Solutions (from The Old House Web Bulletin Boards)
Organic cleaners
Vinegar was the most popular suggestion in this category.
- Dilute vinegar with water with a ratio of 1:1. Bring to a boil and then soak the hooks. After a few minutes the hooks should be clean and bright. -- Richard Moore
- Two hours in cider vinegar will do wonders, followed by scrubbing with mild dish soap and a soft nail brush. Use Brasso or Never Dull (commercial brass cleaners) to finish the project. -- Nancy W
Ketchup was also suggested.
- Before you go to all those chemical removers, I would suggest that you try soaking the brass part in ketchup. I live in an old house with brass light switches and although I couldn't guarantee removing 110 years of tarnish, it did clean my switches. -- Bob Stewart
Household cleaners
Ammonia was favored by a number of readers.
- You can soak the items in an ammonia solution (in plastic or glass container), which should remove the tarnish without so much elbow grease. If there are other metals (iron, copper) present at the same time, you may get a transfer of metal from one surface to the other (which you don't want!). Use this carefully, though, since you could cause significant damage to the items if they sit too long. -- Steve
- When cleaning old clocks, which are sometimes very tarnished, a mixture of liquid soap and strong ammonia (not household grade) is used and works very well. It works even better if you can put the solution in an ultrasonic cleaner bath. However, the metal can only be left in for about 15 minutes, and it is important to rinse in hot water and dry thoroughly afterwards. I've used this on old hardware very successfully. Any tarnish that is left comes off easily with Brasso. -- Anthony
Chemical brass cleaners
Brasso and Never Dull seemed the most popular cleaners in this category. One reader mentioned using oven cleaner followed by a thorough cleaning with soapy water.
