Restoring brass door knobs
How to Clean Old Brass Doorknobs | Home Guides
By Elizabeth Perry Updated March 15, 2022
The effort to restore old door hardware is worth it. Brass hardware for doors was made to last. If you have tarnished hardware on your doors or if you upcycle brass hardware, including doorknobs, door knockers and more, you can restore the brass hardware to its former glory by using soft cloths and household items or commercial cleaners.
Restoring Hardware and Preventing Tarnish
Cleaning brass doorknobs, door knockers, locks, hinges and other hardware will help bring back their shine. As Martha Stewart points out, over time, various types of metals will lose their luster and develop tarnish. This makes them appear dark, discolored and dull. Different metals require different cleaning methods and supplies. You should consider your metal’s specific needs when you set out to restore old door hardware.
There are several ways to use household items, including toothpaste, ketchup and more, to make brass cleaner, according to Better Homes & Gardens. Lemon and baking soda can be especially handy when you restore old door hardware since you don’t need to soak the brass pieces in the lemon/baking soda mixture; instead you can wipe it on and buff it off. You can help limit brass tarnishing, Bob Vila suggests, by applying a thin coating of linseed oil or mineral oil to clean brass with a soft towel. Cleaning brass doorknobs will bring back their color and shine.
Starting to Clean Old Brass
When you wish to clean old brass, you should first make sure that the hardware you are planning to clean with brass cleaner is actually made of brass rather than being brass plated. You can do a quick check of this with a magnet. If you hold a small magnet on the hardware and it is magnetically pulled, then the material is not brass because brass is not magnetic. Proceed with caution if you have brass-plated hardware, as you could damage the brass plating by cleaning too aggressively.
If your brass doorknobs and hardware are not heavily tarnished, start by cleaning them with hot, soapy water using mild dish soap and a soft cloth.
Clean the entire surface and any crevices, rinse the item with warm water, and then dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth. A soft-bristle toothbrush can help get into any hard-to-reach spots.
Using Brass Cleaner
If your brass doorknobs and hardware are heavily tarnished, opt first for household items to give the brass a deeper clean. One option is rubbing on a thin coat of ketchup, tomato sauce or tomato paste, letting it sit on the surface of the hardware for an hour and then cleaning the brass with hot, soapy water. You can also use a paste made from salt, flour and white vinegar or lemon juice and baking soda. You can also rub salt and lemon directly onto the brass and then buff off.
There are even more options, but make sure with all methods that you use soft cloths. Do not use anything abrasive. For example, do not use abrasive scrubbing cloths, steel wool or hard-bristle brushes. These can scratch brass. Be careful of any surfaces, especially wood surfaces, that are near the brass while you’re cleaning.
Expert and Low-Maintenance Approaches
If DIY options are not working for you, try using commercial metal cleaners and polishes specifically designed for brass. You can usually find a commercial brass cleaner at the hardware store. If you have an antique or heirloom brass piece or an item for which you cannot identify the metal, contact an expert. An expert can help advise you on how to best clean your doorknob or other door hardware.
There is no need to spend time overly cleaning brass doorknobs and hardware. Tarnishing does not correlate to damage to the doorknobs or hardware, although corrosion can happen over time as pieces get especially old. Often, there is beauty in letting metals like brass tarnish and age naturally, Architectural Digest notes. Certain household brass items and surfaces are bound to look different over time, so keep on top of regular cleaning but don’t feel like you need your brass to always be sparkling.
Things You Will Need
Mild dish soap
Ketchup, tomato sauce or tomato paste
Salt
Flour
White vinegar
Lemons
Baking soda
Commercial brass cleaner
Small magnet
Soft cloths
Soft-bristle toothbrush
References
- Martha Stewart: How to Clean and Restore Doorknobs, Hinges, and Knockers
- Better Homes & Gardens: 5 Brilliant Ways to Clean Brass and Restore Shine Using Common Household Products
- Bob Vila: How to Clean Brass and Restore Its Lustrous Shine
- Architectural Digest: How to Clean Brass: 7 Expert Tips to Polish Like a Pro
Tips
- You can also make your own homemade brass cleaner. Mix a small amount of flour, salt and vinegar in a bowl, and apply this mixture to your brass doorknobs using a soft, damp clothe to remove tough tarnish or other deposits.
