When I was growing up, my father always told me how to clean brass because it was such a great metal and the polish always brought out the shine. I have also learned that if you clean your brass jewelry with salt, it will bring out its natural color. I’ll share with you how to do this with just a few easy steps that only require a salt spray and some toothpaste.
How to Clean Brass Naturally With Salt – You need to get a small container that holds about two cups of salt. Look at a large bowl that is covered with wax paper or another clean, smooth surface. Pour in about half a cup of warm salt and swirl it around in the bowl. The salt will attract the dirt and grime that have been embedded deep into the metal and this will take off the fingerprints, dirt, and fingerprints.
Next, you will want to add a small amount of liquid dish detergent. This is just a soap mixture and not a liquid acid cleaner. Soap is often used for cleaning stainless steel and copper and will work just fine here. I would avoid using hard acrylic finishes though because the salt solution will eventually dissolve them.
The next step in learning how to clean brass naturally with salt involves placing the tarnished piece in a pan with about one inch of salt. Let the tarnish sit for about an hour. Then, remove the piece from the pan and wipe it down with a soft, clean cloth. Once the tarnish has completely vanished, you can rinse out the piece with warm water.
How to Clean Brass Naturally With Acetone – This is my favorite way of going about this method since you get the greatest control when using pure acetone. The first thing you want to do is clean out all of the dust that may have collected on the magnetic surface of the brass plated item. Use a cotton swab or other small abrasive material to gently wipe away dust particles. Be sure to gently tilt the item while doing this to ensure that the dust is being removed evenly.
Then, place the tarnished item in an unbreakable bowl that is filled with half-inch of wd-40. Thoroughly wet the towel with the wd-40 solution before wiping away any of the water. Keep wiping to keep it from building up a film on the surface. Keep using the wet towel to get rid of as much of the tarnish as possible.
How to Clean Brass Naturally With Soda and Oil – Similar to the previous step, you are going to want to make sure that the item is completely rinsed out and all soap is removed before proceeding. This step involves rubbing the brass surfaces with a soft buffing pad and a slightly diluted rubbing alcohol. It’s important to rinse off the alcohol because this is going to help remove any additional dirt or dust particles that were not previously removed by the above method. Next, apply the rubbing alcohol to the surface of the brass piece using a rag.
How to Clean Brass Naturally With Baking Soda and Oil – For this step, you will need one-half cup of lemon juice and one-half cup of baking soda. Mix the lemon juice and the baking soda together to create a paste. Apply the paste to the surface of the brass piece using a rag and allow it to sit for approximately five minutes. After the time is up, rinse the piece with clear water to get rid of the baking soda.
