How to Clean Brass Outdoor Lights

 

Brass outdoor lights normally come with a gold-colored metal alloy that is made of a combination of copper and zinc. Over time your brass product can be tarnished, turns into black color and dull due to its exposure to water, oxygen and also weather elements. Your brass outdoor lights can be restored just by using household products available in your house. If done correctly, you would be able to remove any of the tarnished layers thus exposing the clean and shiny brass beneath the layer. As for lacquered brass light fixtures, you do not have to use any cleaning products. You only have to clean them frequently in order to maintain its nice exterior look.

To clean brass outdoor lights, you need:

  • Screwdriver
  • Cloths
  • Warm water
  • Ketchup
  • Salt
  • White vinegar
  • Flour
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • 1 small, soft-bristled toothbrush
  • Chemical stripper
  • Soft sponge
  • Steel wool
  • Metal polish

Cleaning Brass Outdoor Lights

How to Clean Brass Outdoor Lights

  • First thing that you need to do to clean lacquered brass outdoor lights is by using a damp cloth
    • Take a cloth and damp it with warm water
    • Then, you have to wipe your brass light fixture thoroughly using a clean cloth so that you can remove the fixture of all the dirt or residue.
    • Ensure that you dry the brass light fixture completely before you start to use it again.

Always remember to turn off and unplug the brass light fixture from its power supply before you start to do any cleaning task on the light fixtures.

  • As for cleaning a non-lacquered brass outdoor lights, you can simply use your existing household items available in your house
    • Firstly, you need to apply 2 tablespoon of ketchup onto a clean cloth
    • To make it into a thick mixture, you need to combine 1 tablespoon of salt, ½ cup of white vinegar along with some flour.
    • Stir them all together inside a bowl by using a spoon before you start to apply the mixture to your clean cloth and clean your brass light fixture.
  • Then, you need to apply the ketchup or the mixture of salt and vinegar paste onto your non-lacquered brass
    • Next step is to leave the mixture to sit on the brass light fixture for at least 10 minutes.
    • If the need arises, you can use more ketchup or salt and vinegar in order to cover the whole area of the brass fixture.
  • Take a cloth and damp it with warm water
    • Then, you have to wipe your brass light fixture thoroughly using a clean cloth so that you can remove the fixture of all the dirt or residue.
    • If it is necessary, you should rinse the cloth and repeat the process of wiping the fixture one more time.
    • Ensure that you dry the brass light fixture completely using a clean cloth before you start to use it again.

Whenever you are using chemical stripper to clean you brass fixture, always use protective gloves for protection to your skin. Follow instructions provided by the product manufacturer when you want to remove any tarnish off from the surface of your brass fixture.

Always remember that before you start to clean your brass outdoor lights,

  • Make sure to check whether the brass is coated with lacquer finish or not. If it is lacquered brass, you may have to remove the layer of lacquer first before starting to clean and polishing the fixture.
  • It is recommended that you use a brass cleaning solution made for lacquered brass rather than using soapy water. You have to also be extra careful when using chemical solutions as it is very abrasive and if you over use the solutions the brass fixture might be damaged.

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