Polishing up the silverware used to be one of those cleaning jobs that was left to the butler – and brass was left for the housekeeper. However, these days, we have to clean this sort of thing ourselves (unless we want to hire a professional cleaner). Even if we don’t have masses of family heirlooms in our homes these days, most of us have some metal somewhere that needs to be kept shiny. So how do you clean metalwork without using some ferocious chemical that leaves you with itchy skin?
Cleaning silver:
For a start off, you should keep silver away from anything involving sulphur, which means that you should never eat eggs with a silver teaspoon. To get tarnished or dull silver sparkling again, coat the metal in a paste of baking soda and water, and then wrap it in aluminium foil. Dip the wrapped object into a bowl or bath of warm water and leave for about five minutes. Rinse the residue off and dry the silver thoroughly by hand with a soft cloth.
Cleaning gold:
Gold can be cleaned the same way as you clean your teeth: with toothpaste and a soft toothbrush, followed by rinsing. The only difference is that you will then dry the gold item off with a soft cloth, which you don’t do to your teeth. This method works wonderfully for rings.
Cleaning pewter:
Some people like the darker look of old, slightly tarnished pewter. If you want to clean yours and get it looking a little shinier, then one old tip for cleaning pewter is to rub it with a wet cabbage leaf. Alternatively, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of vinegar, then make a paste by adding flour (plus essential oil, if you like). Rub on (wear gloves – pewter contains lead and you don’t want to risk getting this into your system) and then rinse off thoroughly.
Cleaning chrome:
Chrome needs to be kept free from grease and should never be cleaned with abrasives. Instead, you can apply a natural cleaning product: clean chrome by spraying it with dilute vinegar, then buffing it dry with a soft cloth. This works for cars as well as for cleaning chrome around the home.
Cleaning copper:
One of the oddest suggestions for cleaning the copper bottoms of saucepans (or any copper that you want bright and shining rather than gathering a patina of verdigris) is to mix tomato sauce (tomato ketchup) and cream of tartar (about ¼ cup sauce to 1 tablespoon cream of tartar). Coat the copper in question with the mixture and stand overnight before rinsing off with soapy water, then with fresh water and drying.
Cleaning brass:
To get brass shining, make a paste of salt and vinegar. Coat the brass item with this paste, then leave it to sit on the metal for about five minutes. Then rub the paste off with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. You may need several damp cloths for this cleaning job.
Cleaning cast iron
Water is the enemy of cast iron, so if you wash cast iron to remove gunge (e.g. washing a cast iron skillet or frying pan after use), then dry it very thoroughly as soon as possible. Do not leave it to air dry. After drying, “season” the cast iron by rubbing it lightly with vegetable oil. Do not store cast iron pans with the lids on, as the lids will trap moisture, promoting rust. Hang the pan up, if possible.
About the Author
Nick Vassilev is the founder of TSD Cleaning - a successful carpet cleaning London business, delivering quality cleaning services to thousands of clients.
Frank London’s all star brass KLEZMER band – Egg Roll Egg Cream Festival – NYC
This Copper Beating Bowl is functional and beautiful! The 4.5 quart capacity makes it the perfect size for food prep or decoration! Use this copper mixing bowl for batters beating eggs serving salads or as a fruit bowl. Made of solid copper with a perfectly round body and ring style handles. Designed to last for years to e!…
This antique style hourglass is constructed from brass. Its running time is about 1 minute and the height is about 3.5″. The sand runs intermittently through these timers. While it does function, it is meant for a lovely display item.Hourglasses were one of the few ways of measuring time out at sea. It’s been suggested that their use started as early as the 11th century.These hourglasses make beau…
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Configuration:Privacy, Finish:Satin Nickel, Backset:2-3/8′ Backset Baldwin’s Images collection interior latchsets are constructed from solid forged brass for durability and smooth operation. All sets come with a heavy latch bolt spring that prevents lever sag, and also are covered by Baldwin’s Lifetime Limited Mechanical Warranty. Images interior latchsets feature a simple single-set screw design…
Westmore’s Timeless Elegance Graces the Finest Homes…Hand Crafted by Artisans from Classic American & European Patterns…Fashioned Out of Forged Solid Brass…Fine, Old World Quality Engineered Into Every Product…
Configuration:Emergency exit, Door Thickness:1-3/8′ to 1′, Finish:Satin Nickel Baldwin’s Images collection keyed-entry locksets feature solid brass construction for maximum strength and durability. Latch case is constructed from steel, and interior mechanics are made from either steel or brass for smooth operation. The Egg Knob Keyed Entry Set is available in several configurations: standard entry…
Eagle Cane Victorian Walking Stick Antique Silver is a vintage style reproduction Eagle Talon Victorian Walking stick with amber glass egg. This victorian walking stick features a nickel-plated solid handle beautifully cast in the shape of an eagle’s claw clutching an amber glass orb or egg. The antique-style glass orb rotates freely in the eagle’s grasp, and the talons keep the glass egg in place…
Brass Egg
How To Clean Metal Using Natural Methods
Polishing up the silverware used to be one of those cleaning jobs that was left to the butler – and brass was left for the housekeeper. However, these days, we have to clean this sort of thing ourselves (unless we want to hire a professional cleaner). Even if we don’t have masses of family heirlooms in our homes these days, most of us have some metal somewhere that needs to be kept shiny. So how do you clean metalwork without using some ferocious chemical that leaves you with itchy skin?
