How to Clean a Brass Sink Like a Pro

Cleaning brass may not be a fun task for many but it’s an easy process. Do you know how to clean a brass sink? If not, this guide will help you out.

Chemicals, water, and oxygen in the air cause brass to corrode or tarnish with time. You, therefore, have to clean your brass sink regularly to maintain its shine and luscious gold color.

With exposure and age, the brass sink forms a thin layer called patina. To some people, the color and texture of patina on their brass sinks showcase an aesthetic appeal.

While cleaning, you may consider maintaining the patina or cleaning it away to give the sink its original touch.

Fortunately, you can clean brass sinks using various ways. You can either use commercial or natural products to transform your dirty or tarnished brass sink to look new. Use the following step-by-step guide.

Table of Contents

6 Steps to Clean a Brass Sink:

Before cleaning brass, ensure it’s real because the market has so many imitations.

Use a magnet to test. If it sticks, then that brass is not real. But if it doesn’t stick, you are dealing with solid brass.

Step 1: Collect the Necessary Cleaning Materials

Gathering all the required materials is the first thing to do. In our guide, you shall learn how to clean your dirty or corroded brass sink using various cleaning agents.

You will also know what to do if your sink has a scratch or patina. Therefore, you will require the following items;

Vinegar
Salt
Baking soda
Lemon
Ketchup
Soft cloth
Dish soap
Gloves
Brass cleaner
Brass polish
Soft-bristled toothbrush

Step 2: Prepare the Sink for Cleaning

After collecting everything you require, prepare the sink for cleaning.

Remove all utensils and other things placed on the sink. Also, take out any large particles in the sink like spilled foods and other dirt using your hands or a piece of cloth.

Step 3: Apply a Cleaning Agent on the Entire Sink

There are various cleaning products you can use. Some are easily available in your kitchen cupboard while you can buy others in a store next door. For a better understanding, you can either apply the following;

Lemon
Lemon and salt
A mixture of lemon, salt, and baking soda
Ketchup
A mixture of salt, vinegar, and flour
Toothpaste
Warm soapy water
A reliable brass cleaner and polish

Before spending your hard-earned dollars by using the commercial cleaner options, try using products you can easily find in your home.

The first thing to do before any cleaning process is to keep yourself safe. Wear gloves to protect your hands from any harm caused by the cleaning products or friction.

If you decide to use lemon juice, cut it in half and drain out the juice. Then pour the lemon juice all over the dirty or tarnished sink. Ensure all the sink parts get the lemon juice.

Give it a few minutes to settle.

Alternatively, take the lemon cut in half and remove its flesh. Then put salt inside and use it to rub your brass sink. Keep on adding the salt as needed.

In absence of salt, you can mix the lemon juice with baking soda. Make a thick paste by mixing a 1:1 ratio.

Then smear it on your brass sink and allow it to sit for a few minutes. A mixture of lemon juice and baking soda is ideal for cleaning heavily corroded brass.

Alternatively, you can spread a thin layer of ketchup all over the sink. Most people regard ketchup as an ingredient for making tasty foods, but it’s also useful in cleaning a brass sink.

Tomatoes contain mild acid that removes grime and dirt. But the process is a little bit slower compared to the rest. It will take you approximately 30 minutes.

After squirting ketchup on the entire brass sink, allow it to settle for at least 30 minutes.

Cleaning with ketchup is one of the best methods for shining a brass kitchen sink.

Another cleaning agent you can apply on the brass sink is a mixture of salt, vinegar, and flour.

Ensure that the salt dissolves completely. Then rub the mixture gently on your brass sink and leave it for about 10 – 20 minutes.

It may sound strange but you can also use toothpaste to clean your brass sink. It works wonders on any brass sink.

The procedure is straightforward and fast. Start by applying a thin layer of toothpaste to the brass sink.

Then allow it to sit for some minutes.

If you are the type that loves the aesthetic appeal of patina, you don’t have to remove it when cleaning your sink.

You can clean brass without removing patina using the simplest technique of them all.

Apply soap water on the sink’s surface. Keep the soap nearby in a soap dish in case you need to add more. Then leave it for a few minutes.

