How To Clean and Care For Brass

What is brass? Brass is a yellow alloy of copper and zinc. The two blended metals are more resistant to tarnish, however we live in a world that has a lot of air pollution. Brass does turn dark and needs to be polished periodically. Materials You Will Need

• A magnet
• Non-abrasive & lint-free microfiber cloth
• Blitz Brass Polishing Cloth or Blitz Liquid Polish
• Warm water for rinsing

Instructions if Using Blitz Brass Polishing Cloth

 

1. Take a standard kitchen magnet and place it on the surface of your brass. Solid brass is not magnetic. If the magnet sticks to the surface, your item is either not brass or is only brass plated. If you find that your item is brass plated, try cleaning the item with warm soap and water. If the magnet did not stick, continue to step two.
2. Remove any dust or dirt from the surface of the brass by first washing the item in warm soapy water. Dry with a non-abrasive & lint free microfiber cloth
3. Remove the cloth from the sealed package. Rub surface of the brass jewelry or collectible firmly with the cloth to loosen the tarnish. Heavily tarnished areas may require several strokes.
4. Allow application to sit for one minute
5. Rinse the object thoroughly with plain water
6. Dry with microfiber cloth
7. RETURN the cloth to the sealed bag to prevent the cloth’s active ingredients from drying out!

Instructions if Using Blitz Brass Liquid Polish

1. Take a standard kitchen magnet and place it on the surface of your brass. Solid brass is not magnetic. If the magnet sticks to the surface, your item is either not brass or is only brass plated. If you find that your item is brass plated, try cleaning the item with warm soap and water. If the magnet did not stick, continue to step two.
2. Remove any dust or dirt from the surface of the brass by first washing the item in warm soapy water. Dry with a non-abrasive & lint free microfiber cloth
3. Shake well. Apply liberally to the surface of your brass item with a soft cloth or sponge.
4. Rub the surface gently in a circular motion to loosen tarnish (area will darken as tarnish is being loosened).
5. Allow to stand for one to two minutes so the special cleaning agents can do the work. Repeat if necessary.
6. Rinse thoroughly with room temperature water and dry with a non-abrasive cloth.

A note about Brass Patina

Are you dealing with brass patina? If you have brass that is a work of art, and you want to maintain a patina, do NOT clean it. If a discoloration to the patina occurs, immediately consult your antique dealer, the artist, or a preservation consultant. 

 

Is your brass collectible lacquered?

Is your brass jewelry or collectible lacquered? Some manufacturers use a lacquer, or other polymer coating to keep the brass from tarnishing. Some add a plastic coating. If you have a piece of brass and it's coated, but you see tarnish, it means that the coating has worn off, or worn through somehow, and air is leaking into the brass. At this point you can either have the lacquer coating stripped and reapplied by a professional or have the coating removed and continue upkeep yourself.