Cleaning silver:
For a start off, you should keep silver away from anything involving sulphur, which means that you should never eat eggs with a silver teaspoon. To get tarnished or dull silver sparkling again, coat the metal in a paste of baking soda and water, and then wrap it in aluminium foil. Dip the wrapped object into a bowl or bath of warm water and leave for about five minutes. Rinse the residue off and dry the silver thoroughly by hand with a soft cloth.
Cleaning gold:
Gold can be cleaned the same way as you clean your teeth: with toothpaste and a soft toothbrush, followed by rinsing. The only difference is that you will then dry the gold item off with a soft cloth, which you don’t do to your teeth. This method works wonderfully for rings.
Cleaning pewter:
Some people like the darker look of old, slightly tarnished pewter. If you want to clean yours and get it looking a little shinier, then one old tip for cleaning pewter is to rub it with a wet cabbage leaf. Alternatively, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of vinegar, then make a paste by adding flour (plus essential oil, if you like). Rub on (wear gloves – pewter contains lead and you don’t want to risk getting this into your system) and then rinse off thoroughly.
Cleaning chrome:
Chrome needs to be kept free from grease and should never be cleaned with abrasives. Instead, you can apply a natural cleaning product: clean chrome by spraying it with dilute vinegar, then buffing it dry with a soft cloth. This works for cars as well as for cleaning chrome around the home.
Cleaning copper:
One of the oddest suggestions for cleaning the copper bottoms of saucepans (or any copper that you want bright and shining rather than gathering a patina of verdigris) is to mix tomato sauce (tomato ketchup) and cream of tartar (about ¼ cup sauce to 1 tablespoon cream of tartar). Coat the copper in question with the mixture and stand overnight before rinsing off with soapy water, then with fresh water and drying.
Cleaning brass:
To get brass shining, make a paste of salt and vinegar. Coat the brass item with this paste, then leave it to sit on the metal for about five minutes. Then rub the paste off with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. You may need several damp cloths for this cleaning job.
Cleaning cast iron
Water is the enemy of cast iron, so if you wash cast iron to remove gunge (e.g. washing a cast iron skillet or frying pan after use), then dry it very thoroughly as soon as possible. Do not leave it to air dry. After drying, “season” the cast iron by rubbing it lightly with vegetable oil. Do not store cast iron pans with the lids on, as the lids will trap moisture, promoting rust. Hang the pan up, if possible.
About the Author
Nick Vassilev is the founder of TSD Cleaning - a successful carpet cleaning London business, delivering quality cleaning services to thousands of clients.
Frank London’s all star brass KLEZMER band – Egg Roll Egg Cream Festival – NYC
Old Dutch 10-Inch Beating Bowl, Copper
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This Copper Beating Bowl is functional and beautiful! The 4.5 quart capacity makes it the perfect size for food prep or decoration! Use this copper mixing bowl for batters beating eggs serving salads or as a fruit bowl. Made of solid copper with a perfectly round body and ring style handles. Designed to last for years to e!…
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hourglass Sand Timer Antiques Finished Nautical Brass Wood Sandtimer 7″h, 3″w…
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This antique style hourglass is constructed from brass. Its running time is about 1 minute and the height is about 3.5″. The sand runs intermittently through these timers. While it does function, it is meant for a lovely display item.Hourglasses were one of the few ways of measuring time out at sea. It’s been suggested that their use started as early as the 11th century.These hourglasses make beau…
[Vinyl Lp Record] Rod Mckuen: In Search of Eros
Eros — The gentle touch — Something beyond — Brownstone — Stations and trains — Brass bed world — The boy — August in the tall grass — Scrambled eggs and pictures at an exhibition — Slowly the moon — The love seeker — Jimjann — Encounters — Clocks — Christmas — Loneliness is no virgin to me — The athletes in the old school annual — The new year — That song again — What love mean…
Brunch With Rocco Fancypants
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The Adventures of Smoke Bellew – Complete Miniseries (Stake Your Claim/Gambling On Paradise/Golden Egg/Mother Lode of the Yukon) [VHS]
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Baldwin 5425.150.PRIV Egg Knob Privacy Set, Satin Nickel
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Configuration:Privacy, Finish:Satin Nickel, Backset:2-3/8′ Backset Baldwin’s Images collection interior latchsets are constructed from solid forged brass for durability and smooth operation. All sets come with a heavy latch bolt spring that prevents lever sag, and also are covered by Baldwin’s Lifetime Limited Mechanical Warranty. Images interior latchsets feature a simple single-set screw design…
WESTMORE Heavy Duty POLISHED BRASS Classic Egg Non-Functional DUMMY Door Knob (Set of 2)
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Westmore’s Timeless Elegance Graces the Finest Homes…Hand Crafted by Artisans from Classic American & European Patterns…Fashioned Out of Forged Solid Brass…Fine, Old World Quality Engineered Into Every Product…
Baldwin 5225.150.ENTR Egg Knob Keyed Entry Set, Satin Nickel
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Configuration:Emergency exit, Door Thickness:1-3/8′ to 1′, Finish:Satin Nickel Baldwin’s Images collection keyed-entry locksets feature solid brass construction for maximum strength and durability. Latch case is constructed from steel, and interior mechanics are made from either steel or brass for smooth operation. The Egg Knob Keyed Entry Set is available in several configurations: standard entry…
Silver Eagle Cane Victorian Walking Stick Antique
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Eagle Cane Victorian Walking Stick Antique Silver is a vintage style reproduction Eagle Talon Victorian Walking stick with amber glass egg. This victorian walking stick features a nickel-plated solid handle beautifully cast in the shape of an eagle’s claw clutching an amber glass orb or egg. The antique-style glass orb rotates freely in the eagle’s grasp, and the talons keep the glass egg in place…