Clean Brass Handles

Brass handles are handsome fixtures on almost any piece of furniture, but steady wear and tear will eventually require them to be cleaned. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of both store-bought and homemade solutions that can help you restore your brass handles. Using various combinations of water, salt, vinegar, baking soda, and salt, you can get your brass handles shining again. To avoid scratches, be gentle when cleaning your brass handles, and never use anything more abrasive than extra-fine grain steel wool.

Steps

Cleaning Brass Handles Without Detaching Them

1. Use hot, soapy water. Mix hot water and a few drops of mild dish soap until the water is sudsy. Dip a clean cloth into the mixture. Use these to wipe the handle on all sides.
   • Use microfiber cloth to clean brass handles. Microfiber cloths are specially designed to minimize surface abrasions.
2. Wipe the brass handle with ketchup. Dab a bit of ketchup on a clean cloth and wipe the brass handle with it. Once you’ve wiped down the whole handle, use a damp cloth to remove the ketchup. Use a third towel or dish cloth to dry the handle.
   • Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, tomato paste, and marinara sauce might also work in place of ketchup.
3. Create a vinegar paste. Mix ½ cup (118 milliliters) of vinegar with one teaspoon salt and three or four tablespoons flour. Dab a clean cloth in the paste and rub it across the handle. Wait 10 minutes, then rinse the handle off with a damp cloth. Dry the handle with a clean, soft dish cloth.
4. Craft a vinegar polish. Heat one pint (½ liter) of water in a small pot. Add two tablespoons salt and two tablespoons white vinegar. Wait for the mixture to cool, then dab a clean cloth in it. Wipe the brass handles down with this saltwater/vinegar mix. Dry the handles with a clean, soft rag.
5. Clean the brass handles with lemon juice. Dampen a soft rag with some lemon juice. Wipe the brass handle using the rag. Wipe away the juice residue with a second rag dipped in warm water. Dry the brass handles with a dry cloth.
   • Lime juice could also work in place of lemon juice.
6. Make a salt-based polish. Mix ¼ cup (75 grams) salt and the juice of half a lemon. Dip a piece of extra-fine steel wool into the mixture. Wipe the brass handles down with the salty lemon polish. Wipe away the grime with a damp rag, then dry the handles using a dry cloth.
   • You could use baking soda in place of salt.
   • Alternately, cut a lemon in half, then dip the flat face of it salt. Rub the salted lemon across the surface of your brass handles. Wipe the handles down with a damp rag, then dry them with a clean dish cloth.
7. Try a store-bought brass-cleaning product. There are many commercially available brass-cleaning products. While specific directions for these products vary according to manufacturer, you can generally spray the product on a brass handle, then wipe the handle with a clean cloth.
   • Popular brass-cleaning products include Bistro Copper and Brass Cleaner, Luster Copper/Brass Cleaner, and Q2 Brass Cleaner.
   • Consult manufacturer directions before using a brass-cleaning product.

Cleaning Brass Handles After Removing Them

1. Coat your handles with vinegar and salt. Dunk your brass handles in vinegar, then remove them, or just rub them down with a rag dampened with vinegar. Sprinkle salt over the handles and wipe them down using a damp rag. Once the salt has completely flaked off, wipe the handles down once again with another damp rag. Dry the handles using a clean cloth.
2. Simmer your brass handles in milk. Place your brass handles in a small pot. Fill the pot with an equal amount of water and milk. For instance, you might combine five tablespoons of milk and five tablespoons of water. Ensure the combined volume of milk and water completely covers your brass handles. Heat the mixture in a small pot until it boils, then reduce heat to low.
   • Remove your brass handles after about 10 minutes. Wipe them off using a damp cloth, then rinse them in your sink under swiftly flowing water.
3. Coat your brass handles in yogurt. Remove your brass handles from whatever they are attached to and use a spatula to cover them in plain yogurt. Wait 24 hours or so, then rinse them under swiftly flowing water. Wipe the last bits of yogurt off with a damp rag, then dry the handles with a clean dish cloth.
4. Submerge your brass handles in ammonia. Fill a small bowl or bucket that you do not use for dining with enough ammonia to cover all the brass handles you wish to clean. Remove the brass handles from wherever they’re attached and drop them in the ammonia. Ensure they are entirely covered.
   • Wait 30 minutes.
   • Remove the brass handles and scrub them with the scrubbing side of a sponge. If grime and gunk comes off with ease, you can remove them from the ammonia.
   • If the grime does not come off with ease when scrubbing, place the brass handles back in the ammonia.
   • When the handles are ready to come out, squirt a dab of a soft cleaner like Bar Keepers Friend on them. Scrub the handles with the scrubbing side of a sponge or an extra-fine steel wool. Wipe the handles dry with a soft cloth.
   • Always wear gloves when handling ammonia. Do not let it contact your skin.

