How to polish an old brass bed frame

Gail R
by Gail R
I bought a lovely brass bed but it is very much in need of polishing. What's best to use and how do I do it?
  3 answers
  • Abbie Abbie on Jan 26, 2014
    Is it brass or brass plated? If a magnet sticks to it, it's plated and not solid brass. If it's lacquered you really just need to wash with a mild cleaner like dish soap and water then polish with a dry soft cloth. And you would use the same method to clean plated brass Otherwise there are many cleaners out there like Brasso to clean tarnished brass, but you can't use these cleaners on lacquered or plated brass. You can also use ketchup or lemon juice as a more natural cleaner without any harsh chemicals. The acids in the tomatoes will take the tarnish right off there and lemon juice helps make it shiny again.. Although I don't think that's very practical for a whole bed frame. When it's all tarnish and dirt free and beautiful again, just buff with a soft cloth.
    • See 1 previous
    • Abbie Abbie on Jan 27, 2014
      @Gail R If it's tarnished then it isn't lacquered, so Brasso and a buff is what you need. I don't know that you need to go as far as a buffer pad on a drill unless you already have one laying around. A good wipe down with a soft cloth like flannel would be sufficient after you get all the Brasso off. Follow the instructions on the bottle and you should be good. Happy polishing!
  • Teri Metts Teri Metts on Jan 27, 2014
    I use Brasso.
  • Gail R Gail R on Jan 27, 2014
    Thanks