| A great way to give your home a lift is by | | | | possible finish. However, a word of warning - if |
| cleaning your door knobs - they are so rarely | | | | your brass has fine detailing, scouring may |
| cleaned that when you actually get around to it, | | | | remove some of this. Use a fine grade of steel |
| the difference is palpable. If you are living in a | | | | wool, not your usual dishscrubber. It is better to |
| period style or older home, you most likely have | | | | scour lightly, for a longer time, than to rub hard |
| brass doorknobs, or at least brass door hardware | | | | and get it all over and done with quicker. This |
| of some description, whether it is a knocker, lock, | | | | allows you a little more care, and helps ensure |
| lever handle or letter flap. If you would like to | | | | that what you are rubbing away is actually dirt, |
| clean your brass hardware, but are worried about | | | | and not the metal or etching. |
| damaging it, read on for our guide to safely and | | | | A good solution to use to clean your brass door |
| effectively cleaning brass. | | | | knobs is a heaped tablespoon of salt mixed with |
| All About Brass | | | | half a cup of vinegar. This creates a saturated |
| Firstly, brass is a golden-colored metal, made by | | | | salt solution, and the undissolved salt crystals help |
| mixing copper and zinc. It is one of the oldest | | | | to gently scour away dirt, while the vinegar's acid |
| alloys known to man. In centuries past, brass was | | | | helps to eat away some sorts of dirt. Salt is a |
| produced by mixing copper, quite a common | | | | great disinfectant, too, helping remove germs |
| metal, together with calamine, which is a zinc ore. | | | | from your door handles. |
| Brass can be mistaken for gold, but often has | | | | One of the bonuses of having brass door handles, |
| some brown variegation through its surface. The | | | | as opposed to door hardware made from other |
| reason it is used so often in older homes is that it | | | | metals, is that brass is fairly nonreactive. If you |
| has a relatively low melting point of around 900 | | | | have regular door handles, without particularly fine |
| degrees, compared to other metals. This sounds | | | | detail, you can incorporate the handles into your |
| like a lot, and you might think that there isn't | | | | trip round the house with the disinfectant and |
| much difference between 900 degrees and 1100 | | | | dishcloth. If you use harsh or commercial grade |
| degrees celcius, after all, they'll both fry you to a | | | | products though, it is a good idea to check the |
| crisp quicker than you can squeak, but if you are | | | | directions for what the solution can safely be |
| a blacksmith working an old-fashioned bellows, | | | | used on. |
| two hundred degrees makes quite a lot of | | | | Commercial brass cleaners usually do an excellent |
| difference! The second reason is that it is | | | | job, with Brasso, the old stand-by, still as popular |
| relatively resistant to tarnishing ... and so does not | | | | as it was when your granny was naught but a |
| need as frequent cleaning ;-) And the final reason | | | | babe! Check the ingredients first though if you |
| that brass is such a common material is that it is | | | | have detailed brass pieces - if you see ammonia |
| easily recyclable without extensive loss of | | | | in the list, the cleaner is likely a caustic or alkaline |
| properties - it is quite easily melted down and | | | | one. If you use these repeatedly, they will leave a |
| reformed into different objects, without a change | | | | residue on the brass which reacts and dissolves it |
| in color or a weakening of the metal. | | | | over time. Acidic cleaners (like vinegar) are a |
| There are several different varieties of brass. | | | | better bet. If you are looking for a commercial |
| There is common brass, around 37% zinc, which | | | | cleaner other than Brasso, try Autosol Metal |
| is easy to work and cheap. Brass which contains | | | | Polish. |
| around 33%zinc is known as yellow brass; there is | | | | The exception to the rule of not using caustic |
| also admiralty brass, which contains 1% tin along | | | | cleaning products occurs when you need to |
| with 30% zinc. The tin makes the zinc less | | | | restore badly tarnished brass to a usable state. |
| reactive to chemicals in the environment which | | | | Look for the more expensive or well known |
| might degrade the brass. Aluminium brass also | | | | brands of brass cleaner, and make sure that you |
| contains around 1% aluminium, for similar reasons | | | | do not leave the product unattended while it has |
| to why admiralty brass utilises tin. Any of these | | | | the cleaning solution on. Some products come |
| sorts of brass are common materials for your | | | | with their own acid neutraliser, or you could use a |
| door knobs. The other types of brass are used | | | | vinegar spray on top of the cleaner to help |
| for boiler fireboxes, gunmetal, flexible hoses and | | | | neutralise the alkalinity. |
| bellows, and also fittings like rivets, screws and | | | | Ultimately, the easiest way to clean your brass is |
| springs. Brass is not degraded by sunlight, is | | | | to keep on top of it, and do a little often rather |
| wear-resistant and cost-effective to create, and | | | | than a lot all at once. If you leave the cleaning for |
| is a popular choice for the mechanisms in | | | | a yearly event, you'll need to use harsh cleaners |
| watches, compassed and clocks. | | | | and run the risk of damaging your piece. If you |
| To Clean Brass Door Knobs | | | | want your old brass to look new, go gentle, and |
| If you haven't cleaned your brass door knobs in a | | | | come again soon! |
| while, scouring them will help give you the best | | | | |