From Fireplace pokers to brass door knobs and cabinet pulls every home is bound to have at least a few brass items that need to be taken care of.
Although Brass is a relatively soft metal when compared to steel it is durable and not prone to rusting.
It is also fairly decent in the way of maintainability requiring limited polishing to remove oxidation but nothing can limit the amount of surface buildup when items are placed in use.
Polishing antique brass items can damage their value. If you are working on older pieces you should always think about what your cleaning will do to value but also to the style they provide in your home.
You should also understand that plated pieces will not react very well to tough cleaning. Many decorative lights are sheet metal with a brass plate that can easily be destroyed leaving you with no other options then to paint the piece or buy new.
Surface Finishes
When deciding how to clean your brass items you should first think about how you want them to look.
Some people love the bright look of fresh brass. It is probably the metal closest to gold in your home and when buffed it can give nice contrast to chrome or natural hardwood.
Other people like the aged look of brass and many manufacturers go through special processes of paints and coatings to make new pieces look old. Cabinet hardware is one place you may see brand new pieces that look a hundred years old.
So when you decide to grab a can of polish and spend a weekend afternoon cleaning your brass pieces you should know that too much work can produce effects you may not be happy with.
Making Old Pieces Bright and Shiny
If you have some older pieces of brass maybe a candle stick or other item that you want to make look brand new follow these steps.
Using a pair of rubber gloves and varnish remover scrub your pieces with some triple 000 steel wool. This will remove any surface buildup and protective layering.
Once you have completed cleaning your parts you will need to buff them to remove the small scratches from the steel wool. Hand buffing is possible with a compound polish on a rag but it can take a very long time.
If you have a garage grinder you can purchase a buffing wheel and compound sticks.
Buff the part until it shines to the desired level.
Cleaning up brass parts and keeping the old look
If you want to keep that old look then soap and water is probably your best friend.
Never use a cleaner with an abrasive and on new parts that have an old look do not use harsh petroleum chemicals that can eat through tinted coatings.
If you have new pieces that you want to look old you may try burnishing the part with 000 steel wool to knock down the reflection and then painting the part with a tinted varnish.
Some artisans will use lamp black to darken areas and then lacquer the part others use black spray paint which they rub on with a cloth and then polyurethane as a protective layer.