It's 2022 and I just found this gentleman. I followed everything he said to the letter and my brass pulls that have probably not been polished in over 100 years turned out beautifully. Thank you so much. I was on my way to buy a can of Brasso when I decided to check out UA-cam and you saved me money on gas and a product that I didn't need. I will put on the polyurethane and can't wait to add the beautiful, bright pulls onto the drawer. Thank you again.
Wow I owe you a cup of coffee! Your trick saved me a lot of money, I was going to buy a new entrance door lock and handle assembly to brighten up the white door, now It’s not needed, looks brand new again. Thank you 😀🇺🇸👍🏻
I tried your method and it worked fantastic. My home was built in 1910 and it has all brass hardware on doors that was painted over for years. It’s unbelievable how shiny and new the pieces I worked on look. Thank you so much.
I cleaned the brass hardware on my mother newly purchased antique chest of drawers. I watched a few videos and this worked like magic! Got all those nooks and crannies with very little effort. Fished it off with w/ dawn power cleaner and a sponge to remove the oily residue from the tarnish. I did 14 in 45 minutes. Impressive!
Wow...this actually works! Have tried so many methods and watched so many UA-cam tutorials for trying to clean kitchen cabinet handles but this method is easy, cheap and most importantly time efficient. Thank you so much, you have made me and my Dad very happy ... we now have 30 very clean and shiny cabinet handles.
Geez thanks. I’m refinishing an old desk that a neighbor put out for trash. The hardware is all brass. I used your method. Then I took a magic eraser with just a tiny dab of baking soda which helped remove the black residue. Pat dry. Voila!!! It only took a few minutes. They’re really beautiful. Thanks so much
Oh my goodness! I bought a set of 3 large butterflies (heavy, solid brass filigree) with the plan to make them into chimes but they were very dark like your hardware. Within 5 minutes all three look like they are brand new! Unbelievable! I have turned down buying brass before because they were in such bad shape - never again. Great video and thank you very much. This is a valuable tip.
Besides the cleaning part, my useful take away from this video was the magnet test. Next time I visit a hardware store to purchase brass items for my doors, windows, etc - I’ll use this test to be sure what I buy is pure brass. Thank you 🙏
Oh wow! This worked so well on my brass door knocker!! And was so easy! I had tried using Brasso and all sorts of cleaners but none of them did a thing. Thank you so much! My door knocker looks like new!
The best, honest, simple technique I ever come across plus I'm not keen on using off-the-shelf compound. The only thing I wish to know is what's the purpose of boiling the vinegar and is this necessary?
I have found that boiling the vinegar greatly improves it's effectiveness at "loosening up" the tarnish. You'll notice that as the vinegar cools, the tarnish becomes more difficult to remove. Must it be heated ? No, but the process will take so much longer. How long, you may ask? I don't have any plans to find out....lol
This works! I cleaned very ornate drawer pulls that are sixty years old and they came out beautifully. They are brass; I did the magnet test. Thank you so much!
This worked perfectly on my home's historic hardware. I tried everything else... Store bought polisher, baking soda and salt. Thank you so much! I wish I could show you a picture of the mirror shine on my hardware!
I am doing your method on solid brass pulls. The results are 😮 amazing! My question is, what do you do to finish the brass? Just leave it? Thank you for doing this video, it has saved me tons of time and energy!😊
Thank you so much! I just purchased used brass candelabras and wanted to polish them. I saw your video and did the magnet test and they are real brass! Thank you so much for educating me on how to tell if its real brass or not!
I tried this out on a trinket box from the antique store and it worked great! I may need to do a second round to get the last bit of rust out, but overall I didn't have to scrub all that hard. Thanks!
I cannot thank you enough for this video. I've started restoring an old secretary desk with a lot of drawers and I thought it would take me forever to clean the hardware. Till I came across your video and it took me so little time to do it all. Thank you!