- Treat brass hardware with paste wax or lemon oil once a month to prevent tarnishing and maintain the material's natural shine.
Warnings
- Work outdoors or in a well-ventilated area when handling paint- or varnish-removal products.
Writer Bio
Elizabeth Perry is a writer and editor. She graduated with honors from Vassar College in 2013, earning her BA in English and specializing in literature and literary theory. She is a lover of sustainable agriculture and self-reliance, and has experience gardening and farming, including on a flower farm. She has contributed creative writing, arts journalism, and literary criticism to a variety of publications, both in print and online.
How to Restore Dull Brass Door Knobs
Over time, metal door knobs can become tarnished from the elements and frequent use. Many find that their brass door knobs lose their shine as they patina. Patina can be quite beautiful, but not so much for door knobs.
While stainless steel knobs only need a good cleaning to look new again, brass knobs take a bit more effort for a complete restoration. For this reason, we'll focus on restoring dull brass door knobs to look great again.
You'll first need to determine if your door knobs are solid or plated. You can do this by using a strong magnet; it will be attracted to metal like steel and zinc underneath plating. However, magnets will not be attracted to brass alloys. If your door knob is plated and shows signs of heavy tarnishing, it may need to be re-plated by a professional restorer.
- Lacquer Removal
Lacquer is a protective finish that is commonly found on door knobs. To restore the knob, it must be stripped down. Paint stripper or denatured alcohol are preferable, but nail polish remover can be used if necessary. If your knobs are plated, they'll respond best to baking soda and water. With a tablespoon of baking soda, boil a large pot of water and submerge your door knob in it as the water simmers.
After 15 minutes, take it out, rinse in hot water. Most of the lacquer should have been stripped away. After it cools, wipe the knob down with your denatured alcohol or paint stripper. This will help remove any remnants.
If this method doesn't work, you may need a commercial lacquer remover, which can be found at most hardware stores.
- Washing the Brass
Once the lacquer is removed, we can address built-up grime and corrosion. A mixture of vinegar and salt with 0000 steel wool should do the trick. Note that steel wool is best for solid brass, not plated. An old t-shirt or shop rag will be ideal for plated brass.
- Soak Treatment (If Needed)
If your door knobs are heavily tarnished, they'll need to soak in ammonia for a short time. Watch over this process carefully, as letting brass sit too long in ammonia can degrade it. This should only take a few minutes. Pull the knob out of the ammonia and neutralize the reaction with diluted vinegar.
- Polishing the Brass
Spread a thin layer of a high-quality brass polish onto your door knob and allow it to dry. There are many different brands on the market, so it may be trial and error to find one that you like for your brass. Once dried, buff the polish off and repeat the process until the brass shines and no tarnish is present. Reinstall your door knob!
For door knobs that just won't respond to your restoration efforts, they'll need to be sent to a professional. They'll have the equipment and expertise to properly restore your knobs. Regularly polish your brass to keep it looking shiny and clean, and you won't have to revisit this process for a long time.
Clean and disinfect brass handles
Today I would like to give you some useful tips how to wash and disinfect brass handles .
In times of Covid 19, cleaning and disinfecting the handles of your home is very important because if they are touched many times during the day, they can be receptors for dirt and bacteria that we ourselves carry from outside.
In this article I will explain how to clean brass knobs . Brass is not a pure material, but an alloy of zinc and copper, which was already used in ancient times for the manufacture of braziers, jugs and other everyday items.