Brass cleaners and polish do an incredible job in cleaning a brass sink. They are also fast and easy to use.

But they come at a price. If you have the budget, get a reliable brass cleaner and apply it on the entire sink. Then leave it for a while to settle in.

Consider using plant-based cleaners because they don’t contain harmful ingredients that can corrode your brass sink.

Step 4: Rub the Sink

Whatever cleaning agent you use, allow it to a few minutes to settle. Then use a clean, soft cloth or toothbrush to rub all the dirt, stains, corrosion, and other impurities.

If the sink is cracked on grease or has some stubborn stains, repeat the procedure. The results will mesmerize you.

Adding elbow grease will help lift grime and stains.

Continue rubbing until the surface is free of all stains, corrosion, or other dirt.

Step 5: Wipe or Rinse the Sink Clean

After cleaning the sink thoroughly, wipe away the residue or build up using a wet piece of cloth.

Alternatively, you can rinse it with warm water. Ensure you remove scratches from the brass sink after cleaning all the dirt. Follow this by drying the sink with another clean, dry cloth.

Step 6: Polish the Sink

After spotlessly cleaning the brass sink, you need to polish it to maintain its shiny golden color. You can use a recommended brass polish or any ideal oil such as linseed oil.

There you have it! You will have successfully cleaned your brass sink.

You can also make your sink lustrous by following the detailed guide below;

How to Keep Brass Sink Shiny

After cleaning and making the brass sink shiny, its glossy appearance may disappear after a short period if not maintained. Here is how to maintain the shininess;

Step 1: Polish the Brass Sink

You will have polished the brass sink after cleaning it but you need to do it once more. This time around, ensure that it shines more.

Start by putting some polish on a piece of clean dry cloth and use it to rub the shiny area. Then clean it off using another clean dry cloth to buff it.

How to polish scratches out of brass is easy. You only need to use a reliable polish to rub the brass sink until the surface is smooth or even.

Step 2: Rinse off the Polish

After polishing the brass sink, neutralize any acids by rinsing the area with clean water. Most brass polishes don’t require neutralizing, but it’s essential for those that do.

Step 3: Remove Any Residue

After neutralizing the polish used, you may find some residue. Clean them all off so that you can coat the brass effortlessly.

Step 4: Coat the Brass

Finalize by coating the brass sink using a reliable coat such as Everbrite. You can use a cotton pad, sprayer, brush, or piece of clean, dry cloth to apply the coating. For optimal results, apply two coats. Give about one hour before applying the next coat.

As demonstrated in the above information, to restore a brass copper sink is like a downhill task. But you may still have some questions you would like answered. To help you out, the following are answers to some of the frequently asked questions.

FAQs

1. How Do You Remove Tarnish From Brass?

As described above, make a paste using flour, vinegar, and salt. Then rub the mixture on the tarnished area using a piece of cloth.

Continue rubbing and adding more paste until all the tarnish is gone. Then use another clean cloth to wipe the area clean.

2. Can Tarnished Brass Be Restored?

Yes. You only need to use one of the above methods to clean it then oil or polish it to attain its luster. Do the cleaning often to ensure all the tarnish is gone.

3. What is The Fastest Way to Clean Brass?

By using a reliable brass cleaner. Apply it on a clean, dry, piece of cloth and wipe the brass sink off any dirt, tarnish, patina, or corrosion on the sink.

Then use another cloth to wipe dry the sink. Next, apply a recommended brass polisher to make the sink shine for a long period.

4. Is Brasso Good for Cleaning Brass?

Yes. Brasso enhances the glossiness of a brass sink. You only need to wipe the sink’s surface with it using a piece of cloth.

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Conclusion

As described above, cleaning a brass sink is effortless. You can either use natural or conventional products.

The process is cheaper when using cleaning agents easily accessible and available from your kitchen. But you may need to be patient with some products you use like ketchup.

The commercial cleaners made explicitly to clean brass work faster and efficiently. But they come with a budget. After cleaning your brass sink, you should oil or polish it to maintain its original, attractive look.

If you want to maintain patina in your brass sink, avoid cleaning it with products containing chemicals.

As a beginner, follow the above guide on how to clean a brass sink to the last step. You will achieve optimal results.