Summary for restore dark doorknobs Discussion
restore dark doorknobs by first checking whether they are brass or plated metal. In the thread, Marion Rogers describes a 1907 house with dark doorknobs that may be grime-covered brass, while her husband suspects a matte finish. After vinegar and baking soda exposed a coppery color and Brasso did not quickly restore them, the advice was to stop and test with a magnet. If the knobs are magnetic, they are likely plated iron or steel, and further polishing could make them worse. If they are non-magnetic and truly original to a 1907 house, they are probably brass and can likely be brought back to a brass finish. The thread also includes a separate note from Goran Budija that pH paper is needed to verify a solution at pH 9 when adjusting citric acid with ammonia, but that is unrelated to the doorknob question.
Q. Goran: How do you know when you’re at 9%? Thanks.
J Nan
– West Chester
June 4, 2023
A. Hi J. It’s not 9%, it’s pH 9. You can use pH paper to determine the pH.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
A. You must use pH paper. Add some ammonia
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] (25%) to 50 gms citric acid/ 1 lit water solution (10 mll for example), test it with pH paper, add some ammonia again if needs and so on util pH is 9.
Hope it helps and good luck!
Goran Budija
– Zagreb; Croatia
⇩ Similar, related, Q&As — oldest first ⇩
Q. My house was built in 1907, with some fine details. I recently polished a gooky old lamp bracket to discover a lovely brass glow beneath. Now I’m wondering about the doorknobs. My husband believes that their dark exterior is a matte finish; I think it’s 97 years of grime etc. We’ve started playing with them; I soaked in a mixture of vinegar
⇦ in bulk on
or
Amazon [affil link] & baking soda [in bulk on
or
Amazon [affil link]
, which began to reveal what looks like a copper color. Did a bit of polishing with Brasso
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] , but not getting very far. Should I keep going or is this a mistake?
Marion Rogers
homeowner – Guelph, Ontario, Canada
2004
A. Try a magnet. If they are magnetic, they are plated iron or steel and you may be worsening things. If they are non-magnetic, and they really date to 1907, I think it is very likely that they are brass and that they can be restored to a brass color.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
A. If your knobs are brass you can use 5% solution of ammonium citrate (pH9)! This is mixture of 50 gms citric acid
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] /1 lit water, and some ammonia (25%) must be added (to reach pH 9). You can use cold or hot solution (80 °C). In case of brass plated iron you can use 5% citric acid solution, or ammonium citrate 5%, but pH must be 3,5. Rinse well. Think about some good clearcoat.
Good luck!
Goran Budija
– Cerovski vrh Croatia
Q. I was very eager to try this as I have an amazing vintage brass ashtray that has gone a little pink after Brasso
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] , but even with the ammonia citric acid water mixture, it’s not changing — any suggestions?
Vanessa perkins
Hobbyist – Toronto Canada
February 8, 2022
A. Ammonium citrate (50 gms citric acid
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] , add some ammonia 25%
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] , pH must be 9) can be used hot (80 °C temp.) Prolonged immersion in cold solution can be helpful too.
Hope it helps and good luck
Goran Budija
– Cerovski vrh Croatia