Clean Copper so It Goes From Green to Great
Copper is a much-loved material thanks to the warmth and richness it naturally brings to a home. It’s commonly found in cookware (a collection of copper pots hanging from a rack) and drinkware (Moscow Mule, anyone?). More and more, we also see this handsome metal used in other decorative applications, such as sinks and bathtubs, not to mention an elegant exterior accented by a perfectly weathered copper awning and downspouts.
But even though the weathered look has its charms, most people prefer their copper to be polished to a brilliant shine. Just like cleaning brass, cleaning burnt pans, or cleaning the inside of your electric kettle to get them looking like new, most copper can be shined to a lustrous glow with items you already have in your pantry.
If you covet that coppery glow, a little elbow grease is required. Read on for tips on the easiest ways to clean and care for copper to keep it looking its best.
How do you clean corrosion off of copper?
Corrosion, also known as tarnish, is the green buildup that appears on copper over time. This is caused when copper is exposed to air and then comes in contact with water. To remove this dingy buildup, start with these all-natural solutions:
Lemon Juice + Salt
Create a paste with lemon juice (lime or orange juice works, too) and salt at a 3:1 ratio, respectively. Make sure salt is dissolved so as not to scratch the copper. Rub a small amount of paste on the soiled copper object with a clean cloth until you start to see the grime loosen up. Rinse with water and dry immediately.
Lemon Juice + Baking Soda
Substitute baking soda for salt and follow the same steps as above.
Salt + Vinegar
You’ll want to try this method over a sink. Sprinkle salt over the item you want to clean. Pour a small amount of vinegar directly over the salt. You may see it begin to work immediately! Scrub with a cloth or pad in a circular motion. Add more vinegar as needed. Repeat until object is at desired level of shine.
For a less messy approach, soak a clean cloth in vinegar and use to scrub object. Rinse with water.
Another way to use these two ingredients to clean copper is to mix salt into vinegar to make a solution. With a clean, soft cloth, apply the solution to the object that needs to be cleaned and polish until copper begins to shine.
Use an old toothbrush for harder-to-clean areas, such as crevices, corners, and dents.
Baking Soda
For extra-tough spots (think the bottoms of copper cookware that experience a lot of wear and tear), sprinkle baking soda directly onto dirty spots. Apply warm water with a cloth or sponge and lightly buff the area. Use a light hand—too much pressure can easily scratch copper.
Ketchup
You heard us right, ketchup works wonders on copper because of its acidic properties. Rub it all over (we know—weird, right?), then rinse thoroughly with water, and dry right away.
Water + Vinegar + Salt
For larger pieces, try dunking the tarnished item in a boiling 3:1 mixture of water to vinegar plus about a tablespoon of salt. Some further spot treatment may be required, but this should get you off to a good start.
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