Hey friends! I admit that I have fallen head over heels in love with raw brass. I love working with cellulose acetate, discarded books, and raw brass.
Brass is a tricky one though, since it's impossible to create jewelry or pick it up to put it on without touching it! Brass can easily tarnish over time just from the oils in your skin, and although I actually like the look of metals that change color a bit over time, I know that's not everyone's jam. Sometimes you just want and need your raw brass pieces to be bright and shiny!
SO: I've scoured the wisdom of the internet to find some home remedies for raw brass "shinyness!" I haven't tried all of these, please let me know in the comments what your go to raw brass cleaning method is.
How to clean raw brass jewelry:
1-Soak a sponge in standard isopropyl alcohol and lightly scrub away any dirt or stains of your brass item.
2-If the piece has stubborn stains, dampen a soft cloth with water and then add a dab of Polident Denture Cream. Work the paste into the cloth, and then use it to gently scrub the soiled brass item. Once the dirt is removed, wipe the surface with a clean, soft, damp cloth.
3-Squirt some ketchup on a clean cloth and rub over tarnished brass. Then wipe clean with a damp cloth and buff dry.
4-Soap or Mild Detergent: If your brass item is dusty or dirty rather than tarnished, submerging it in warm soapy water and cleaning with a soft cloth should do the trick. Use a toothbrush to gently scrub extra dirty areas.
5-Vinegar, Salt and Flour: These versatile home staples can be combined to make a paste to clean tarnished brass. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt into one-half cup of vinegar, and add flour until the mixture becomes a paste. Rub into the brass, leave for about 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water and buff dry.
6-Water: Heat a pint of water, and add 2 tablespoons each of salt and white vinegar to create another natural recipe for polishing tarnished brass. Rub the mixture onto the brass, then dry with a clean rag.
7-Lemon Juice: Straight lemon juice can be used to clean brass and bring back shine. After cleaning with lemon juice, wipe with damp cloth and buff dry.
8-You can maintain its shine by rubbing it with a little olive oil.
