Keep Stainless Spotless, Copper Proper, Brass Bright

May 30, 1986|By Bernard Gladstone, New York Times Special Features.



Brass: a decorative, bright metal that tarnishes quickly. That is why brass, when purchased, is almost always coated with clear lacquer. The lacquer keeps it from tarnishing but in time wears off or is scratched off, and the exposed brass becomes tarnished. The metal must be polished to restore the original luster.

As a rule, polishing works only if the metal is solid brass. Many times so-called brass is really only brass-plated iron or steel. Because the plating is very thin, polishing is seldom practical. When the plating starts to wear off, polishing is useless.

If you are not sure something is solid brass, scratch it with a knife. If the metal underneath is bright yellow, the object is solid brass. If the scratch is dark, the metal is brass plated. Another good test is to hold a magnet against the metal. If you feel a pull the metal is not brass; if it is brass the magnet will not be attracted to it.

Many polishes are available in hardware stores. But for any of them to work, you must first remove the old lacquer. This can be done by wiping the brass object with a rag moistened in acetone, or by using stripping solution sold for this purpose.

However, stripping agents should be used with extreme caution. They are highly volatile and flammable, and most sold at the retail level contain methylene chloride, a chemical the federal government suspects to be carcinogenic. It might be prudent to hire a professional.

If you use strippers with methylene chloride, do the work outdoors, the only place you can get adequate ventilation. Wear Neoprene gloves to protect your hands (latex and rubber are worthless for this job), wear heavy clothing and an apron and wash off remover immediately if you splash any on your skin. The solvent can be absorbed either by breathing the vapors or through the skin.

It is also important to stay away from pilot lights and not to smoke while using strippers.

Wipe the solvent on with a coarse cloth or use a nylon abrasive pad. As soon as the lacquer is softened, wipe it off immediately with a dry cloth before the solvent can evaporate.

When all the lacquer has been removed, wash the piece with hot, sudsy water, rinse with warm, plain water and wipe dry. If the metal is not tarnished, polishing with a soft flannel cloth may be all that is needed to restore the original luster. If the metal is dull or tarnished, brass polish may be needed.

Whatever method you use to polish the brass, after it is bright and clean it must be immediately protected with clear lacquer or vinyl to keep tarnish from forming again. You can buy these in spray or regular cans, but check the can before you buy. The vapors from spray products are easily inhaled, and many sprays contain toluene, a suspected carcinogen.

Copper: Because brass is an alloy of copper, most of the information that applies to cleaning and maintaining brass is true for copper and, like brass, copper also needs a clear, protective coating to prevent tarnishing. When copper tarnishes it forms a greenish oxide coating that spreads rapidly and takes a bit more effort to remove.

One way to remove tarnish from copper is to scrub it with a paste of vinegar, salt and flour. Or you can use a nylon abrasive pad dipped into copper polish. When the tarnish has been removed, wash the copper object in warm detergent solution, rinse with hot water, then dry thoroughly. Wipe with a rag moistened in denatured alcohol before coating with clear lacquer.

Aluminum: This metal needs little maintenance other than regular cleaning with mild detergent. Dirt on the metal promotes oxidation and pitting. If the metal is very dirty, pitted or cloudy looking, clean it with aluminum cleaner- polish. In extreme cases, rub the object with a nylon abrasive pad or with a soap-impregnated kitchen pad. Rub lightly in straight lines only (not in circles). Rinse with lots of warm water, wipe dry, then apply a thin coat of paste wax to protect against further dulling and pitting.

Outdoor furniture and equipment made of aluminum is often anodized. This is a chemical treatment that prevents oxidation and pitting for years. Don`t use abrasive cleaners on this.

Stainless steel and chrome-plated metal: Both require little maintenance other than regular washing and polishing with a soft cloth. It`s particularly important to wash off foods or liquids containing salts or acids promptly, because many of these compounds will cause pitting and discoloration on these metals. Nonabrasive, liquid metal polish can be used to restore the luster in most cases when a stubborn stain won`t come off.