Antique brass and copper

A BADA guide to caring for items of antique copper and antique brass

Cleaning antique brass and copper

Regularly hand polish your items with a proprietary brand of brass and copper polish.

BADA recommend using soft materials such as cotton-wool to apply polish and a soft yellow duster to remove.

Traditional household solutions such as baking soda or lemon juice are harsh abrasives and will damage your items patina, so avoid at all costs.

Avoid immersing brass or copper items in water.

Water can seap into flaws in an objects solder and cause corrosion.

Avoid highly abrasive products, such as emery cloth or wire-wool.

Both products can be extremely harmful to fine metal surfaces and can render a piece virtually worthless.

Heavily tarnished or damaged objects require the attention of a skilled professional craftsman.

A specialist BADA member will be happy to recommend a suitable tradesman.

A lacquer coating is harmless and can preserve the shine for a few years.

This is a personal choice and is more suitable for some items than others.

Always seek professional guidance before undertaking this process.

If you intend to use antique copper cooking utensils in the preparation of food and drink, your items must have a perfect tin lining.

London-based specialists Leon Jaeggi & Sons offer a professional tin lining service.

It is always advisable to clean copper cooking utensils as soon as possible after use.

This is particularly important when cooking with corrosive items such as salt, fruit juices or onions