Classic brass has a rate of 30% zinc for 70% of copper. This alloy appreciated since antiquity for its malleability, its robustness and its beauty can tarnish, stain, oxidize. To clean it, you will surely find products specifically intended for brass and other metals on the market. But why buy when the solution is already in your cupboards?
White vinegar bath
For obvious smudges and fingerprints or oxidation to the air, which tarnishes the object without the appearance of verdigris, the most effective technique remains vinegar. Method: after putting on gloves, pour very hot water and half a liter of white vinegar into a basin. Immerse the object and let it soak for ten minutes. Then, rub the dirty or oxidized surface with a sponge dipped in the solution. Then sprinkle your sponge with coarse salt and polish the brass, emphasizing the areas concerned. Dip your object back into the basin. If necessary, repeat the operation. Finally, rinse with clear water, dry and polish. This trick will clean and bring shine to brass.
soapy water
For slightly dirty brass (fingerprints, encrusted dust, etc.), a soapy bath is a simple and practical solution. Take some Savon (from Marseille, for example) and melt it in hot water. Mix until you obtain a homogeneous result Wait until the water is lukewarm. Then, soak a cloth in the preparation, wring out and polish the brass surface. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. If the object has rough edges, lightly rub the interstices using a toothbrush gentle.
Toothpaste
The toothpaste acts on fingerprints, loss of shine and verdigris. Choose a toothpaste basic white in color. Put a dose on a soft, damp cloth and gently rub your object in small circular motions. Rinse with clean water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
A soda au cola
Virtues antioxidants of the famous cola soft drink make it a good cleaning technique. If your object is small, quickly immerse it in a container filled with soda. Scrub it with a sponge or a soft brush. Rinse with lukewarm water and polish with a microfiber cloth. If the brass object is too large to submerge entirely, you can soak a cloth or sponge in the drink and rub gently. Leave on for a few minutes before rinsing with soapy water (water alone could leave areas tights and thus attract dust). Dry with a soft cloth.
You ketchup
The advantage of ketchup is to bring together in the same bottle tomato (which is a powerful deoxidizer), sel a you vinegar. For ketchup to work well, it must be used at room temperature. So be sure to take it out of the refrigerator in advance. Spread the sauce over the entire surface of the object with a kitchen or pastry brush. Let it act for a few minutes. The ketchup goes blacken and at the same time, the brass will regain its color. It will then suffice to rinse everything with soapy water with a damp cloth and then dry it. This method can also be applied to copper. In general, sauces spicy bottled are good cleaners for brass.
Electrochemical cleaning
Brass, very oxidized or very dirty, can regain its shine thanks to electrolysis. To obtain a convincing result, you must start by washing the object with soap and water. Rinse and dry. Then line the bottom of a plastic bowl with paper aluminium. Pour half a mustard glass of bicarbonate of soda then a liter of boiling water without mixing. Immerse the object and leave to act in the solution until the stains have completely disappeared. As soon as brass seems clean, remove it from the bath and wash it in soapy water. Dry and buff with a cloth.
black soap
To remove stains from brass, you can also pour a liter of water with three tablespoons of black soap into a container. Mix well and immerse your object in the solution. With a clean cloth, rub the stained areas and let dry. For strengthen the actionyou can apply the following method.
Black soap and bicarbonate
In a container, dilute a liter of hot water, 3 tablespoons of black soap and a tablespoon of bicarbonate. Dip a soft sponge into the mixture and scrub the brass surface. Rinse the object with clear water then dry it with a clean cloth.
flour and salt
In a bowl, mix flour, salt and a little water so that the ingredients form a dough. Put some preparation on a sponge and rub the brass. Finish the operation by rinsing with clean water and then drying with a cloth.
soda crystals
Clean the brass by rubbing it with a cloth soaked in water containing soda crystals (a half glass of crystals per liter of hot water). Rinse with clear water, dry and polish.
Dishwashing liquid
After dusting the object, soak a cotton cloth in lukewarm water, with a little washing-up liquid added. Wring the cloth and rub the brass. Once the surface is clean, take another very slightly damp cloth to remove the soap residual. Dry.
Yogurt
Coat your object with whole yoghurt. L’Lactic acid contained in the dairy product will remove the dullness from the brass. When the yogurt is dry, rinse with water. Then dry with a soft cloth to shine.