Should i clean antique brass

Others prefer the aged, tarnished look. So most sellers leave them as found and let the buyers decide what do with them -- polish or not, as the buyers please.

I'd leave it to the buyer. If they like shiny they can polish but if they want patina and you've polished you may have eliminated some of your potential buyers. Copper has a patina and will protect the copper from deterioration, brass has no such patina, with brass it is called damaged goods and if left alone will permanently damage the brass beyond any hope of repair, the difference is the formulation of the metallic alloys.

Having traveled to England several times and visited antique malls there, I learned that their opinion varies widely from American collectors. Yes, the English collectors often, but not always, prefer bright, shiny pieces in many instances. This is not true in America. I have been in the business for over 50 years.

American collectors want antiques in the most original condition possible. Once they have purchased the item, they can determine whether or not to polish. Yes, polish exists for that preference, but you will be making costly mistakes if you continue to polish items that are for sale. A gentle cleaning with a soft, damp cloth to remove surface grime is fine.

Leave the polish to the buyer. When it's silver, the previous poster was correct. Tarnish is different than patina. Tarnish will damage silver and you should use something like Wright's or Goddard's to polish it. My opinion differs , and yes in some cases it's best left alone, in most cases is based on what data,?

Copper should not be polished because the patina that develops protects the remainder of the copper, yet on the other hand, if it is a indoor type by all means make it shine, with brass, there is no Patina, just oxidation reactions which damage the item and should always be kept polished, once polished one can coat it with a clear lacquer and it will slow down the oxidation by a factor of 5 years, even with a protective layer it will eventually develop tarnish and unless remedied it will meets it's fate in a smelting oven.

Decide if the Antique Brass Is Lacquered Many antique brass items are lacquered to prevent tarnishing. Don't Use Abrasives to Clean Lacquered Brass If a piece has been lacquered, you should not polish it with an abrasive cleaner. Leave Damaged Lacquer to the Professionals If the antique brass shows lacquer that is peeling or chipping off and revealing the metal beneath, don't try to clean this yourself or remove the remaining.

Determine Whether It's Brass Plated Many antique brass items are crafted from solid brass, but there are also a lot of pieces wrapped in a thin layer of brass or plated with brass over another, less expensive metal.

Clean Brass Plated Items With Mild Soap and Water Cleaning antique brass that has been plated is mostly a matter of removing surface grime and lightly polishing. Polish Plated Brass Very Gently Plated brass has only a thin layer of metal, so every time you polish it, you cause damage by removing a little of that plating. How to Clean Antique Brass With Store-Bought Polish Store-bought brass cleaning solutions like Brasso or Wright's Brass Polish are specially designed for brass and works quickly to minimize the amount of effort you need to put into scrubbing.

Examine the item first to see if there's actual dirt and grime that needs to be cleaned. If so, wipe this away with a mild soap solution and thoroughly dry the piece. Pour a small amount of brass polish on a soft cloth. Wipe the cloth with the polish over the surface of the brass, depositing the polish as you go. Then go back over the surface, lightly rubbing the polish into the brass in the direction of previous polishing.

You'll see very fine lines to show you how it was polished in the past. Continue rubbing until the brass begins to look clean. It won't be shiny yet. Find a new section of the cloth that is clean and polish-free. Rub the polish off with this part of the cloth, changing to a new section when it gets dirty. Continue until you have cleaned the entire brass item. Tomato Paste Because tomatoes contain an acid that destroys brass tarnish, they are a tried-and-true natural method for cleaning brass.

Baking Soda and Lemon Cleaning with baking soda is a good alternative. Vinegar, Salt, and Flour You can also clean with vinegar, which is acidic enough to destroy the tarnish. Keeping Your Antique Brass Looking Bright From antique metal bed frames to decorative items and brass doorknobs , you can keep the item looking great by keeping it clean. By Jennifer L. By Kate Miller-Wilson. Antique Soap Saver Styles and Values. How Restoration Affects Value of Antiques.

Evaluating Antique Metal Bed Frames. How to Clean Brass. Antiques Roadshow Scandal. By Brandi Rhoades. Art Deco Furniture Collection. Drag Racing Memorabilia.

There are few different methods to clean brass, that we have yet to try — do your own research and only try what you are comfortable with using on your brass.

Whatever method you decide to use, be warned, you will need to put some elbow grease into it. Cart 0. Image from Pinterest.

Origin unknown. What will I need? Cut your lemon in half, and squeeze into a bowl. Remove any seeds. A spoonful at a time, add the baking powder to the lemon juice. Your mixture should end up with a toothpaste like consistency, so the amount of baking soda you end up using will depend on the amount of lemon juice you have. Ensure you mix the two ingredients together in the bowl. Take a soft cloth or cotton wool and apply the mixture to an area of your brass object. You may want to test a small patch on the bottom or back of an object to help you decide whether to carry on.

Work the mixture into the brass. A soft cloth may work better for you, as you could end up going through a lot of cotton wool.