Copper is one of the oldest metals known to man. Maintaining the timeless beauty of your copper sink, bathtub or tile requires maintenance because copper ages as it contacts its surroundings. Whether you want to clean a new copper sink, an old copper bathtub, or any other kind of copper based object around the house, it is important to know the proper ways to care for your copper.
Cleaning lacquered copper is fairly simple, use soap and water like you would for most other everyday objects in your house.
Cleaning unfinished copper is a more complicated process.
One option is to buy a copper-cleaning product from your local hardware or home & garden store. A product like this will clean your copper very effectively. The downside of buying a copper cleaner is that it may contain harsh chemicals that some people might not feel comfortable using in bathtub or a sink where food is handled.
Copper cleaning products are very safe but it is worth knowing about the homemade cleaners you may be able to produce from everyday kitchen supplies.
Equal parts lemon juice and salt can be mixed together to form a paste that is quite effective at removing dirt and oxidation from copper. Simply rub the paste into your copper and then rinse it away with soap and warm water.
If you don’t have lemons sitting around the house, you can also combine vinegar with salt and use it to clean copper in the same way you would use the lemon juice and salt mixture. Smaller copper objects can even be placed in pot of bubbling water containing salt and vinegar to remove dirt without scrubbing.
Ketchup is another kitchen product that can be used to clean copper, though, you may not want to rub ketchup into a whole copper bathtub!
When buying a copper product it is important to know whether the metal is finished because unfinished and finished coppers need different cleaning treatments. Copper cleaning products are safe but making a homemade cleaner from kitchen products can be a great way to save money!
