How to clean copper, whether old or new, whether your treasured pots and pans, or whether wind chimes and bells, it’s easy and quick to do with things you have in your kitchen cupboards.
When your copper cookware is tarnished and discolored, stained, dull, or oxidized, you can restore the item you love to its original beauty.
Copper can be easily cleaned using soda that is slightly abrasive, yet soft. You can have the beautiful glow and beautiful shine as you did when your copper was new.
When you want to know how to clean cooper pots, how to clean copper cookware, and even how to clean copper-bottom pans, copper wire, and how to clean copper pennies and jewelry, all of the methods below will do it for you. The techniques work for cleaning copper sinks and your copper Moscow mule mugs.
Cooking on gas will tarnish your pot bottoms more than cooking on other stove top services.
Cleaning Copper
Soda and Vinegar
Mix a few tablespoons of soda with distilled clear vinegar to make a paste. Rub it onto your copper surface with a wet sponge or an old cotton cloth. Do not use paper towels because they fray. Rinse with clear water and see how it looks. Do it until it’s the shine you want, rinse, and towel dry. If very dirty, wash in dish detergent in the sink with warm water.
Salt and Vinegar
Wet your piece to be cleaned and sprinkle salt on it. Put clear distilled vinegar on an old cotton rag and rub the pot with the cloth that’s soaked with vinegar. Your cloth will probably turn black and that’s the oxidation that’s being removed. Rinse well under the faucet to get rid of the salt. You may have to do this a few times. Rinse and towel dry. If very dirty, wash in dish detergent in the sink with warm water.
Citrus: Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit
Anything acidic will work; vinegar is acidic so that’s why it works. If you have no vinegar, then use acidic fruit. They provide you with a “handle” for your hand too with the rounded shape. Cut the fruit in half, sprinkle salt or baking soda on top, and rub on the copper item. You can also use tomato ketchup full of acid or Tabasco® sauce by putting it on a clean cloth as well. Rinse, and towel dry. If very dirty, wash in dish detergent in the sink with warm water.
Dings, Dimples, and Dents
First off, it’s easy to dent copper, so use care handling your cookware. The indentations are more difficult to clean so sprinkle salt or soda directly into those concave spaces. Grab an old toothbrush or a cotton swab for smaller spaces and clean dipping the brush or cotton swab into vinegar you have in a small plastic container. These areas should come clean as do the flat spaces. Rinse and towel dry. If very dirty, wash in dish detergent in the sink with warm water.
Copper Cleaners
Commercial copper cleaners are good to use. I like them and I use copper and brass cleaners, since I have both metals in my home. The creamy products are easy to apply with an old cloth, then wash in soapy water, rinse, and towel dry.
My copper is gorgeous; however, I clean my copper cookware after each use so that it does not become the days project when not cleaned for a long time.
Leave your comments below and let me know what you like best to clean your copper cookware. I will reply to each of you.
How to restore and clean copper pots video.
