Essentials
How To Clean Copper: 4 Different And Effective Ways
Love copper, but hate keeping it clean? If you have some tarnished household fixtures, here’s how to clean copper the right way.
January 27, 2022
Copper is one of the most beautiful metallic fixtures you can add to your home. Clean copper reflects light with a dazzling sheen and a lovely rose-brown color. Its durability and versatility are perfect for everything from kitchen sinks to jewelry.
Unfortunately, copper tarnishes quickly. Exposure to air oxidizes it and water damages it. Don’t worry—there’s an easy way to fix this. Here’s how to clean copper with everyday household items.
You’ll need to figure out what kind of copper you’re working with first, as the type of metal can drastically change your cleaning plans.
Is the copper item sealed with lacquer, giving it a shiny finish? All you’ll need for your copper cleaner is a little bit of dish soap and some warm water to wash it down before buffing and drying the object.
What tools will I need?
For heavier-duty cleaning, grab the following tools:
Ketchup.
White vinegar.
Lemon juice.
Table salt.
Baking soda.
A bucket or a bowl.
A soft microfiber rag.
Note: You won’t be using all of these items together. Some copper polishing techniques work better than others, and it saves time to have multiple options on hand.
1. Cleaning copper with vinegar
Want to avoid harsh chemicals during the cleaning process?
Vinegar is a pantry staple and an all-time favorite for cleaning solutions—and with good reason. It’s acidic nature breaks down even the toughest tarnish stains, making it one of the best ways to clean copper, and it’s easy to use, easy to buy, and relatively safe.
For this DIY cleaning solution:
Grab your copper piece.
Grab a bowl. Mix salt, flour, and vinegar into a paste.
Buff your copper pots with the paste until the surface is shiny.
Rinse off the remaining homemade copper cleaner with warm water.
Make sure you thoroughly dry the copper surface. If you leave it at all wet, it’ll speed up the oxidation process and bring more tarnish.
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2. How to clean copper with baking soda
Mixing baking soda and lemon juice is another highly effective cleaning method for copper cookware and other household items. Plus, it’s a quick way to learn how to clean oxidized copper.
Like vinegar, lemon’s natural acidity helps break down tough stains without using harsh chemicals; all you require is some determination and a little elbow grease. Both items are likely already in your kitchen as part of your condiment spread.
With this method, you’re once again following a simple set of cleaning tips:
Mix the lemon juice and baking soda into a paste.
Using your soft cloth, apply the paste to the copper pans. Buff in a circular motion.
Once the copper is polished to a sheen, rinse it in warm water.
Dry off the copper fully.
If you have no lemons on hand for fresh lemon juice, you can substitute with limes, too.
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3. How to clean copper with ketchup
Like lemon juice or vinegar, ketchup works well as a copper polish because the acidity in the tomatoes helps cut through the oxidization. The best part of this method is that the ketchup is a household staple, like l your pot roast recipes, so you probably have some on hand.
To clean copper with ketchup:
Grab your ketchup bottle. Any brand will do.
Open the bottle and apply a thin layer of ketchup to the surface of the copper.
Once the ketchup is evenly distributed, buff at the copper with a clean cloth until it shines bright.
Rinse with warm water, and dry the object.
By this point, you’re probably sensing a trend in this article, but hey — there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
Two more cleaning methods that follow this trend are using a whitening toothpaste like baking soda paste or learning how to clean copper with coke — yes, Coca Cola — by letting the items sit in the soda mixture.
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4. How to clean different copper items
Some of you may be here because you’re looking for tips on cleaning a specific copper object.
How to clean copper jewelry
Copper jewelry is gorgeous but tarnishes quickly. Grab a small container, squeeze a bit of lemon juice into it, and add some salt. Next, submerge the jewelry into the mixture and let it sit to remove tarnish. Remove the object from the mixture, buff it, and rinse.
How to clean a copper sink
Like cleaning any outdoor copper, knowing how to clean copper sinks is trickier because they’re regularly exposed to water. Always look at the care instructions from the manufacturer before attempting any procedure. Sinks are expensive, and it’ll be hard to uninstall if you ruin one.
Housekeeper’s note: Sinks are usually coated with a finish to protect them from wear and tear. All you should need is a simple warm water bath with dish soap to freshen it up. Never use a metal scrubber on the sink. It’ll break the surface seal.
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Keep your copper fixtures looking beautiful
Copper is beautiful—no doubt about it. And it’s easy to clean if you have the right tools on hand. Preventative measures can keep those tough tarnish stains away for longer, too.
Some steps to remember:
Polish your copper every six months to remove stain build-up.
After cleaning, apply a thin coat of mineral oil to the copper to create a DIY seal against its surface and slow down the tarnish process.
If you’re looking for household supplies to polish your tarnished copper, let Gopuff deliver anything you need right to your door.
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