggs, onions, fish and shellfish, according to the website Mrs. Clean USA.

References

• Mrs. Clean: Cleaning Stainless Steel
• Mrs. Clean: How to Clean Brass
• Mrs. Clean: How to Clean Silver Jewelry