(Cycles thru suppliers
of coatings to
protect brass beds) -->

Letter 9922

How Do I Clean Brass (gateleg table insert)?

How would I clean and protect a badly tarnished outside brass ornament?

Lucy A [name deleted for privacy]
- Corona, California

Make a paste of equal parts of salt, flour, vinegar. Rub on, leave for a hour, clean with soft cloth, buff.

Jim S
- Kingston, Ontario, Canada

I have just used the brass cleaning solution on a large oval heavily detailed brass table insert to a Burmese gateleg table. It works a treat. I have never seen the brass so clean since my mother owned the table 40 years ago. Thank you!!!

Gordon L [name deleted for privacy]
- Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

++++

Thank-you for the information on cleaning brass, it works great. It's something everyone has around the house.

Melinda F [name deleted for privacy]
house wife - ST.Catharines, Canada

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I've a brass ship's "stern" lantern made in Peterhead, Scotland, that is badly tarnished and needs cleaning. Brasso [link is to product info at Amazon] isn't strong enough. Would you give me your advice as to how I can clean the lamp and bring it back to it's original luster.

Dr. Steve A
cleaning a brass lamp - Ashburnham, Massachusetts

++++

Dr. Steve,

I don't know if you found an answer to brass cleaning but I would like to tell you about a product that I found that you don't need a lot of muscle to get it to work.

Brass Guard-brass polishing paste ( comes in a small tube in a white box). The cream is pink but works better then other brass cleaners that I could find. I know because I clean brass in my church. The company on the box is
Monarch International, Inc.
4471 E. Santa Anna #A
Ontario, CA 91761

God Bless You....Hope this works for you.

Mrs. Maynard
- Monroe, Michigan

++++

Thank you for the tip, it really works, cuts out all the hard work, thanks again.

Janet C
- Folkestone, Kent, England

+++++

Thanks for the info on flour vinegar and salt It has worked a treat on my very tarnished brass clocks and bell. I have tried them all and this simple treatment is the best.

Thanks again

Ken U
- Gold Coast, Australia

++++++

I tried the vinegar, flour and water it worked beautifully. I had a door knocker that was black and nothing I tried worked. Then I thought "google". The internet is a wonderful tool and thanks to the lovely person who put the tip here.

Jennifer C
- Augusta, West Australia, Australia

++++++

I just used the salt/vinegar/flour concoction on a large brass bucket that has sat outside for several years and it worked like magic. This bucket was so tarnished, I wasn't sure it was actually brass until I applied the paste and the effect was instantaneous. I followed up with a good cream polish (Maas Metal Polish [link is to product info at Amazon]) and the bucket is now truly as good as new. Thank you!

Helen S
- Woody Creek, Colorado

+++++++

Wow, that is amazing, I have just cleaned all my brasses and I am not filthy, It is the best I have Ever seen them.

Thank you, I will never use brass polish again, Pat, UK.

Patricia Sharp
- Sunderland, England.

+++++++

I like the idea of the vinegar, flour and water but I am not sure which vinegar to use apple cider or distilled?
sss in OKC a homeowner

Shirley Swaim
homeowner - Warr Acres, Oklahoma

+++++++

I'm confident that it makes no difference and you can use whichever you have at hand, Shirley. But the amateur scientist in me says don't introduce extraneous variables into a reaction, so if you already have both on hand or if you are going to buy specifically for the purpose, go with the distilled because it is purer. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

April 7, 2008

I'm not easily impressed but this paste is amazing. I had tried to clean an old brass jam pan using everything that I could think of. My success was conspicuous by its absence! One application of the paste and after a couple of hours the pan cleaned up with very little effort.

Thank you.

Ray Thorpe
- York, Yorkshire, UK

April 30, 2008

My husband and I just recently purchased a new home...it happens to be the 2nd oldest house in the town and all the hardware on the doors is brass, but it has 200 yrs of black crud just caked on it...I went through an entire tin of Nevr-Dull [link is to product info at Amazon] and only got 3 door knob plates clean. I'm going to try the salt/vinegar/flour method but I cannot take the hardware off the doors. I would love to have the original brass back but do not want to go broke buying cleaning supplies!!! Please help.

Megan Burdick
Apprentice Engraver - Olean, New York

August 15, 2008

IF I US 2 CUPS FLOUR, 2 CUPS OF SALT HOW MUCH VINEGAR? I HAVE 2 VERY LARGE BRASS LIGHT FIXTURES ON MY PORCH I NEED TO CLEAN. THANKS

JANE GRAHAM
- OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

January 20, 2009

Jim, You are my HERO!!! Can't believe that this concoction works so well! Who would have thought .... salt flour vinegar!!! EEESH!

Steve North
- Durban, South Africa

October 2, 2009

Friends throw away your nasty flour, salt and water. There is a product out there that will do the job. Non abrasive, non toxic and non smelly. It's cheap, mess free and oh sooooo easy. It'll clean badly tarnished brass and copper in minutes, and make your stainless steel look like new.
It's called Barkeepers Friend [link is to product info at Amazon]. A white powder that dissolves in water. Just use a cloth or sponge, slightly wetter that damp, sprinkle some magic powder on the item to be leaned, just a little, and rub gently. Rinse in clean water and buff with a dry cloth, or you can use a little metal polish. It's truly amazing.
I have just refurbished a brass bed, a lot of brass. One end took a whole week, and then it was far from perfect. When I used Bar Keepers I completed the other end in two days. Including stripping the old lacquer, cleaning all the brass, applying new lacquer and re assembling.
Give it a try!!!

Philip Lacey
- Norwich, UK