Thank you so much. I want a clean home but I also rent. I want to keep things clean while saving money. AND thank you for the last tip. Truly appreciated and helpful.😊
It's 2024! I'm so happy that you gave the bonus tip before I started. I really don't know if I have brass or plating on my hardware. But I know it's over 50 years old.😮😮
The first time I polished my hardware was over twenty years ago. I didn't know what I was doing, I was just bored, and much to my surprise it was actually enjoyable. I've been doing it ever since
This is really cool! I have a quick question. What do I do if my brass is attached to the wall and has wires in it lol. I can't boil my light fixture and I don't want to take it down because it works
I tried Brasso by itself and it was OK, but I definitely needed to add an abrasive. I'm gonna try this on some century old brass I need polished. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the lovely video.. the pan on the stove was wobbly when you were scrubbing and the whole time I was worried that the hot water might splash on your hands
Thank you for taking the time and effort to product this excellent, easy to follow, video tutorial on your method for polishing brass, and the easy method to determine if the metal is solid brass.
Thank you so very much!!!! I have these exact hard ware and hoped to get them back to their golden beauty for the black finish I did on my chest. This so helpful.
I was looking for a way to polish the handles on my cabinets, I've tried Brasso, etc. Spent hrs. rubbing them. Needless to say I gave up. I can't wait to try this.
Wow this video saved me a good money $$$ I have the same exact cabinet handles the I love really much but don't matches to my other ones so I keep them storage now is time to used them... I'm very happy with the final result thank you so much for sharing 🙏😉
I recently restored a chest of drawers from the 1920s that turned out beautiful. I cleaned and polished them because I didn't like the dirty brass patina ( I know some people do) problem was, out of the 12 pulls, 1 was broken. I couldn't believe it but a found a duplicate pull on ebay for 25 dollars. ( I paid 100 for the dresser).
Great tip on knowing if it's platted or solid brass. Thanks 😊, JaneLee - in Suburban Philadelphia 2/28/22 (Trying to polish a Desk Lamp using Brasso - I use a Toothbrush to remove the Powdery residue - Tremendous amount of Rubbing 😟) The most difficult part is getting thru the Lacquer. I've already read about Not removing the Lacquer, But, I didn't care for the way it looked Yellowy. I want it to Look Like High Gloss Brass ! 🤷♀️
After the hardware is polished, do you think it'd be a good idea to seal it with something, some kind of spray coat so it doesn't tarnish again quickly?
Thanks for this video, easy method and straight to the point. Appreciate the tip about real vs plated brass! Going to try this with my own diy project.
Excellent Advice, Thanks Very Much! I was wondering🤔Using your same vinegar technique- If Someone has arthritis, could you or anyone recommend a type of steel wool wheel that could be attached to a drill that would work just as well? Thanks👍😉🇨🇦
Great cleaning product. Once yo have polished the brass what then can I paint the item with so that I am not clearing all the time. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks Bill
Say i have a larger decorative wall piece. I believe it’s brass. It’s of a tall ship and has lots of crevices and openings. Would you recommend maybe plugging up one of my sinks and pouring boiling vinegar over the item in there and then attack with the steel wool?
Thank for the video. How would you clean a lamp. I cleaned it with brasso, and yes. I have the white everywhere in the creases, and now I am going to have a hard time getting into all the spaces with a toothbrush.
I got the point. And that was to subscribe immediately. One, bc you're hot, two bc I so refinishing too, and three bc I loved the video . Who knew vinegar could do that!:
I have hardware with lots of “rings “ . It’s tough to get in those areas. Any advice on how to tackle that??? Thanks for your video. It provided valuable insight!!
I'm no expert, bur as he's using steel wool for smoother areas, I would think those wire bristle brushes you can get cheap in the hardware store would work.
I've been doing this a long time. This is the first time I have ever seen a plated piece polish. As you say the plating is very thin. Literally microscopic thin. The brass always disappears with anything I try.
Refinishing an antique chest of drawers. The back plate for the handles is solid brass but it has some type of coating on it I am able to get parts of it down to a real shiny brass but other parts the finish is not coming off. Will this method work for that?
I have a BOWIE hunting knife with a brass handle. Completely stuffed handle. I did a restoration job. Now hopefully the handle! Any reply appreciated cheers from Australia just subbed.nice work 🙂👍👍👍. Btw my hand is solid! ALCE brand by INOX. I got it given to me over 20 years ago. I had to reshape the blade as well. Overall looks good but the handle??? Driving me nuts!
