How do you make copper bright and shiny?

Mix 1/2-cup distilled white vinegar (or lemon juice, which is more acidic) with 1 Tbsp. salt and enough flour to form a thin paste. Apply the paste to the copper surface and scrub away the tarnish with a cloth or scrubbing sponge. Rinse under running water and buff with a dry cloth to polish.
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How do I get my copper to shine again?

Mix 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup flour and enough vinegar to make a thick paste. Use a soft cloth to rub the paste on the surface of the copper. Buff the copper item until it shines. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.
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How do I permanently shine copper?

Heat can help banish truly stubborn tarnish. Boil a cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of salt, and three cups of water in a large pot and add the copper item. Let it boil until the tarnish begins to come off, then remove the item, let it cool, polish, rinse, and dry.
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How can I shine copper at home?

Vinegar and Salt

Rub a mixture of 1 tablespoon table salt combined with 1 cup white vinegar onto the copper with a soft cloth and rinse. Alternatively, immerse the tarnished copper into a pot with 3 cups of water and the salt-vinegar mixture, bring to a boil, and boil until the grime and tarnish comes off.
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How do you restore copper luster?

Pour some salt onto a plate (coarse salt if you are dealing with tough tarnish), dip the lemon half into the salt, and scrub the surface until you remove the tarnish. Finally, rinse with warm water and soap and dry the copper with a soft cloth.
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Can soaking your copper in vinegar clean and increase it’s value to bare bright?



What is the best homemade copper cleaner?

Try vinegar or ketchup.

"If you have a large copper item and you want to clean it quickly, boil three cups of water and add a cup of vinegar and one tablespoon or more of salt," says Reichert. Next, stir the mixture until the salt is dissolved and then place the copper item in the water.
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What is the best chemical to clean copper?

What are the Best Chemicals to Clean Copper
  • Citric acid- Citric acid is an organic acid which is used to clean copper. ...
  • Acetic acid- This is perhaps one of the most commonly used materials to clean copper. ...
  • Acetone- Acetone is an organic compound which is commonly used as a solvent.
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How do you polish copper with ketchup?

Copper reacts to air by developing a layer of copper oxide, which causes it to look tarnished. Copper oxide dissolves in a mixture of weak acid and table salt, both of which are found in ketchup. Slather the ketchup onto your copper-bottomed pots and leave it on for as long as you can. Then wipe and rinse.
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Does Brasso clean copper?

Brasso works on brass, copper, chrome, bronze, stainless steel, pewter, and aluminum. It's a cleaner, polish and protection solution in one, for when you need to buff up lackluster brass, kitchenware and more - no polishing wheel required.
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What does white vinegar do to copper?

When copper is exposed to oxygen, it forms molecules called copper oxide that make pennies look dirty. Pouring vinegar over the pennies helps break up this copper oxide and expose the pure copper on the penny. As the penny dries and is exposed to the air, a chemical reaction occurs and the penny turns green!
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Does salt clean copper?

If you can't seem to get your copper pots and pans clean, sprinkle a generous amount of salt over a lemon wedge. Once you've done that, use the wedge as a sponge. It takes a little elbow grease, and sounds like a funny tip, but the results are nothing to laugh about.
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What kind of vinegar cleans copper?

Mix 1/2-cup distilled white vinegar (or lemon juice, which is more acidic) with 1 Tbsp. salt and enough flour to form a thin paste. Apply the paste to the copper surface and scrub away the tarnish with a cloth or scrubbing sponge.
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Can I use silver polish on copper?

The best way to clean copper jewelry is to use Connoisseurs Silver Jewelry Cleaner.
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Can you lacquer copper?

Lacquering. To reduce the need for frequent cleaning, the surfaces of copper and brass can be lacquered. The surface of the lacquer gives a bright but shallow reflection clearly different to the deep glow of a good polish but is acceptable for much domestic hardware and electrical fittings.
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How do you use Brasso on copper?

Use Brasso as a copper polish or pewter shining tool by applying it to a clean, dry cloth. Since it is liquid, have the cloth ready when you begin to pour to avoid spillage. Next, rub the cloth firmly across the metal you wish to clean or polish. Work in a circular or spiral motion as you rub the Brasso into the metal.
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How long should I leave ketchup on copper?

Copper pots, pans, and kettles are beautiful and preferred by many chefs. However, they can easily tarnish. Spread a layer of ketchup over the copper and let it work for 10 minutes. Rub with a soft cloth and rinse well.
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How do you polish copper?

Salt, vinegar and flour combine to create chemistry to polish copper.
  1. Mix together one-quarter cup salt and one-quarter cup flour, then add enough vinegar to make a thick paste.
  2. Rub that paste on the copper surface and gently buff it using a microfiber cloth until it shines; wash and dry thoroughly.
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Why does Tomato Ketchup clean brass?

Ketchup, Tomato Sauce, or Tomato Paste

Tomatoes contain an acid that helps to remove tarnish on brass and other metals; that's why applying a tomato-based product can work wonders on your brass.
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Can you clean copper with baking soda?

Baking soda and vinegar

Baking soda should be combined with lemon juice and rubbed on with a cloth. This soft cleaning method creates — you guessed it — a chemical reaction that will polish the tarnished copper back to a healthy sheen.
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What does acetone do to copper?

Acetone reacts with copper in the presence of ambient light and atmospheric water vapor to form copper acetate. This reaction is completely inhibited in the absence of ambient light.
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What does CLR do to copper?

What will CLR do to copper or aluminum? CLR will take the finish off of aluminum and copper.
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Can you use toothpaste to clean copper?

Polish Silverware and Copper Pots

For copper pots that are heavily tarnished, rub on the toothpaste and let it work for a few minutes before wiping away the tarnish. Rinse in hot water and shine with a dry cloth.
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Can you clean copper with Windex?

Copper. “The alcohol contained in Windex will affect the patina of the copper and could cause permanent discoloration,” shares Sarah Steeb, a home cleaning expert with Housekeeping Associates. Instead, use water on those copper pots, pans, trays, etc. and buff it out with a microfiber cloth, she says.
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Does apple cider vinegar clean copper?

Apple Cider vinegar is even great to use for polishing silver, bronze and copper. For sanitizing and reusing jars, so that they don't end up in a landfill, disinfect with a 1 to 1 ratio of vinegar and warm soapy water and scrub well.
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