Blogs | Makeover Tool | Share Slow-Cooker Recipes | Subscribe
Links We Love
  • Oatmeal with blueberries
    Kitchen Daily: 7 Hot, Homemade Breakfast Cereals
  • Woman sleeping in bed
    Stylelist Home: 7 Helpful Tips for Buying a Mattress
  • Winter gear
    ThirdAge: 5 Ways to Make the Most of the Winter
|
Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
       
make us your homepage
  • Food & Recipes
    • Browse All
    • Enhanced Recipe Search
    • Recipe Collections & Favorites
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Tools & Products
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Guide to Ingredients
    • Share Your Slow-Cooker Recipes
  • Home & Organizing
    • Browse All
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Home Improvement
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Decorating With Color
  • Beauty & Fashion
    • Browse All
    • Clothing
    • Shoes & Accessories
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Makeovers & Tips
    • Clothing Care
    • New! Beauty Makeover Tool
  • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Browse All
    • Holidays
    • Weddings
    • Birthdays
    • Entertaining
    • Gifts
    • 50+ Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts
    • Digital Holiday Cards
  • Health
    • Browse All
    • Nutrition & Diet
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Mind & Mood
    • First Aid & Health Basics
    • Preventative Health
    • Stay Healthy on the Go
  • Work & Life
    • Browse All
    • Money
    • Family
    • Life Strategies
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Etiquette
    • Entertainment
    • Saving and Budgeting Basics
  • Magazine & More
    • Browse All
    • Inside the Magazine
    • Inside the Website
    • Newsletters
    • Real Simple Products
    • Real Simple Rewards
    • Books & Back Issues
    • Simply Stated Blogs
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Gift Subscription
    • Enjoy Real Simple on Your Tablet
  • Homepage
  • Home & Organizing
  • Cleaning
  • Dusting & Polishing
  • PRINT
  • SAVE
  • COMMENT
  • SHARE:
  •      
  • Pin It
Tarnished candlesticksWendell WebberPage 1 of 8

A Guide to Polishing

Easy remedies for those tarnished brass candlesticks, silver flatware, and more.

Polishing Basics

1. Rinse pieces under warm water and lightly wash with a nonabrasive liquid detergent, such as Ivory. Do not soak. Dry thoroughly with a soft cotton towel. If the piece has a nonmetal component, like a wooden handle, cover it with plastic wrap.

 2. Wear gloves, preferably cotton. Rubber kitchen gloves are fine, but wash them first, because they may contain sulfur, a tarnishing agent. Surgical gloves are often weak, and oils and polishes can break them down.

 3. Before you plunge in, test a small area of the object to make sure the polish gives the shine you want.

 4. Polish with a nonlinty fabric, like a clean, old white T-shirt. Use enough fabric so no removed tarnish is ever rubbed back onto the metal's surface.

 5. After each step, rinse the metal thoroughly with warm water and liquid detergent.

 6. Dust regularly with a natural-bristle brush, such as one made of horsehair.
Next: How to Polish Stainless Steel
Skip to Daily Finds slides.
Tarnished candlesticks
Stainless-steel teapot
Brass candleholders
Pewter bowl
Copper pot
SIlver spoons

Most Popular Galleries

  • Yummie Strappy Tank

      7 Body-Shaper Options That Slim You Instantly

  • Ketchup bottle as batter dispenser

      50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things

  • Heart to Heart Bow Tie

      Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him

  • Real Simple March 2002

      16 Before-and-After Room Makeovers

  • Cheese Souffle

      Easy Recipes for Two

Hot Topic

What do you think about this article? Share your own solutions and ideas

View Earlier Comments

Get Surprising Tips and Tricks Each Week

Sign up for our free Real Simple Weekly Tips newsletter (see a sample).
Advertisement

What's Hot

Halibut With Citrusy Tomatoes and Capers

5 Cool-Weather Dinners

Warm up with these quick, healthy, delicious dinner ideas.

  • How to Host a Swap Party
  • Stylelist Home: 10 Smart Organizing Ideas
Computer deskNew on the Web
Jean-Georges vs. Martha Stewart: Who Makes The Best Molten Cake?
...
from Kitchen Daily on Huffingtonpost
Heart disease fast facts
What do you know about heart disease?  Here's some important facts to keep...
from FOXNews.com
Halle Berry Considers Move to France to Escape Death Threats
Halle Berry is “terrified for her safety” and is considering...
from ThirdAge
Williams Sonoma Thief Stole More Than 200K
Luxury retailer Williams-Sonoma has been robbed--and how the culprit pulled it o...
from Stylelist Home
What Would You Rather Splurge on?
What's worth a splurge? Spending and saving money is highly subjective: wha...
from SavvySugar
Houzz Tour: Clean, Chic and Cost-Effective (12 photos)
Purchasing an older home almost always means there will be some remodeling invo...
from Houzz
Real Simple Newsletters To receive any of these free e-mails, check the boxes below and enter the required information.
  • Weekly Tips Newsletter
  • Daily Finds
  • Daily Thought
  • Wedding Newsletter
  • Daily Recipe Newsletter
  • Ask Real Simple
  • Keep It Together Checklist
Home & Organizing:
  • Organizing | 
  • Cleaning | 
  • Decorating | 
  • Home Improvement | 
  • Gardening | 
  • Green Living | 
  • New Uses For Old things | 
  • Clever Organizing Solutions | 
  • Speed-Cleaning Tips & Tricks | 
  • New Uses for Everyday Items | 
  • DIY Decorating Ideas | 
  • Unexpected Natural Cleaners | 
  • Top Cleaning Checklists | 
  • Go Green | 
  • Painting Tips | 
  • Home Gardening Tips | 
  • 40 Decorating Tips for Your Living Room | 
  • Quick Weekend Projects | 
  • Simply Stated: Decorating & Organizing Blog


More from RealSimple.com:
  • Food & Recipes | 
  • Beauty & Fashion | 
  • Holidays & Entertaining | 
  • Health | 
  • Work & Life | 
  • Magazine & More
  • Real Simple Magazine:
  • Subscribe | 
  • Give a Gift Subscription | 
  • Tablet Edition
  • On The Go: 
  • Get Ideas Daily | 
  • Become a Fan on Facebook | 
  • Follow Real Simple on Twitter | 
  • Real Simple Mobile Apps
  • Contact Us | 
  • Customer Service | 
  • Privacy Policy | 
  • Terms of Service | 
  • Print Media Kit | 
  • Digital Media Kit | 
  • Real Simple Rewards | 
  • Site Map
  • Ad Choices
Copyright © 2012 Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Real Simple Home and Lifestyle Network