I need to know how to clean really dirty brass?

Question

There is an old brass plaque in memory of past rectors but is is really dirty. Someone tried to clean it with brasso and it made a real mess of it. Is there some way to remove the trarnishing and restore the original shine? I remember Kim and Aggie working a miracle on a brass bell. Think they used lemons and salt but not sure if that's right or how they did it and I dont want to make a mess of this plaque.

Answer 1

HP Sauce. It is really fantastic. I have also heard of coca cola being used too!

Answer 2

Grandma's trick may help u. Either tamarind (wet) or plain application of ash. Make sure that ashe has no tiny hard pebbles in it.

Answer 3

use diluted vinegar water use half a bottle of brown vinegar dilute it to 1 bottle of cold water put it in a large bottle and use some on a cloth and wipe off with another cloth.

Answer 4

Try Viakal, it is actually for removing limescale but if you apply it to brass or copper with a small paint brush you can see the tarnish vanishing almost immediately, rinse in warm water & dry with a soft cloth. I got this tip from an antique dealer who was actually using Viakal when I went into his shop.

Answer 5

vinegar  is the best thing to use,anything acid lemon juice aswell just dilute them with a little water

Answer 6

i have a vinegar book and you can use vinegar for everything, and i mean everything, here is a link it has a tip on cleaning brass..

http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/