Brass handles are widely used because, compared to other materials, they are very resistant to corrosion and have a long service life. However, it has a drawback, is oxidized by . To bring it back to its ancient splendor, you need to use the right products because despite resistance, the wrong detergent can permanently ruin your pen. nine0007
Two solutions, universal but not obvious, are:
- go to a specialty store, such as a hardware store with a good assortment or a DIY store, and buy a special brass cleaning product,
- or you can choose natural product, made by you at home. Without high costs and ecological choice.
To clean brass handles, you can prepare various natural mixtures at home: nine0007
- with Marseille soap flakes : fill a basin with hot water and put Marseille soap flakes in it, when the mixture is ready, dip a soft sponge and carefully clean the handles.
- Hot water and baking soda : mix them together to make a cream that you will leave on your hands for about ten minutes. Rinse with hot water and lemon and dry with an anti-static cloth.
- Lemon juice and vinegar: mix lemon juice and vinegar in a bowl, then use a sponge or soft damp cloth to remove any dust or oxidation from your hands.
Instead, to remove grease stains from brass knobs, you can pour 2 or 3 drops of dishwashing detergent onto a damp cloth and rub the knobs gently.
Also, for disinfection, you can prepare a mixture at home:
- To disinfect without removing stains, mix with hot water and white vinegar. nine0005 Leave the solution on the handles for a few minutes and then blot with a clean cloth.
- If, on the other hand, you want to disinfect and clean a dirty pen, soak some cotton wool in alcohol and then wipe it with a cloth soaked in red wine to remove the residue.
Finally, if you have oxidized brass handles, put some yogurt on them.
After cleaning and disinfection, you can always start polishing with your own hands. nine0007
Before you start polishing, wrap the handle with paper tape to avoid staining the door.
Brass handles can be polished in two ways: natural and very effective:
- lemon juice, salt, vinegar and baking soda : Make a paste of these ingredients, cover the hands for about ten minutes, then wash off with warm water and neutral soap.
- linseed oil : Wipe the brass handles with a cloth dampened with oil to develop a patina that will keep them shiny and clean over time. This solution is also great for oxidation and black spots. nine0026
If you are interested in this topic, I want to note that a video on how to clean and disinfect brass handles is available on Youtube:
Now I can only wish you good work!
Products that may interest you
Repair and production of latch handles for interior and entrance doors in St.
Petersburg We will help you restore door handles. We will restore their brilliance and beauty. We clean the brass elements and re-lacquer the shaft. We can make custom handles. nine0007
Repair of door handles in St. Petersburg is a fairly common service. This part is often subjected to mechanical stress, and cheap models of dubious quality are common on the market that can fail in a short period.
- Careless handling of the part - sharp pressing on the door handle when opening the doors.
- Poor component quality. The modern market provides a large selection of door handles for every taste, among which you can find beautiful, but not high-quality models. And not necessarily an expensive pen should be of good quality - sometimes inexpensive models can last a long time. Our experts know how to choose the right door handle of the best quality at an affordable price. We also manufacture custom door handles. nine0102
- Mechanical damage - breakage of a part as a result of intervention.
It can be like breaking doors, as well as improper repairs. Such breakdowns can sometimes lead to the need to replace a part instead of repairing door handles in St. Petersburg.
- Natural wear. This rarely happens, as a result of several positive factors: a good quality door handle, careful use and care (oiling, cleaning), avoiding break-ins and damage. With such care, the door handle will last for many years and will become unusable in a natural way. But often door handles are subject to wear and frequent repairs and replacements. nine0026
If you have an interior door handle with a latch, then its repair requires special actions.
Interior doors in a multi-room apartment help create a private space for the residents of the building. Often the locks in such doors are less durable than those of the entrance, but allow you to securely close from the inside. The most common mechanism for such a lock is with a latch. This mechanism allows you to fix the "tongue" of the lock in the doorway, and although it is not an absolute protection, it is quite suitable to make it clear to your family that you should not be disturbed.
