How to Polish Brass: Door Furniture, Ornaments and Fittings

Brass door furniture, candlesticks and fittings give a period home real character, until they go dull and brown. Metal polish and a cloth will get you there eventually, but a drill-mounted polishing kit does in minutes what takes an afternoon by hand.

Before you start: three quick checks

1. Is it lacquered? Many brass items are sealed with a clear lacquer. If the tarnish is patchy or the item has dark spots under a shiny surface, the lacquer has failed. It needs stripping with a lacquer remover before polishing, because the mop can’t reach the metal through it.
2. Is it solid brass? Hold a magnet to it. Solid brass isn’t magnetic. If the magnet sticks, it is brass-plated steel, and the plating is thin. Polish gently and only with the soft mop and polishing compound.
3. Can you take it off? Door handles, knockers and letterboxes are far easier to polish off the door, and you won’t mark the paint.

How to polish brass with a drill

1. Wash the brass in warm soapy water and dry it.
2. Fit the coarse sisal mop to the mandrel and the mandrel to your drill. Clamp the brown cutting compound bar in a vice and touch the spinning mop against it to load it.
3. Work over the brass with light pressure, keeping the mop moving. The dark tarnish lifts quickly.
4. Switch to the white stitched mop to smooth the finish.
5. Finish with the soft mop and the blue polishing compound for a deep shine.
6. Buff off the residue with a soft cloth.

Our Brass Polishing Kit has all three mops, the mandrel and both compounds.

Keeping brass shiny

Brass tarnishes because it reacts with the air. To slow it down, finish with a thin coat of wax or a clear metal lacquer. Outdoor brass, like door knockers, will always tarnish faster, so plan on a quick polish once or twice a year.

See also: copper and brass polishing kits.

Questions

What is the best way to clean very tarnished brass?

For heavy tarnish, a cutting compound on a firm mop works far faster than liquid polish. Then finish with a polishing compound.

Can I use vinegar or ketchup on brass?

Mild acids can lift light tarnish, but they can also etch the surface and must be rinsed off thoroughly. A proper polishing compound gives a better, more even finish.

Will polishing damage antique brass?

Polishing removes patina, which collectors sometimes value. If an item is valuable, check before you polish.