No registration or passwords; no pop-up ads -- just aloha, fun, & answers.
(as an eBay Partner & Amazon Affiliate earns from qualifying purchases).
Home /
T.O.C.
Fun
FAQs
Good
Books
Ref.
Libr.
Advertise
 
Help
Wanted
Current
Q&A's
Site 🔍
Search
pub  Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989



-----

Cleaning years of gunk off cupboard handles




My cupboard handles are, I think, copper but are coated with years of grease, grime and dirt. Can I soak them in anything to help get the gook off more easily than scrubbing with a soap filled pad and then polish them? Thanks! There are 30 to do . . .

Judy Hunt
homeowner - Goldsboro, North Carolina
2005



The "I think" part is the major hurdle, Judy. It is often impractical for a consumer to know what such items really are made of, and many proposed solutions are selective for a particular kind of dirt on a particular finish on a particular substrate. It's possible that an answer that would be good for one kind of construction could destroy an item of a different material. I would take one and boil it in water and dish detergent, rinse it, sit it in a solution of vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon] and salt for a while before polishing. Then I'd decide whether to treat the other 29 the same way or replace the one I ruined, if I did :-)

Good luck.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005



Or if you need something stronger, oven cleaner [on eBay or Amazon].

jeffrey holmes
Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2005


Take a magnet to them, if they stick they are steel, if no they are something else.

Marc Banks
- Elizabeth City, North Carolina
2005




(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

 
Jobshops
Capital
Equipment
Chemicals &
Consumables
Consult'g, Train'g
& Software


About/Contact  -  Privacy Policy  -  ©1995-2024 finishing.com, Pine Beach, New Jersey, USA  -  about "affil links"