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Q&As since 1989


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Cleaning Marine Tarnished Brass

April 21, 2009

Hello,

My sailboat has many solid brass hardwares on deck. Over the years they have taken on a tarnish seeming "unmoveable" by anything I have used. I've run the gamut of products ( I think). Can you come up with the magical stuff I need? Someone told me muriatic acid [affil links]. This was a hotel doorman who had been polishing the outside hardware which were brass water hook-ups for fire trucks. The brass was brilliant.

Steve Utermahlen
cleaning diver - Sausalito, CA USA

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First of two simultaneous responses --

I suppose muriatic acid would work, but citric acid also does an excellent job and is much safer to work with. Let us know if we can help.

Ray Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.

McHenry, Illinois

April 29, 2009

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Try 5% ammonium citrate solution(50 gm citric acid / 1lit water +add ammonia [on eBay or Amazon] until pH is 9, cold solution works slow, hot faster/80 C/).If your objects are wax or lacquer finished you must remove coating first. Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
April 30, 2009