by Thom W. Conroy

Created on: August 31, 2009

The are dozens of commercially prepared cooper and brass cleaners on the market, and just about all of them are harmful to the environment in that most utilize some form of acid to make tarnish and dirt disappear. While a commercial cleaner may work well, their impact upon the environment and the possibility for damage they present to a cherished copper of brass piece presents a valid cause for alarm for users. The most logical answer to these dilemmas is to clean cooper and brass naturally, with natural cleaning agents that are eco-friendly and gentle in the manner in which they remove accumulated grime. Most of the natural ways to clean cooper and brass are simple, safe, and quite ingenious.

It's important to remove as much dirt and tarnish as is possible before using any natural cleansing agents, by washing a copper or brass items in ordinary dish soap and water. Weak forms of acid found in nature are the safest and most common tools to use to clean copper and brass well, with little risk of damage. The citric acid found in lemon juice works great on copper and brass by simply rubbing it on with a soft cloth and then rinsing with water. White vinegar is another natural copper and brass clean used in the same manner, and can be warmed in a bowl in the microwave for a little added cleaning power. Baking soda mixed with Worcestershire sauce is very good for cleaning and maintaining copper and brass that is not exceptionally dirty.

For copper or brass pieces that are badly tarnished, a lemon cut in half and dipped in table salt works wonders when used as a scrubber. In this instance, the salt acts as a mild abrasive, while the lemon juice cuts the dirt. Another excellent natural cleaner for copper and brass that is exceptionally dirty is ketchup mixed with table salt as a paste, rubbed on and left to dry, and then rinsed thoroughly. A very good natural copper and brass cleaning paste can be made from flour, salt, white vinegar and baking soda, heated and applied. For smaller copper and brass pieces ordinary toothpaste is known to work well. In any event it is important to not use a cleaner that is too abrasive on copper and brass, as many items have a factory buffed finish that can be easily harmed.

Maintaining copper and brass items properly can reduce the necessity to clean the pieces as often, and thereby reduce the need for chemical cleaners. Storing copper and brass out of direct sunlight slows the tarnishing process, and wiping pieces with a dry cloth after handling removes oils from human hands that lead to discoloring.

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