I purchased this candelabra at a thrift store and it had lots of wonderful patina. And I know, I’m typically team patina but something told me to look underneath. Bringing me to: how to clean vintage brass.
Now you don’t have to have a vintage candelabra to polish, maybe an old cup, a candleholder or an old statue lying around to polish. Whatever old, vintage hardware or objects you have lying around you can more-than-likely polish it and make it new! Go ahead, go have a look around your house.
And if you have some old fabric laying around, head to How to Clean Vintage Stretched Wall Art Fabric. Which again, should probably work on most vintage, not antique, fabrics.
Let’s Polish
So I decided to rub off a little area and saw shiny gold happiness. Then it was on. But I’m a stay-at-home-mom so this took a million years. OK two years to be exact. It’s an intricate piece and that patina ran deep. Which means lots of scrubbing. Here’s the base pre-peak.
Here’s after the quick peak when I rubbed a bit of the base.
Let’s do the first step. Wipe down the vintage object with a wet rag. Next up, grab my old favorite – Bar Keepers Friend and a damp rag.
When using Bar Keepers Friend, I suggest you head outside. It can get a little messy and wet. To start I wet the rag, just to make it damp. Then sprinkled some Bar Keepers Friend on the rag and started polishing. Oh man look at that.
Honestly, I just really love before and after pictures. I’m sure you do too.
Now look at the candle holder pieces. Lots of details, which means lots of patience and elbow grease. Again, depending on the amount of patina, but the end result is worth it.
Slowly, but surely, the tarnish melted away and this gorgeous brass, almost a rose gold glow, came through. Look at the difference!
And here she is in all her glory at my Ladies Winter Brunch.
Now go out and polish some vintage brass!
How to Clean Vintage Brass
Supplies
- Bar Keepers Friend
- Water
- Rag
Instructions
- Wipe down the vintage brass items with a little water and a rag.
- Unscrew whatever parts you might need to – in this case the candle holders and arms.
- Wet a rag with water, a little more than slightly damp, pour the Bar Keepers Friend onto the rag and start scrubbing away.
- Depending on how intricate your piece is, you can be done in an hour or a few days with some breaks. But elbow grease will be involved.
- After each area you should wipe it down with water and dry it off with a clean, dry rag.
- Once you’ve polished the entire thing, give it a wipe down one more time with a damp rag and dry thoroughly.
- Assemble back together, should you need to.