So I have a little piece of metal on the center of the top drawer of a dresser. How would I attempt to get that back to looking good? It's very small. I can take a photo if you need to see it.
thanks so much for the video man. quick question I got a purse its a Michael kors the emblem is a bit lets say not shiny or clean, and I was wondering if you have any tips on cleaning it, as I can't put it separately in boiling vinegar, I was wondering if you think just vinegar would help and if I should use the steel wool on it as well, cheers. Great video by the way, love the camera angles and the simple explanation and highly recommend you to keep at it if this is something you have a passion and love for, as slow and steady wins the race! and if your loving it you can't go wrong. Hope to hear back from you and hope you have a great day filled with joy in the little things.
Thank you Rob, much appreciated ! As for that emblem, I'd probably stay away from steel wool and just stick to a brass polishing compound. I'd be worried about the plating. If it's solid brass, you have more flexibility and less to worry about.
Have you made a video how to clean solid brass hardware fixtures, door knobs, etc? My bath tub faucets I think is solid brass. I love antique brass fixtures and always opt to purchase it if I can find it instead of silver, polish brass, etc. But I always been nervous about cleaning antique brass b\c I may ruin it forever! Thank you
I have vintage glass door knobs in my home I want to clean up. This is the easiest technique I've come across and doesn't involve a polishing compound. I've had the "white cloud" experience before so don't use it anymore. Is it safe to heat the glass knob in the vinegar or could I risk cracking/damaging the glass?
I’m wanting to clean and refurbish hammered bronze drawer pulls, pinch latches and H set hinges that go in my 1966 canned ham trailer. I took brasso to a drawer pull. Nope! Took the finish right off and now I have the metal showing. So it’s got thin plating ! What would you suggest? Glad I found your channel. I want to learn to refinish furniture too!
Links To The Correct Products Used In This Video Are In The Description, Click The Show More Tab To View Them.
Do I need to rinse them after or apply some lacquer to keep restored brass from tarnishing again?
I loved this method! Worked like a charm!!
It's 2022 and I just found this gentleman. I followed everything he said to the letter and my brass pulls that have probably not been polished in over 100 years turned out beautifully. Thank you so much. I was on my way to buy a can of Brasso when I decided to check out UA-cam and you saved me money on gas and a product that I didn't need. I will put on the polyurethane and can't wait to add the beautiful, bright pulls onto the drawer. Thank you again.
Wow I owe you a cup of coffee! Your trick saved me a lot of money, I was going to buy a new entrance door lock and handle assembly to brighten up the white door, now It’s not needed, looks brand new again. Thank you 😀🇺🇸👍🏻
Glad I could help!
I tried your method and it worked fantastic. My home was built in 1910 and it has all brass hardware on doors that was painted over for years. It’s unbelievable how shiny and new the pieces I worked on look. Thank you so much.
Did you have to scrap off the paint before hand? My wife and I just bought a house and I'm facing the same situation.
@@paulterry2065 the paint will come off when using this method.
I cleaned the brass hardware on my mother newly purchased antique chest of drawers. I watched a few videos and this worked like magic! Got all those nooks and crannies with very little effort. Fished it off with w/ dawn power cleaner and a sponge to remove the oily residue from the tarnish. I did 14 in 45 minutes. Impressive!
Wow...this actually works! Have tried so many methods and watched so many UA-cam tutorials for trying to clean kitchen cabinet handles but this method is easy, cheap and most importantly time efficient. Thank you so much, you have made me and my Dad very happy ... we now have 30 very clean and shiny cabinet handles.
Geez thanks. I’m refinishing an old desk that a neighbor put out for trash. The hardware is all brass. I used your method. Then I took a magic eraser with just a tiny dab of baking soda which helped remove the black residue. Pat dry. Voila!!! It only took a few minutes. They’re really beautiful. Thanks so much
Oh my goodness! I bought a set of 3 large butterflies (heavy, solid brass filigree) with the plan to make them into chimes but they were very dark like your hardware. Within 5 minutes all three look like they are brand new! Unbelievable! I have turned down buying brass before because they were in such bad shape - never again. Great video and thank you very much. This is a valuable tip.
