I don't use much brass in my jewelry. I prefer the look of silver or copper to the gold color of brass. I also know that many people (myself included) can be sensitive to brass worn directly against the skin. While there are some workarounds to reduce skin irritation (such as applying Jewelry Shield, a paint-on resin coating), I tend to reserve brass for items that either do not touch the skin directly such as earring dangles (not ear wires) like these propeller earrings. I also use it occasionally for home decor or accessories such as this brass mom bookmark or as a layering element with other metals such as in this gear keychain.
As it ages, brass goes through several stages of discoloration. At first, you might notice that some of your brass turns a darker shade of gold. Then it will show orange or reddish tones and eventually, it will turn black. Depending upon the environment, the timing of this can vary. If you leave your brass outside, it will tarnish more quickly. (If you don't believe me, just take a look at brass light fixtures, mailboxes, or door knobs!) It will take longer for you to notice the changes inside in a controlled environment where the brass is not exposed rain and the oils on your hands. (By the way, if you love the look of old brass but are too impatient to wait months or years, you can speed up the process yourself with a product like Brass Ager or a process using household materials. I've talked about my own experiments darkening brass in a previous blog post.)
Do You Need to Clean Your Brass or Not?
Before I tell you how I cleaned my brass, I want to stress that you might not need to clean your brass at all. If you're creating a new item, you will probably want to do a little cleaning, especially if it's something that needs to match with other elements. For example, I'm currently working on a pair of brass hoop earrings. Even though I bought the brass pieces at the same time, you can see that they are not exactly the same color. The one of the left is starting to get a little more orange in tone than the one on the right. I will clean these before finishing them.
On the other hand, I have a few vintage German brass pieces that I will never clean or paint over. I love the old orange/red tones in these pieces and want to keep them exactly as is. I feel like the patina is adding to the piece's history. Here's an example:
One more thing: make sure your brass is actually brass and not plated steel. The DIY Network recommends a simple test with a magnet.
A Natural Brass Cleaning Solution
I avoid commercial cleaners whenever possible. They typically are packed with unhealthy chemicals and require use in a well-ventilated area. If you live someplace that is snowy and cold in the winter like I do, it makes it challenging to open a lot of windows or work outdoors.
When I saw this natural brass cleaning tip from the popular blog Apartment Therapy, I felt skeptical. It called for a mere two ingredients: baking soda and lemon juice.
I don't always have fresh lemons in the house, but I usually do keep a little bottle of lemon juice in the refrigerator. If you don't have lemon juice, you can substitute vinegar, but your kitchen will not smell nearly as delicious.
When you add these two items together, you'll get an almost violent bubbling reaction. You'll want to stir it a little to make sure it's mixed. You simply apply the mixture to the stained area and gently brush or rub it in. You can use a tiny soft brush (like an old toothbrush) or a soft cloth, depending upon the item being cleaned. A cloth is fine for a plain piece of brass, but something with a lot of tiny engraved details might require a brush.
Rinse off the paste and dry your item. If needed, you can repeat this process.
Before and After
I loved the shape of the brass vintage bookmarks and wanted to embellish them with gears (as shown here) and other elements such as flowers. I didn't love the black tarnish near the top of one of the bookmarks. I was surprised how quickly the lemon juice and baking soda worked! You can still see a little bit of the darkened color in the "after" photo, but it is much less noticeable.
By the way, the gears are also brass, but new. You can see that there is quite a bit of difference in color between them and the bookmark. With the black gone, I decided to stop cleaning. I like the contrast, but you might decide to keep working. I don't know that you'll ever be able to achieve a perfect match as brass is often mixed with other metals and there will likely always be some difference in items from different manufacturers.