Cleaning your Unlacquered Brass Faucet is important. You may be wondering how effective it is or generally its advantage. The significant advantage is that it is key to the lengthening of its lifespan.
Maintaining cleanliness is also hygienic. You will therefore enjoy cleanliness and the best aesthetics.
Something you will love most with clean and well-maintained taps is that it is less exposed to fading. Assurance that the faucet will offer you great rewards is therefore under guarantee.
How to Clean Unlacquered Brass Faucet:
There are several methods that you can comfortably use to clean the faucet. Amazingly, you will have an opportunity to use home-based products to maintain their cleanliness. Some methods are as follows.
Method 1: Use of a metal cleaner
This method is one of the simplest you can always apply.
What you need
- A clean cloth
- Wax paste
- Metal cleaner
- Cleaning pad
Cleaning procedure
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Choose a metal cleaner
Considering that there are many cleaners available, you will have to choose one. Some good examples are Brasso, blue magic, twinkle brass, copper cleaning kit, and many more. The primary difference with them is the price hence the need to get a budget-friendly one.
Some cleaners may harm the brass. Therefore, you should have a close watch on the composition of the cleaner. -
Prepare the brass faucet
The process of preparation is straightforward. All you will have to do is to do a simple cleaning to remove mud and other components. In case it is dusty or has been affected by superficial stains, you will need to clean them. -
Put the cleaner in a cleaning pad
Apply the metal cleaner on the cleaning pad. You can also choose to use a soft cloth. Something to be careful with is to avoid getting a cleanser that reacts with the fabric. It will not clean the faucet but will act on the cleaning pad. -
Scrub the faucet’s surface
Using the cleaner on the cleaning pad, scrub the surface of the faucet until it is clean. Ensure that all tarnish is gone after washing. Once you have removed the tarnish, ensure that you use clean water to clean the faucet again.
Always ensure that you read the instructions of the metal cleaner before using it. It is helpful because it provides that you can take the necessary precautions. You can, therefore, be sure that the faucet will retain its property. -
Polish the faucet
Once cleaning is over, you then polish the faucet to retain its brightness. You will therefore apply the wax paste using the soft cloth. You will consequently have the faucet containing its original color. The level of illumination will be as if it is brand new.
Method 2: Cleaning using traditional methods
Some methods are affordable and home-based that prove to work excellently. A good example which we shall discuss is the use of salt and lemon. The technique is useful, and the outcomes are remarkable.
Salt and lemon remedy
For this method, you will need salt, lemon, water, and a cloth. What makes it an effective strategy is because lemon is acidic and when mixed with salt, the reaction removes tarnish. The procedure is as follows.
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Prepare the mixture
You will start by preparing the lemon and salt mixture. The best way to do it is to squeeze the lemon in a container. After that, you will add salt to the lemon and stir until it completely dissolves. -
Prepare the faucet
Ensure that the faucet is ready by doing a simple clean-up. Remove superficial stains and dust before using the lemon and salt mixture. -
Apply the solution to the faucet
Using a clean cloth, you apply the solution of salt and lemon to the Unlacquered Brass Faucet. By doing so, you can be very sure that the faucet will get clean quickly. You can scrub some parts with salt then add the solution for quick use. Once done, you let it sit for a few minutes. -
Wipe using a clean cloth
Clean the solution using a clean cloth. You will, therefore, have the faucet maintaining its cleanliness. If the tarnish seems too heavy, you can consider using tartar cream and lemon juice for cleanliness. In such a case, you may have to use some complicated process.
You will apply the tartar cream with lemon composition, then use warm water to clean. The outcome is perfect.
What you need to take caution about is when rubbing the faucet. You should avoid damaging it.
Can you polish Unlacquered Brass?
Yes.
After you have done the cleaning and you are content, you can apply the polish. However, you need to make the best selection of the polish as some may spoil the brass.
Getting the best polish is therefore vital as it helps in maintaining a long term service.
How long does it take for unlacquered brass to Patina?
Some agents are responsible for the development of Patina. Air, hands, and other factors are great contributors to the development of Patina. It is, therefore, evident that brass will keep developing Patina as its ages.
The rate could be higher or lower depending on the agent resulting in it. If it’s mineral water and oil in hands, the speed will be faster. If it is air or other mild factors,
you will prolong the rate.
Therefore, it can age at any point Care for the faucet is a great contributor towards lengthening its life before it patinas. Consequently, always keep in touch to see whether there are precautions to take on it or not. Fortunately, there are professional care processes that will serve it.
Precautions for cleaning unlacquered brass
- Always apply some oil, especially olive oil, after cleaning. It is responsible for the prevention of tarnishing.
- Items such as steel wool and other rubbing cleaning agents are not suitable for us. They will help in the quick deterioration of brass. Any thread that you intend to use for cleaning should be soft.
- When using chemicals, always ensure that you have gloves on. They help in prevention against corrosion of your hands by the chemical.
- Always be careful with the chemical you choose. It may end up spoiling the brass faucet instead of helping in caring for it.
- Surfaces within the faucet need some covering when cleaning. It helps in maintaining the safety of the tap.
Conclusion
There are many methods that you can use to clean an unlacquered brass faucet. We have highlighted the two most effective and affordable ways. Embracing them will, therefore, offer you excellent outcomes. Also, you can replace your existing faucet with a new brass kitchen faucet.
However, there are precautions you also need to take when cleaning. They are useful as they help you to get the best after the match.