How to Remove Black Stains From a Copper Bottom Pot

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Dishpan

  • Lemon juice

  • Table salt

  • Nylon mesh scrubber

  • Kitchen towels

  • Ketchup

  • Dishwashing detergent

Copper cookware needs regular cleaning in order to keep it in top condition.

Copper bottoms on cookware are attractive and functional. The copper distributes heat evenly, helping to cook your food. Proper maintenance is important in maintaining the condition of copper-bottomed cookware. Black stains build up on the bottom of copper cookware as you use your pot. Regular cleaning and polishing with a combination of household and commercial supplies helps keep your copper-bottomed looking clean as well as helping it last longer.

Advertisement

Step 1

Lemon juice helps remove stains and tarnish from copper surfaces.

Pour lemon juice into the bottom of a dishpan. Set your copper-bottomed pot in the lemon juice and add more, if needed, to cover the copper portion. Allow the pot to soak in the juice for 15 minutes.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Remove your pot from the dishpan and sprinkle table salt over the copper portion. Scrub the salt and lemon juice into the copper surface with a nylon mesh scrubber. Add more lemon juice and salt as needed and continue to remove as much of the black stains from the bottom of the pot as possible.

Advertisement

Step 3

Rinse your pot to remove the lemon juice and salt. Dry the surface with a clean kitchen towel.

Step 4

Ketchup removes tarnish from copper surfaces.

Squirt ketchup onto the bottom of the copper pot. Use your nylon mesh scrubber to spread the ketchup over the entire bottom. Allow the ketchup to sit on the surface for 15 minutes to remove black tarnish.

Advertisement

Step 5

Run warm water over your pot to remove the ketchup. Wash the pot with dishwashing detergent and warm water. Rinse again then dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Tip

Wash stained copper-bottomed pots in ammonia to help remove stains.

Baking soda is a mild abrasive that safely removes cooked-on stains.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

references