How do I clean tarnished silver, brass and copper?
Removing tarnish from each metal, and knowing when the patina is worth keeping rather than stripping.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 45 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Silver: a bicarbonate and foil bath, or silver polish. Brass and copper: a paste of lemon and salt, or vinegar and salt. Check first whether the item is plated or lacquered — polishing either removes the finish permanently.
Tarnish is a surface reaction, not dirt, and each metal reacts differently. The critical check before starting is whether the item is solid, plated or lacquered, because polishing removes plating and lacquer irreversibly.
What you'll need
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Aluminium foil
- Lemon and salt
- Soft cloths (optional)
- Metal polish (optional)
Step by step
- Check whether it is solid, plated or lacquered.A magnet sticks to plated base metals but not to solid silver, brass or copper. Lacquered items look glossy and do not tarnish evenly — polishing strips the lacquer.
- Consider whether you should clean it at all.On antiques, patina is often part of the value. Polishing a genuinely old piece can reduce what it is worth substantially.
- For silver, try the foil and bicarbonate method first.Line a bowl with foil, add hot water and a few tablespoons of bicarbonate, submerge the silver so it touches the foil. Tarnish transfers to the foil in minutes.
- For detailed or valuable silver, use a proper silver polish.The foil method is effective but indiscriminate. Polish gives more control on pieces with detail you want to keep dark.
- For brass and copper, make a paste of lemon juice and salt.Or vinegar, salt and a little flour. Rub gently, leave a minute, rinse thoroughly and dry immediately.
- Rinse and dry very thoroughly.Acidic residue keeps working and causes new discolouration. Copper and brass water-spot quickly, so dry immediately.
- Apply a light protective layer.A little mineral oil or a proprietary wax slows re-tarnishing considerably, particularly on brass.
- Store silver to slow tarnishing.In tarnish-resistant cloth or sealed bags with the air excluded. Tarnish is a reaction with sulphur compounds in the air.
Tips
- Never put silver in a dishwasher. The detergent is far too harsh and it can react with stainless steel items in the same load.
- Wearing silver jewellery regularly slows tarnishing — skin contact keeps it polished. Stored pieces tarnish fastest.
- For anything genuinely valuable or antique, ask a specialist before cleaning. Well-intentioned polishing has destroyed a great deal of value.
Common mistakes
- Polishing a lacquered item — It strips the lacquer patchily, and the exposed areas then tarnish while the rest does not. Re-lacquering is the only fix.
- Polishing an antique without advice — Patina often contributes substantially to value, and removing it is irreversible.
- Leaving acidic paste on brass or copper — It keeps reacting and causes new discolouration. Rinse thoroughly and dry immediately.
Questions people ask
Does the foil and bicarbonate trick really clean silver?
Yes — it is an electrochemical reaction that transfers the tarnish to the aluminium. It works well but removes tarnish everywhere including detail you may want kept dark.
How do I clean brass without damaging it?
First check it is not lacquered. If it is solid brass, a paste of lemon juice and salt works well. Rinse thoroughly, dry immediately, and consider a light oil or wax afterwards.