A big part of Diwali festivities is the copper, silver and brassware that comes out on display. In many homes, this has been passed down generations. For me, they hold a special significance as these were given by my parents during our wedding. For years, I kept them tucked away in a loft. Now they are on display adorning corners and console tables in the house; in many ways, it’s a remainder for me from where we come and a reminiscent of the past.
Things you’ll need:
- Tamarind or lemon or vinegar. I use tamarind.
- Salt
- A chrome polish of your choice. I use Autosol metal polish (furtively, of course) that my husband uses for his bike.
- Gloves, if you are using commercial cleaner.
- Microfiber cloths
Dust all the items of any dust before you begin the cleaning process.
How to shine copper the easy way:
- There are two copper glasses and a copper jug that is part of our daily kitchen ware.
- I rub it with a bit of tamarind and salt and leave it aside for 2 minutes. Then, rinse it with water. It is as good as new.
- Wipe them dry.
How to shine brass:
- I usually don’t use the commercial cleaners as they are harsh on the skin.
- If the brass hasn’t been polished in many days/years, then commercial cleaners work best. Wear gloves and just follow the directions to get the shine back on the brass.
- Wipe them dry.
How to shine silver:
- This is the first time I have used autosol for silver.
- Using a dish soap, I cleaned the oil off the lamp.
- With a microfiber cloth, I rubbed the autosol polish on the lamp. Voila! the shine is back. This took less than 5 minutes.
3 Comments
What do you use for brass regularly, if not commercial cleaners? I use lemon and salt and it seems to work ok.
Tamarind and salt, Miss Frangipani.
Thanks!