There are many DIY cleaning methods that you can use to polish and restore antique brass pieces. Before you begin scrubbing, make sure to understand the causes of tarnish so that you don't ruin your metal items.
First, you'll need to figure out how old your brass is and what type of finish it has on it. If it's brass that's lacquered, you'll need to strip the varnish before you can use a cleaner or tarnish remover to get rid of the tarnish. You can remove tarnish with mild soap and water if it isn't lacquered.
Next, find an acidic product that will remove tarnish. You can use lemons or tomatoes, but vinegar or ketchup are also options. A thin layer of any of these will be enough to help remove tarnish from brass. Allow the acid to sit for at least an hour and then scrub it with a soft toothbrush or cloth.
Toothpaste is another great DIY tarnish-remover. Sean Parry of Neat Services is a cleaning expert who says that toothpaste reacts with the acid found in tarnish.
Bougere suggests that antique brass pieces be treated with salt by dipping a lemon rind or slice in salt, and then rubbing the salt on the item for approximately 10 minutes. The combination of salt's abrasiveness with lemon's citric acids can be very effective in removing tarnish especially from brass items that are more delicate.
For a homemade paste you can even mix lemon juice with table sugar. Combine the salt and lemon juice to make a thick paste. Once the paste is smooth, apply it to the brass pieces. Allow them to soak for up an hour before scrubbing.
After you have scrubbed the brass, rinse it and dry it with a microfiber towel or paper towel. You may need to repeat this process several times, depending on how much tarnish is still on your brass.
You can also use equal amounts of flour and vinegar to clean brass and copper that have been exposed to oxidation. Allow the mixture to soak for approximately an hour. Then, scrub it with a toothbrush.
A natural, organic salt-based product is the best way to clean brass that has been badly tarnished. Flitz Instant Brass & Copper Tarnish Remover is a safe, efficient and quick way to remove heavy tarnish on brass and copper surfaces.
Spray-on copper and brass tarnish remover immediately dissolves and lifts heavy deposits of calcium and tarnish. It is safer than conventional acid-based cleaners. It can be used on a wide range of surfaces. It can be used indoors or outdoors on copper, brass and aluminum as well as painted surfaces, fiberglass and brick.