How to clean brass: test it, wash it, then polish only if needed

Step by step: how to clean brass

1. 1

   Test whether it is solid or plated

   Hold a small magnet to the piece. If it sticks, the item is steel or iron with a thin brass plating, and you should only wash it gently, since polishing wears through the plating. Solid brass is not magnetic and feels heavy for its size.

2. 2

   Check for a lacquer coating

   Look for an even, glassy shine with tarnish only in spots where the finish is scratched or peeling. That is lacquered brass, common on new door hardware and lamps. Polishing a lacquered piece does nothing to the tarnish under the coat, so just wash it, or have the lacquer stripped and redone if it is failing.

3. 3

   Wash off dirt and grease

   Mix a few drops of dish soap into a bowl of warm water. Wipe or gently scrub the brass with a soft cloth or toothbrush, getting into crevices. Rinse with clean water and dry right away with a soft towel; often this alone brightens it.

4. 4

   Polish light tarnish

   Put on gloves and apply a small amount of brass polish to a soft cloth. Rub along the piece in straight strokes, a small section at a time, until the cloth turns black and the shine comes back. Use a soft toothbrush in engraved areas.

5. 5

   Or use a mild cleanser on heavier tarnish

   For solid brass with heavier tarnish, wet the surface, put Bar Keepers Friend on a damp non-scratch sponge and rub gently. Rinse within about one minute, as the maker advises, and repeat rather than leaving it longer. Never use it on plated or lacquered pieces.

6. 6

   Rinse off every trace of polish

   Wash the piece again in warm soapy water and rinse well, using the toothbrush to clear polish from engraving and seams. Polish left in crevices dries white or green and attracts new corrosion.

7. 7

   Dry and buff

   Dry the brass completely with a clean, soft cloth, then buff with another dry cloth for a high shine. Handle it with gloves or a cloth afterward, because fingerprints leave salts and oils that tarnish quickly.

8. 8

   Protect it with wax (optional)

   Rub a very thin coat of microcrystalline paste wax onto decorative brass and buff it after a few minutes. It slows tarnish for months and comes off with mineral spirits when you want to polish again. Skip wax on door handles and taps that get heavy use.

Solid, plated or lacquered: how to clean each kind of brass

What the brass is decides how hard you can clean it. Bar Keepers Friend’s brass cleaning guide uses the magnet test: if a magnet sticks, the hardware is brass-plated, and its method is meant for solid brass.

Which brass polish or cleaner should you use?

Use the mildest product that removes the tarnish: a soft polish for routine shine, a mild cleanser for heavy tarnish, and never anything made for harder metals. Conservators at the Canadian Conservation Institute warn that polishes made for cars or stainless steel can contain hard particles that scratch copper alloys like brass, and that many metal polishes contain ammonia, which can attack copper. Their gentlest option is a paste of precipitated chalk and water on a soft cloth.

• Cream or liquid brass polish: the standard choice for decorative pieces and fixtures.
• Bar Keepers Friend: faster on heavy tarnish on solid brass, but it is a cleanser, so rinse within a minute.
• Lemon and baking soda, or vinegar, salt and flour pastes: popular home recipes that work through mild acid. Rinse them off very thoroughly, since acid left behind keeps reacting with the metal.
• Regular cleaning without polishing: Simple Green’s brass tips use a cleaner, a soft wet toothbrush in the crevices, a rinse and a microfiber buff, and note that heavily tarnished lacquered brass needs the lacquer stripped before it can be cleaned.

Should you remove the patina from old brass?

Not always. On antiques, a soft even patina is part of the value, and polishing it off cannot be undone. Dust antiques with a soft brush and wash them only if they are grimy.

Green or blue crusty spots are a different matter: they are active corrosion, often from moisture or leftover polish, and are worth removing gently from everyday pieces. On valuable items, ask a conservator. Brass and copper behave alike, so the same approach applies to copper pans and fittings.

Mistakes to avoid

• Polishing lacquered brass, which only dulls the clear coat and leaves the tarnish under it.
• Rubbing brass-plated hardware hard until the plating wears through to steel.
• Using steel wool, scouring powders with harsh grit, or car and stainless polishes.
• Leaving lemon, vinegar or polish residue in crevices, where it turns green.
• Polishing a valuable antique and removing a patina that collectors want.