If you don’t have a solid brass item, the odds are good that it is plated steel, zinc, or iron.
If your brass can’t be removed or is too big for a bowl or sink, apply 1-2 squirts of dish soap to a wet, cotton cloth and spot clean it by hand. If this doesn’t work, you may want to soak your brass surface in ketchup. Using a sink will make it easier to simply leave the water on while you’re rinsing your brass. Don’t put any small objects in the sink without covering the drain. Put a stopper or strainer in the hole of a sink to keep smaller pieces from falling down your drain.
If your item is brass-plated, don’t submerge it in the sink. Simply dip a cotton cloth into the soapy water and gently rub it. Alternatively, you can quickly dip the brass-plated item in the soapy water instead. Unscented soap is preferable if you don’t want to leave your brass with a lingering odor.
Continue scrubbing until you see tarnish and dirt lifting out of the brass. Start with a softer, circular motion before you increase pressure to ensure that you don’t apply unnecessary strain to the material.
Alternatively, if you have a very small piece of brass with a lot of detail, you can use a toothbrush to clean the entire object.
You can hang a small bucket handle around a doorknob to catch any ketchup as it slides off of the brass. You can use ketchup or tomato paste if your brass is still dirty after cleaning it with soap or if you don’t want to use any unnatural products to clean your brass.
You can use tomato juice or soup if you’d like as long as there are no sugars.
Crack a window next to your bowl or bucket if you don’t want your home to smell like tomatoes.
You can rinse your brass again if it has the vague scent of tomato sticking to it.
Creams tend to better for thicker brass items since you can rub it in to the brass without worrying about damaging your item. Sprays are good for hard-to-reach or delicate brass items. Liquid cleaners tend to be good for brass statues or decorative items that may be hard to cover in a cream but require heavy cleaning. A lacquer-polish will leave a protective coating on your brass by covering it with oil.
When in doubt, apply the polish with a soft, cotton cloth. Pour a small amount of polish on to your cloth and lightly rub your brass item.
Sprays typically need to be rinsed off after they’ve been applied. For thicker brasses with serious tarnish, you can use a softer steel wool. Never use a grade thicker than 00, or you’ll risk scratching the brass.
Some lacquer-polishes are not designed to be washed off after they’re applied. These polishes are an excellent choice if you’re trying to apply a protective coating to your brass instead of just clean it.
If you don’t dry your brass, you may end up leaving water spots all over the place.
The consistency should look and feel like a thick hair mousse or pile of sand depending on how much flour you’ve added.
You can repeat this process if your brass is still dirty.