Besides the cleaning part, my useful take away from this video was the magnet test. Next time I visit a hardware store to purchase brass items for my doors, windows, etc - I’ll use this test to be sure what I buy is pure brass. Thank you 🙏
Oh wow! This worked so well on my brass door knocker!! And was so easy! I had tried using Brasso and all sorts of cleaners but none of them did a thing. Thank you so much! My door knocker looks like new!
The best, honest, simple technique I ever come across plus I'm not keen on using off-the-shelf compound. The only thing I wish to know is what's the purpose of boiling the vinegar and is this necessary?
I have found that boiling the vinegar greatly improves it's effectiveness at "loosening up" the tarnish. You'll notice that as the vinegar cools, the tarnish becomes more difficult to remove. Must it be heated ? No, but the process will take so much longer. How long, you may ask? I don't have any plans to find out....lol
worked a treat on our brass Georgian door furniture, which had become very discoloured because of traffic fumes . And no horrible chemicals! thanks :)
Excellent!
This works! I cleaned very ornate drawer pulls that are sixty years old and they came out beautifully. They are brass; I did the magnet test. Thank you so much!
Good to know about the solid vs plating test! I have to refinish some handles today and this was very useful, thank you!
This worked perfectly on my home's historic hardware. I tried everything else... Store bought polisher, baking soda and salt. Thank you so much! I wish I could show you a picture of the mirror shine on my hardware!
Excellent!
I am doing your method on solid brass pulls. The results are 😮 amazing! My question is, what do you do to finish the brass? Just leave it? Thank you for doing this video, it has saved me tons of time and energy!😊
Thanks for the brass/plated reminder. I had forgotten how to tell if you have real brass. Glad I watched before I did my draw pulls. Good video.
I just really want to thank you. I just tried this, as you said... It worked amazing. Paint and tarnish all, removed. Neil.
Thank you so much! I just purchased used brass candelabras and wanted to polish them. I saw your video and did the magnet test and they are real brass! Thank you so much for educating me on how to tell if its real brass or not!
It works !!! Didn’t think anything could bring them back to their former glory- I was wrong. Super easy too ❤
OMG. Thanks so much.! Definitely quick method. I was going to buy new handles but no way now. I couldn't wait to finish to send this comment. !
Im doing this very project as we speak! So far, so good. 😁 THANKS A MILLION!
I tried this out on a trinket box from the antique store and it worked great! I may need to do a second round to get the last bit of rust out, but overall I didn't have to scrub all that hard. Thanks!
I cannot thank you enough for this video. I've started restoring an old secretary desk with a lot of drawers and I thought it would take me forever to clean the hardware. Till I came across your video and it took me so little time to do it all. Thank you!
Thank you so much. I want a clean home but I also rent. I want to keep things clean while saving money. AND thank you for the last tip. Truly appreciated and helpful.😊
It's 2024! I'm so happy that you gave the bonus tip before I started. I really don't know if I have brass or plating on my hardware. But I know it's over 50 years old.😮😮
The first time I polished my hardware was over twenty years ago. I didn't know what I was doing, I was just bored, and much to my surprise it was actually enjoyable.
I've been doing it ever since
This is really cool! I have a quick question. What do I do if my brass is attached to the wall and has wires in it lol. I can't boil my light fixture and I don't want to take it down because it works
You could always somehow spray boiling water at it or even hot steam might do the trick?
oxalic acid
I tried Brasso by itself and it was OK, but I definitely needed to add an abrasive. I'm gonna try this on some century old brass I need polished. Thanks!
Brilliant little demo. This is exactly what I needed to know. And I didn't even have to go to the hardware store. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the lovely video.. the pan on the stove was wobbly when you were scrubbing and the whole time I was worried that the hot water might splash on your hands
That was so easy! And unbelievably quick! Thank you! Cleaned up like new!
Glad it helped!
Just tried that…brilliant results thanks very much
This is very helpful!! I like that you don't have to use chemicals!! Great tips! Especially the brass vs plating. Thanks very much.
This is a fantastic video and so helpful! Saved me a great deal of time and headache, so fast, helpful and rewarding. Thank you!
This works waaay better than cold vinegar and baking soda. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to product this excellent, easy to follow, video tutorial on your method for polishing brass, and the easy method to determine if the metal is solid brass.
