To 
bring a stunning, like-new shine to brass or copper utensils, all you need is a few minutes and one proven ingredient. Here’s what to do.
A Quick and Safe Cleaning Method for Both Copper and Brass
You Will Need:
- Bar Keepers Friend Copper Glow Powder Cleanser
- Cloth scouring pad
- Water
Steps to Clean the Utensils:
- Wet the utensils with clean water.
- Sprinkle them with a healthy amount of Copper Glow powder.
- Use the cloth scouring pad to work the powder into a paste.
- Allow it to sit for up to five minutes, but do NOT allow the paste to dry.
- Scrub gently with the cloth scouring pad, working it over all surfaces.
- Rinse well with clean water.
- Dry with a soft cloth.
- To delay the tarnishing of brass pieces, rub them with a thin layer of olive oil. To keep your copper piece looking beautiful and shiny, apply a commercial copper polish.
Cleaning Brass Utensils with Household Items
You Will Need:
- Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice, vinegar (choose one)
- Water
- Mild dish soap
- Old toothbrush or other soft brush
Steps to Clean the Utensils:
- Immerse the utensils in one of the above acidic food items.
- Allow the piece to soak for 2 hours.
- Remove the brass piece and wash it with the mild liquid dish soap.
- Use a soft brush or old toothbrush to scrub any hard to reach spaces.
- Rinse completely with water.
- Dry with a soft cloth.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Never use a metal or otherwise abrasive cleaning pad. The cloth pad will give just enough texture to clean without damaging the copper or brass surface. If you have a light cleaning job, you can try substituting a soft cloth.
- There are a variety of cleaning methods that use everyday household products to clean copper as well. For more information about cleaning with household items, see our guide How to Clean Copper.
Take half a lemon and salt and rub it on the utensil for a few minutes and wash them with water.
Use leftover Greek-style yogurt to shine your copper pots. Wipe over the outside gently, leave for a few minutes and wash it off.
Use vinegar and baking soda. Man I love that stuff! Mmmm… baking soda.
Mix equal amounts of salt, white vinegar and wheat flour. Take a soft scrub or sponge to rub this on the utensils. This cleans copper instantly and also gives them a nice shine. Best of all it, requires minimum rubbing. 🙂
Citric acid comes very handy in cleaning the brass or the copper utensils. All you need to do is cut out four equal slices of lemon and rub them on the utensils. Thereafter, rinse them in water and wipe them dry… you will find them sparkling clean.