How to Clean Brass and Remove Tarnish Using Common Household Materials

Get your brass pieces gleaming in no time with these expert-approved cleaning methods.

Rachel Sanoff is a writer and editor in Los Angeles, and a social media coordinator and freelance writer at MarthaStewart.com. Rachel's writing can also be found at MTV News, Insider, Jezebel, Bustle, The Guardian, and more. She was previously the features editor at HelloGiggles and a social media editor at Time Out.

Madeline Buiano is an editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home.

From jewelry and cookware to home décor, brass is a staple material used to make some of your favorite goods. In all of its beauty, brass requires special care to keep it clean and maintain its shine. When exposed to air and moisture, oxygen combines with the metal to form oxides on its surface—this results in the greenish color seen on tarnished, dull brass. Cleaning it can dissolve those oxides and bring back a shiny exterior, but it's important to be careful, as going overboard with unnecessary cleaning can contribute to tarnishing, too.

To keep your brass pieces looking their best, we spoke to experts who shared their tips for how to clean brass using several effective homemade cleaning solutions.

How Often to Clean Brass

How often you clean brass depends on the piece you are tending to. "If you don't use a brass product often, I would refrain from soaking, cleaning, or scrubbing it regularly, and just make that part of your spring cleaning," says Danielle Smith Parker, CEO and founder of Detroit Maid. For brass pieces that are used often, like jewelry or flatware, clean as needed.

Materials Needed

Brass can be cleaned using natural ingredients you likely already have on hand. Depending on the method you use, these are some of the supplies you will need when tackling this project.

• Bowl
• Microfiber towel(s)
• Old toothbrush
• Distilled white vinegar
• Salt
• Flour
  
• Ketchup
• Lemon
• Mild dish soap
• Water
  

How to Clean Brass With Vinegar, Salt, and Flour

One of the most effective DIY brass cleaning solutions you can make is a paste with three ingredients: vinegar, salt, and flour, says Sean Parry, a cleaning expert at the house cleaning company Neat Services. "The acid in the paste dissolves the metal oxides that make the brass tarnish, leaving only shiny metal behind," he says.

1. In a bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1/2 cup of vinegar. Add flour until the mixture becomes a paste.
2. Rub this paste onto the brass and let it sit for 10 minutes.
3. Rinse the paste off with warm water.
4. Dry the piece with a microfiber cloth.

How to Clean Brass With Ketchup

Believe it or not, the acidity in ketchup can remove tarnish from brass. Here's how to use this DIY cleaner, according to Alicia Sokolowski, the president and co-CEO of AspenClean.

1. Apply a small amount of ketchup directly to the brass surface, making sure you cover all of the tarnished areas.
2. Let the ketchup sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Using an old toothbrush or soft cloth, scrub the area gently.
4. Rinse the brass with clean water and dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth.

How to Clean Brass With Lemon and Salt

Another natural way to remove tarnish from brass is with lemon and salt. But note that it's best to avoid this technique with pieces that have a delicate finish, as scrubbing may cause unintended damage.

1. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle salt over the flesh.
2. Gently, rub the lemon on the tarnished brass surface.
3. Rinse the surface with clean water and dry completely.

You can also use lemon concentrate to clean brass, says Liz Gordon of Liz’s Antique Hardware. Apply lemon juice to the surface of your piece, sprinkle salt over it, and gently scrub with an old tooth brush, then rinse clean and dry.

How to Clean Brass With Soap and Water

Using soap and water to clean brass is the least effective method, but it's a good option for pieces you want to clean more regularly, like jewelry. "The soap to water ratio depends on the size of the item you’re about to clean," says Sokolowski. "However, general advice would be to mix approximately 1 tablespoon of soap with 1 liter of water. You can always adjust the ratio as needed."

1. In a bowl, make a solution by mixing mild dish soap and warm water.
2. Dip a microfiber cloth into the soapy water and gently wipe the brass surface.
3. Rinse the surface with clean water and dry thoroughly with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

How to Prevent Brass From Tarnishing

Tarnish is a natural process that happens to brass over time, giving it a dull, discolored coating on the surface. The most effective way to prevent tarnish is by lacquering it after cleaning. "Un-lacquered brass oxidizes causing it to darken however if there is a lacquered finish it will take much longer to oxidize," says Gordon.

If you prefer to keep its living finish, there are other ways to slow the tarnishing process. First, make sure you dry brass thoroughly after cleaning it and store it in a dry, cool environment, as moisture accelerates the formation of tarnish, says Sokolowski. You should also avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on brass, as they can severely damage its surfaces.

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