How To Polish Copper With Flour & Vinegar

updated Jul 23, 2020
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(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

Commercial copper cleaners often contain chemicals that, well, you wouldn’t want anywhere near your mouth. So play it safe, and make your own cleaner with three all-natural ingredients that are already in your pantry.

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

Sea salt, flour, and vinegar—that’s it. These all-natural ingredients that are commonly used in baking are all it takes to get your Mule mugs sparkly and clean. You can also clean copper with lemons and salt —but hey, sometimes we forget to buy lemons, so the flour + salt + vinegar combo is a great recipe to have in your collection.

What You Need

Materials

  • 1/4 Cup fine sea salt
  • 1/4 Cup all purpose flour
  • White vinegar
  • Mixing bowl
  • Soft rag

Instructions

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

1. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup salt in a small bowl.

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

2. Slowly add the vinegar while stirring to make a thick paste.

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

The more vinegar you add, the thinner the paste, so pour slowly!

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

3. Rub the paste onto the copper using a cloth (a sock works too!) until it shines.

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

4. Rinse, dry, and put that gorgeous, shiny copper to work!

(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

More great tips and tutorials: Cleaning Basics

Edited from an original post by Rowan Johnson published on November 1, 2010