How To Clean And Polish Brass Lamps
Sheridan Okey
15 January 2021
With guests set to visit to the home, we all want our brass and chrome lamps gleaming! Just like any other metal, brass and gold tends to become tarnished and dull over time. However, you can easily clean and polish brass lamps at home. To get them looking as good as new again it’s important to use the right products – which can be found in your home. What’s more, if you clean your gold or brass lamps regularly, it will avoid accumulation of dust, dirt and tarnish, keeping them lustrous bright and shiny all year round.
Before you begin, find out whether the item is pure gold and brass or if there is a mixture of other metals in it as well. An easy way to find it out is using a magnet. If the magnet sticks to the surface, it means there are other metals in it as magnets do not get attracted to solid brass and gold. If the items are plated, you can clean them with hot soapy water. However, polishing or rubbing them too vigorously with brass cleaner will remove their plating and can make them appear dull. Therefore, proceed with caution.
Some precautions to take before you start the process:
Below are some provisions you should keep in mind when you clean and polish brass lamps:
- Don’t use scrubbing cloths that are highly abrasive. Similarly, avoid using steel wool or metal bristled brushes as they will leave scratches on the surface of the lamp.
- A thin coating of mineral oil, linseed oil or WD-40 Multi-Use can be effective in preventing tarnishing.
- Try to avoid touching gold and brass items too much. Oil from your hands can hasten the tarnishing process and reduce the life of your gold and brass objects.
Things you will need
Brass cleaner (optional)
Brass polish (optional)
Warm soapy water and cloth
Old toothbrush/cleaning brush to reach crevices
Clean cloth to dry with
WD‑40®® Multi-Use-Product
Step 1
Clean The Brass Lamps
To clean your brass lamps first take a bowl and add some hot water in it. Now add liquid soap to the water and mix it well to get a fine solution. Take a cleaning cloth and rub all the surfaces thoroughly. You can also use an old toothbrush to clean the crevices of the lamp. If there are some tough stains, dirt or tarnish on the gold and brass lamps, you can use a brass cleaning product.
Tip: Many brass lamps come with a lacquer finish. Therefore, it should not be cleaned using hot soapy water. If such gold and brass lamps are heavily tarnished, you need to use a varnish or paint remover to first remove the lacquer (please follow manufacturers advice if you are unsure).
Step 2
Dry The Brass Lamp
It’s important to ensure the lamp is thoroughly dry to avoid any rust or water marks left behind. So, take a clean dry cloth and rub the lamp down.
Step 3
Buff And Polish The Brass Lamps
To give it a real shine, spray a little WD-40 Multi-Use in your cloth. Then using circular motions buff your lamp. This will give it a nice shine, plus protect it from dust and any corrosion. You can also use a brass polish product for this step as an alternative.
Pro Tip:
The above process can be used on any of your gold and brass objects, not just lamps to make them look as good as new again. Get polishing with the help of WD-40 and you’ll be surrounded by gleaming objects in no time! For more tips on getting your house clean read roundup of top household cleaning hacks or discover more ways WD-40 can help around the house like by lubricating your patio doors!
The uses shown and described for WD-40 Multi-Use Product were provided to WD-40 Company by the users themselves. These uses haven’t been tested by WD-40 Company and do not constitute a recommendation of suggestion for use by WD-40 Company. Common sense should be exercised whenever using WD-40 Company products. Always follow the instructions and take heed of any warnings printed on the packaging.
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