Cleaning Brass Plate

1. Determine if you have brass-plated metal. Brass handles come in two varieties: brass-plated metal and solid brass. Brass-plated metals are composed of zinc, cast iron, or steel with a coat of brass plate over them. To determine whether your handles are brass-plated or solid brass, hold a magnet near the handle. If the magnet sticks to the handle, it is brass-plated rather than solid brass.
2. Determine if your brass-plated handle is lacquered. Lacquered and unlacquered brass-plated handles require different cleaning methods. To determine if your brass-plated handle is lacquered, conduct a visual inspection. Lacquered handles will have a thin, clear coat covering them. Unlacquered handles will not have this coat.
   • Most brass-plated handles are lacquered.
3. Use ammonia or mild soap on unlacquered brass-plated handles. Dab a soft cloth with ammonia or a mixture of mild soap and water. Wipe the brass handles until they sparkle. Dry the handles with a dry cloth.
   • Always wear gloves when handling ammonia. Do not let it contact your skin.
4. Utilize soapy water to clean lacquered brass-plated handles. If your brass-plated handles are lacquered, you must use only the most gentle cleaning agents and methods. Mix a few drops of liquid dish soap with water until it is sudsy. Dab a clean cloth in the water and wipe the handle with it.
   • Rinse the handle with a damp cloth, then dry it with a dry cloth.
   • Using commercial cleaning products or ammonia on lacquered handles will cause the lacquer coating to deteriorate.
5. Use a commercial cleaning product for heavily tarnished brass plate. There are many commercial cleaning products that can help you clean your brass handles. The specific directions for these products vary with manufacturer. Typically, however, you can simply spray the product on the brass handle and wipe it off with a clean cloth.
   • Popular brass cleaning products include Simichrome, Wenol, and Flitz.
   • Before using any cleaning product, consult manufacturer directions.
6. Be especially gentle with brass-plated handles. When cleaning solid brass, you can use a fine-grain steel wool to remove gunk and tarnish. Brass-plated handles, however, are much more sensitive. Use only the softest cloth available when cleaning them.

Caring for Your Brass Handles

1. Wear plastic gloves. When cleaning your brass-plated or solid brass handles, wear disposable plastic gloves. This will help you avoid smudging them. Touching your brass handles means leaving behind natural oils from your hands, which can hasten tarnishing.
2. Think about taking your brass handles to a professional. If you’re interested in getting the brass handles of an antique dresser or similar piece of furniture cleaned, you might want to turn the job over to a specialist. That way, your brass handles will be treated appropriately and the odds of a successful cleaning will increase.
3. Coat your brass handles with oil. After cleaning your brass handles, you can protect them from future tarnishing by rubbing a thin layer of olive, lemon, linseed, or mineral oil over them. Just dab a clean cloth or paper towel in an oil of your choice, then rub it along the surface of the brass handles.

Tips

• Instead of a rag or dish cloth, you could use a toothbrush to scrub hard-to-reach crevices in your brass handles.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Polish Gold
• Dull Chrome
• Polish Copper
• Clean Stainless Steel with Vinegar
• Clean Rusty Tools
• Clean Stainless Steel Naturally
• Clean Oxidized Copper
• Clean Rust Off Steel
• Clean Brass Hinges
• Clean Polished Aluminum

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