I Tried 4 Ways to Clean Tarnished Brass, and the Winner Made It Look Brand-New
Secondhand shopping is one of my favorite ways to find vintage furniture and decor for my home, whether that’s through estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, or antique malls. Lately I’ve been looking at a lot of hardware, as it’s such an easy way to add a little character to a space without having to spend a ton of money (and you don’t even need anyone to help you carry it home).
The only problem is that old brass hardware can be absolutely filthy, with sticky grime and tarnish that turns it from a shiny gold color to a matte brown or even black. Sometimes, an aged patina adds to the charm; other times, it just looks dirty. I’ve definitely passed up some possible treasures because I didn’t know how to revive them. I wanted to find the best way to clean brass so that I’d never miss another diamond in the rough. After testing four popular methods for cleaning brass, I can say I have a clear favorite. Here’s how my testing went, and everything I learned along the way.
The Best Way to Clean Brass
The best way to clean brass is to sprinkle it with Bar Keepers Friend, then use a damp toothbrush and a damp sponge to scrub away the dirt and grime for about 15 minutes. Rinse and reapply the powder cleanser about every minute as needed. Note that scrubbing too hard on plated brass can completely remove parts of the finish.
How I Tested the Methods
I chose four internet-favorite methods for cleaning brass, including ketchup, lemon with baking soda, Bar Keepers Friend, and a mixture of vinegar, salt, and flour. For my testing, I picked up a range of brass hardware at secondhand stores, including pulls and backplates, that all had a similar level of grime. To make comparisons easier, I tried to devote roughly the same amount of time to each piece of hardware I cleaned. For the methods that required soaking, I stuck to the same timeframe (30 minutes); for the methods that required scrubbing, I devoted 15 minutes to each.
The ratings: I rated each method on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. The scores factor in the amount of effort involved and how effective the method was overall.
Method 1: Flour, Salt, and Vinegar
Rating: 1/5
Method: I mixed 1 teaspoon of salt with 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar, then added flour until the mixture formed a spreadable paste. Then I brushed it onto the hardware and waited for 30 minutes. Once time was up, I rinsed the hardware off and used a toothbrush and a soft cloth to scrub away any loosened grime before rinsing and drying.
How it went: Surprise! My brass hardware turned … pink? I was puzzled by this, so I did some research. It turns out that brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and soaking brass in an acidic mixture can dissolve the zinc and leave only the copper behind. (If your piece is solid brass, you can manually scrub away the copper layer to reveal gold underneath, but if your piece is plated brass, tough luck.) Aside from being the completely wrong color, my backplate was also still tarnished. The method was messy and required too much mixing for my taste, and it didn’t even work.
Method 2: Ketchup
Rating: 1/5
Method: I followed this Apartment Therapy tutorial for cleaning brass with ketchup, squeezing ketchup over my hardware and letting it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it with water. Then I used a toothbrush and a soft cloth to scrub away any loosened grime before rinsing and drying.
How it went: For the second time, I turned my brass hardware a pinkish color thanks to the overexposure to acid. And, once again, there was still grime left behind. This method could not have been easier — all you do is squeeze ketchup out on the hardware and wait — but it wasn’t at all effective. Sigh.
Method 3: Lemon and Baking Soda
Rating: 3/5
Method: I followed another Apartment Therapy tutorial for cleaning brass with lemon and baking soda, squeezing lemon juice into a bowl with a teaspoon of baking soda and combining to create a paste. Then I used a toothbrush and a cloth to apply the paste to the hardware, which I scrubbed for 15 minutes. Once done, I rinsed with water and patted dry.
How it went: This mixture did a better job of removing grime without also removing the zinc. I suspect that’s because the baking soda (which is basic) helps neutralize the lemon juice (which is acidic) — but it could also be because this method doesn’t require soaking, so the acid wasn’t touching the surface for quite as long. This method seems like the best pick for anyone who wants to keep a bit of patina behind to keep that vintage look. If you want to shine up your brass completely, I don’t think this method will ever get you there.
Method 4: Bar Keepers Friend
Rating: 4/5
Method: I sprinkled Bar Keepers Friend on the hardware before using a damp toothbrush and a damp sponge to scrub away the dirt and grime for 15 minutes. I rinsed and reapplied the Bar Keepers Friend powder every minute, per the brand’s instructions, to help avoid damaging the brass.
How it went: I could literally see the grime and tarnish coming off almost immediately as I scrubbed with Bar Keepers Friend, and after 15 minutes the hardware was a shiny gold that was unrecognizable. Unfortunately, the scrubbing did take some elbow grease, which was made harder by the tiny crevices I had to try to fit a toothbrush into. Once I was done, there were a few spots in which I could see a coppery tinge coming through. That could be the result of dezincification (as with the ketchup and vinegar methods), or it could be a sign that my solid brass was actually plated brass and I accidentally scrubbed through the top layer.
Even so, this was by far the most successful method. Almost all the tarnish was gone after 15 minutes, and I think another 15 or 20 minutes would have eliminated the rest of it. If you want your brass to look shiny and brand-new, this is the only method I’d reach for. Just be wary of plated brass: The abrasive paste can completely remove the plating if you’re not careful.
Conclusion
I’ve seen some people have success with the ketchup and salt/vinegar/flour methods, but in my experience these acid soaks were too harsh to be useful because they drastically altered the color of the metal, and I didn’t find they were great at removing grime anyway. Of course, if you want to try them for shorter periods of time, let me know how it goes; it’s possible I kept them on for too long. It also could’ve had something to do with my specific hardware potentially being brass-plated as opposed to solid brass, which may respond better. It could also depend on the level of tarnish and whether you want a deep-clean or a quick shine.
If I wanted to get something completely grime-free, I’d choose the editor-favorite Bar Keepers Friend. But if I wanted to leave a little patina behind, I’d go for the lemon juice and baking soda method. In both cases, though, I’d opt for a toothbrush for scrubbing, as it’s easier to get into tight spots than a sponge or cloth.