Proper Procedure Of Cleaning Badly Tarnished Brass Doorknobs
Aged, antique brass doorknobs or handles as well as a piece of furniture that has a high value because of its quality offer an unending appeal and are well-suited to both historic restoration as well as more modern projects. Although a new brass features a golden, shiny finish, however, still this material oxidizes over time, which in turn results in a dull brown appearance. Instead of throwing out old or badly tarnished brass doorknobs or handles, it is better to get rid of tarnish, paint and other impurities in order to restore their original shine as well as luster. If your brass door handles are badly tarnished, you can easily restore it to its original shape, simply by going through the below-mentioned steps carefully:
- Remove The Doorknob: First of all, pull out the doorknob or handle from the door. You can use a screwdriver to pull out all fasteners, before taking the two halves of the doorknob or handle away from the surface of the store. Keep the fasteners to one side for reuse.
- Paint Or Varnish Remover: The next step is to take a glass jar & fill it with paint or varnish remover. Position the doorknob tenderly & softly into the jar and seal it. Keep the doorknob in the jar for a couple of hours in order to make sure that any paint can be removed.
- Wipe Away Paint & Dirt From The Knob: Now, remove the doorknob from the jar before adding an insignificant amount of dish detergent to a wet rag. Then, you can use the rag in order to wipe away paint as well as dirt from the knob. Scrub with the help of a toothbrush in order to loosen stubborn paint or other deposits.
- Commercial Brass Cleaner: Next, put or spread an insignificant amount of commercial brass cleaner to a rag. Wipe the doorknob with the help of rag in order to get rid of any remaining tarnish or impurities.
- Scrub The Doorknob: Scrub the doorknob using very fine steel wool in order to loosen sturdy & resistant deposits. Dip the knob in wet soapy water, then keep scrubbing as long as all the tarnish and other deposits have been removed.
- Wipe The Doorknob: Wipe the doorknob with the help of a rag in order to dry it and give it a shiny, polished appearance. Finally, install the doorknob on the door again that you have removed before starting the process.
Cleaning And Polishing Products
- Pre-cleaning: Start by cleaning with the help of a hot soapy water and a soft cloth. When it comes to cleaning a brass doorknob or handle, it is important to pull out the hardware from the door in order to make it easier, however, make sure you can get it back on when you finish cleaning the doorknob. You can use an old toothbrush having soft bristles in order to clean in tight areas and use wooden skewers or toothpicks to reach into small crevices.
- Cleaning: You can use a combo product that cleans as well as polishes. Another plan of action, though it is provided with some reluctance, is to use a mildly abrasive brass cleaner before polishing afterward. When you are using a mildly abrasive brass cleaner and polish, make sure to apply it with extreme caution. Apply the product in accordance with the directions, and rinse well. You may need to scrub or rub in order to get rid of tarnish. Repeat this step as long as you have removed all of the tarnish. Make sure it is all the way rinsed and dried before polishing brass.
- Polishing And Sealing: If you use a separate polish, then read & go through the instructions of the product. Make sure to use a soft cloth in order to buff and shine the brass. Take care to entirely remove the polish, and get into each & every crevice. If you deal with unlacquered brass, you may also need to finish with an oil, like mineral oil, in order to safeguard the brass. If you want, you can also use a lacquer that is particularly designed for brass. It is important to make sure whatever sealing or polishing method you use, the brass need to be dried entirely and sealed so that it won’t corrode. You particularly need to avoid water spots.