Thank you so very much!!!! I have these exact hard ware and hoped to get them back to their golden beauty for the black finish I did on my chest. This so helpful.
I tried this on some old drawer pulls. It worked great! Thanks for a great instructional video.
Thanks for taking the time make and share this very useful video! Also, thanks for that useful tip with the magnet.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent tip at the end to know the difference between plated and solid brass!! Thanks
You bet!
Looks great. How would I clean a "large" piece of brass such as a storage chest
Thanks for your point regarding the copper. I am trying to clean a brass umbrella stand and I thought I'd ruined it. Thanks for the video!
Worked perfectly and the tip and the end was great. I wish I could show you my before and after pictures.
I was looking for a way to polish the handles on my cabinets, I've tried Brasso, etc. Spent hrs. rubbing them. Needless to say I gave up. I can't wait to try this.
Update?
I just did this and they came out gorgeous.
Wow is all I can say! Had a dull brown brass figurine that was a beautiful brassy shine in minutes! Very useful video and works great!
Wow this video saved me a good money $$$ I have the same exact cabinet handles the I love really much but don't matches to my other ones so I keep them storage now is time to used them...
I'm very happy with the final result thank you so much for sharing 🙏😉
I recently restored a chest of drawers from the 1920s that turned out beautiful. I cleaned and polished them because I didn't like the dirty brass patina ( I know some people do) problem was, out of the 12 pulls, 1 was broken. I couldn't believe it but a found a duplicate pull on ebay for 25 dollars. ( I paid 100 for the dresser).
The best tips are the nice and easy ones .
Thanks.
We find treasure like this all the time!!! We use acid on rust. Great educational video.
Fantastic information andctge best method I have seen thus far.
Great tip on knowing if it's platted or solid brass.
Thanks 😊,
JaneLee - in Suburban Philadelphia
2/28/22
(Trying to polish a Desk Lamp using Brasso - I use a Toothbrush to remove the Powdery residue - Tremendous amount of Rubbing 😟)
The most difficult part is getting thru the Lacquer.
I've already read about Not removing the Lacquer, But, I didn't care for the way it looked Yellowy. I want it to Look Like High Gloss Brass ! 🤷♀️
Excellent information. Thankyou so much. I hate the white gunk in the crevices too. Thanks again. Cheers from Sydney, Australia
After the hardware is polished, do you think it'd be a good idea to seal it with something, some kind of spray coat so it doesn't tarnish again quickly?
Wow, great tips. I had no idea about plated brass!
Glad it was helpful!
my hardware (and my dads wrench) turned out really nice. thank you
Thanks for this video, easy method and straight to the point. Appreciate the tip about real vs plated brass! Going to try this with my own diy project.
Excellent Advice, Thanks Very Much! I was wondering🤔Using your same vinegar technique- If Someone has arthritis, could you or anyone recommend a type of steel wool wheel that could be attached to a drill that would work just as well? Thanks👍😉🇨🇦
Great cleaning product.
Once yo have polished the brass what then can I paint the item with so that I am not clearing all the time.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks Bill
Good Question, Here's a link for clear Brass finish. amzn.to/2Vo6vQy
What do you do if you have pieces that won't fit into a pan, like pieces of a brass bed?
Great video esp knowing whether it’s platted or solid brass.
Say i have a larger decorative wall piece. I believe it’s brass. It’s of a tall ship and has lots of crevices and openings. Would you recommend maybe plugging up one of my sinks and pouring boiling vinegar over the item in there and then attack with the steel wool?
Helpful info about the copper color.
Thanks for that tip for letting me know if it's plated or solid brass
No problem 👍
top tip with the magnet - thanks !
Happy to help
Thanks for this! Looking forward to cleaning up the hinge plates on my antique chest.
Thank for the video. How would you clean a lamp. I cleaned it with brasso, and yes. I have the white everywhere in the creases, and now I am going to have a hard time getting into all the spaces with a toothbrush.
Real useful demo. Saved me a lot of labor.
