How to clean copper?

Question

How to clean copper?

Answer 1

Sprinkle on a thick layer of salt and rub with the cut side of a lemon.  

Answer 2

Use Ketchup pour on some ketchup and rub on leave on for a few minutes then wipe and rinse off with warm water

Or use Ammonia and then rinse with cool water

White Vinegar and salt applied to the surface rub then rinse with warm water and dry immediately to a shine Good Luck !

Answer 3

I don't know about copper but a household tip for silver is toothpaste.  It cleans all my sterling silver jewelry.  Its worth a try.

Answer 4

cut a lemon in half and pour table salt on the cut side use this to scour the copper.

Answer 5

depends on what the copper is on really

pots and pipes - use a sos pad

jewelry wind chimes etc. - use brasso

Answer 6

I don't like how TarnX makes copper look-it looks anemic-but you can use it.  

The best way is to make a sort of sludge with lemon juice and salt-I use pickling salt (just happened to have it, doesn't really make much difference).  I've also used citric acid and salt mixed in some water.  You apply it thickly so there is salt over all of it, let sit for a few minutes (do not let it dry), then scrub with a nylon covered sponge or something like that.  The nylon covered sponge also works well to scoop up the sludge and to apply it to the copper, too

I have used just lemon juice and 0000 steel wool, but the addition of the salt really makes it work.  I had added a little salt and wherever there was salt, the copper really brightened up much more than just the lemon juice alone.  Rinse after scrubbing the last little bit of tarnish off and rinse.  It's very important to dry it right away.

Then you need to polish with extra fine steel wool or an SOS pad and rinse and dry right away.  To keep it from tarnishing you can spray it with clear lacquer (only clear lacquer-you can get it from auto parts stores or in the paint dept at home stores).  If your item is for food (pans, bowls), do NOT coat with anything.  You'll just have to polish it now and then.

I just cleaned 4 large pieces of copper pipe garden art-sculptures and trellises-with this concoction.  It made my job soooooo much easier.

Answer 7

Rubbing them clean with pencil erasers

Mixing a solution of vinegar and salt and soaking them

Using taco sauce as a cleaning agent

Using a brass cleaner such as Brasso

Using a wire brush with a small tool like a Dremel tool

Now some of these ideas will work much better than others. But others are actually destructive to the coins, reducing the coin's value

More Information

http://homegardenway.blogspot.com/2008/0...