Featured Cleaning Brass Quick tip

Okay lets face it brass is a pain and I do not know how this would work on all types of brass but when the brass is completely black and seems like a lost cause because it's really not worth spending hours on to clean it try this. It takes about 5 minutes. And yes I know I shouldn't use it because of the acids, but I don't care it works wonders. And it brings life back to something that would other wise be considered trash or scrap.

Cut lemons in half pour salt on it. NOTE I have only tried this with sea salt.
Rub all over piece
Sprinkle salt on piece use tooth brush to get down in cracks scrub for a minute or two
while still covered in lemon and salt wipe off excess with magic eraser
Then wash in hot soapy water
Takes about 5 minutes on most pieces, about 15 on pieces with lots of design.

The table shown in the last picture is pink because it was improperly cleaned years ago not because of the lemon solution. Now if I left the lemon on there for hours it might create the same problem.

Try it on a hopelessly black piece you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

And it smells nice.

 

"Twas the laaaaast Rooooose of summer..."

Thank you for the recipe!

 

Except it's an iris, my favorite flower.

 

It works with any kind of salt.

 

I just cleaned this one I found out in barn. Took 5 minutes just to show the dramatic difference.

 

And i'm one of those strange people that love old brass stuff. So if I can clean it up I will.

 

And a quick result is always gratifying.

 

That ain't an iris. Look at the honking nut thingie it's growing from - irises come from tubers. Flowers are all wrong, too. Hang on whilst I think about which monocotyledon it is.

 

Does it work on copper?

 

Yes it does.

 

I would suggest this recipe only be used when the whole item can be thoroughly washed immediately after use. Citric acid is a fairly mild acid, so not a major concern. But there is a potential problem with the salt, NaCl. Chlorides can react with copper and copper alloys, forming corrosion products that are quite persistent. "Bronze disease" is caused by contamination with chlorides. It won't be immediately apparent, but any chlorides left on the object can react with moisture in the air to create hydrochloric acid. This is why objects recovered from salt water or salty soil can be so difficult to stabilize.

 

I have used this method many times on brass and copper. If you don't have fresh lemons handy, use the bottled lemon juice (even if past the "best before" date).
I apply with #0000 steel wool, using an old toothbrush in crevices. Rinse thoroughly. The results aren't as shiny as I like, so I finish off with Never-Dull, then a good rub with a soft cloth. Brilliant results every time.

 

A gallon of 33% muriatic acid (hydrochloric) is only $2.99 at Fleet Farm and works a lot better. Try not to breathe it.