I got the point. And that was to subscribe immediately. One, bc you're hot, two bc I so refinishing too, and three bc I loved the video . Who knew vinegar could do that!:
Firsr time on this channel,and this guy looks like a pro
Thanks for the tip on determining whether it's brass or brass plate. Would you recommend using a brass cleaner, such as brasso?
I have hardware with lots of “rings “ . It’s tough to get in those areas. Any advice on how to tackle that??? Thanks for your video. It provided valuable insight!!
I'm no expert, bur as he's using steel wool for smoother areas, I would think those wire bristle brushes you can get cheap in the hardware store would work.
I've been doing this a long time. This is the first time I have ever seen a plated piece polish. As you say the plating is very thin. Literally microscopic thin. The brass always disappears with anything I try.
This video saved me a lot of time and energy. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much. Your process worked well for me.
Refinishing an antique chest of drawers. The back plate for the handles is solid brass but it has some type of coating on it I am able to get parts of it down to a real shiny brass but other parts the finish is not coming off. Will this method work for that?
This is one of the best video's I've seen on this. Thank you!
Great video! Thanks for all your tips! Loved the plated/solid bit too, very funny!
I have a BOWIE hunting knife with a brass handle. Completely stuffed handle. I did a restoration job. Now hopefully the handle! Any reply appreciated cheers from Australia just subbed.nice work 🙂👍👍👍. Btw my hand is solid! ALCE brand by INOX. I got it given to me over 20 years ago. I had to reshape the blade as well. Overall looks good but the handle??? Driving me nuts!
So I have a little piece of metal on the center of the top drawer of a dresser. How would I attempt to get that back to looking good? It's very small. I can take a photo if you need to see it.
Very Good Video Thanks, now I will tackle my door handle.
Go get em !!
Bro thankyou so much for posting this video it's been so helpful for me🙏.
I love this method! Non-toxic too.
incredible. thanks for sharing this!
thanks so much for the video man. quick question I got a purse its a Michael kors the emblem is a bit lets say not shiny or clean, and I was wondering if you have any tips on cleaning it, as I can't put it separately in boiling vinegar, I was wondering if you think just vinegar would help and if I should use the steel wool on it as well, cheers. Great video by the way, love the camera angles and the simple explanation and highly recommend you to keep at it if this is something you have a passion and love for, as slow and steady wins the race! and if your loving it you can't go wrong. Hope to hear back from you and hope you have a great day filled with joy in the little things.
Thank you Rob, much appreciated ! As for that emblem, I'd probably stay away from steel wool and just stick to a brass polishing compound. I'd be worried about the plating. If it's solid brass, you have more flexibility and less to worry about.
Have you made a video how to clean solid brass hardware fixtures, door knobs, etc? My bath tub faucets I think is solid brass. I love antique brass fixtures and always opt to purchase it if I can find it instead of silver, polish brass, etc. But I always been nervous about cleaning antique brass b\c I may ruin it forever! Thank you
So awesome. I tried it amd it worked. Wish i could attach a picture
What about larger pieces, like lamps, that you can’t boil in vinegar?
Hi, very good video! I'm a bit worried about the steel wool, would it not scratch the surface leaving little scratch marks? Thanks in advance
How about for larch brass items that can't be boiled?
I have vintage glass door knobs in my home I want to clean up. This is the easiest technique I've come across and doesn't involve a polishing compound. I've had the "white cloud" experience before so don't use it anymore. Is it safe to heat the glass knob in the vinegar or could I risk cracking/damaging the glass?
Certainly going to give it a try, thank you!
Super helpful information! Thanks so much!
You are a genius! Thank you. Better than anything I’ve ever tried!
Can you boil vinegar in any type of pot or pan? Will it ruin the pan?
I’m wanting to clean and refurbish hammered bronze drawer pulls, pinch latches and H set hinges that go in my 1966 canned ham trailer. I took brasso to a drawer pull. Nope! Took the finish right off and now I have the metal showing. So it’s got thin plating ! What would you suggest? Glad I found your channel. I want to learn to refinish furniture too!
Not all hardware can be polished and salvaged.
Thank you for the tip! That was the easiest cleaning I’ve ever done on my cooking range’s brass burner!!!
What do you suggest I do to pulls that the plated finish has gone and is rusted? I want to replace these without paint.
Wow! This worked like a charm!