How to Bring Copper Pieces Back to Life

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How to Bring Copper Pieces Back to Life

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Tom Clark

Kitchenware made from copper are nice but when they age, their colors becomes dull, making them harder to clean at times go by. Owning one really makes it tough to clean with using an old toothbrush, salt and vinegar. Their beautiful shiny gloss could be brought back to life with a little patience and using a special mixture.

The formula is no secret and the ingredients are readily available. You will need one part of distilled water,one part denatured alcohol (also known as shellac thinner in paint stores), 1/2 part part concentrated ammonium hydroxide, and a considerable amount of gilder's whiting so the brew would be thin paste. You can substitute the concentrated ammonium hydroxide with ammonia, but the first is much stronger and can only be bought from chemical suppliers in bulk.

You could make the same formula by leaving out the distilled water and using 1 1/2 part of ammonia. If you're having difficulties finding gilder's whiting (which is actually calcium carbonate in powder form or chalk), you can use flour or use can ground chalk or any powder substitute that will not react with the alcohol and ammonia (components that really does the cleaning).

When you thin paste is ready, you can apply it to you copper pieces using cotton balls, rugs, old clothes, or whatever is convenient for you. Just make sure that you will discard a blacked clothes because it would defeat the cleaning purpose you were doing. With a little patience you can bring the luster of the copper like it was new.

After the application of the cleaning agent, wash the piece with a mild soap to remove all of the traces of your brew. Rinse with water, dry, then buff polish. Be sure that you keep you pieces free from harsh elements, even small amounts of sweat could be a start of oxidation.

For prolonging the polish of copper and brass, some spray their items with lacquer right after cleaning them. This is not a very good idea because even if a tiny spot is left untreated, it will be a point where oxidation will begin and spread. Keep in mind, that you have to remove the lacquer from the copper or brass before cleaning it. This can done by using a lacquer thinner commonly found of hardware shops or in paint stores.

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Tags: • vinegar • kitchenware • old clothes • cotton balls • copper and brass • how to • copper •

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