BRASS JEWELRY CARE GUIDE
While brass can tarnish quicker than other metals, it is also super easy to bring back to its original bright-gold color. Please pay special attention to how you can store and clean your brass so it can shine forever!
Brass Storage and Care
We recommend following these simple steps to ensure your brass jewelry lasts!
- Wear your brass jewelry! Wearing and touching your brass pieces will actually help prevent them from tarnishing as quickly. The natural oils and acids from our skin can help rub off and delay the tarnish!
- Store your brass jewelry in a dry and sealed plastic bag away from humid environments, like the bathroom. Oxygen can cause brass to tarnish and while it’s impossible to keep your brass pieces away from air (we want you to love and wear your brass!), wrapping your jewelry in a soft cloth or fabric and placing it in a plastic baggy, squeezing out as much air as you can, is the best way to store your brass.
- Avoid contact with water and chemicals. It's important to keep your brass away from water so please take it off before showering, bathing, swimming or doing any sweaty, physical activities. Keeping it away from water as well as chemicals(bleach, perfume, bug spray, sunscreen, etc) will help your brass from oxidizing as quickly.
Brass Cleaning Methods
Proactive maintenance is the easiest way to keep your brass clean. We recommend regularly cleaning your brass jewelry with one of the methods to help maintain its shine.
Polishing Cloth
Regularly buffing your jewelry with a brass polishing cloth, using a medium pressure is the easiest way to clean brass. Not every polishing cloth will work on brass, though, as you need one that is pretreated with cleaning and polishing agents and abrasive enough to remove tarnish. With every brass jewelry purchase, you receive a complimentary single-use polishing cloth however you can purchase a larger one here on our website for regular maintenance.
Ketchup
If your brass is extremely tarnished and oxidized, you may need to wipe it with a stronger cleaning agent like ketchup (yes weird, I know!).
To clean your brass with ketchup, test first by applying a small amount on an inconspicuous spot, such as the back or inside. Let it sit for 30 seconds to a minute and then gently buff off with a damp cloth. If the test works, go ahead and apply a small amount over your whole piece and repeat the steps above.
Lemon Juice and Baking Soda
If ketchup doesn't work, we recommend cleaning with lemon juice and baking soda. In a small bowl, combine the juice of half a lemon with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Mix and buff the paste onto your jewelry with a clean cloth, polishing the grime away. Reapply as needed and then wipe away any residue with a wet cloth.
After cleaning with either ketchup or lemon juice and baking soda, you can buff your piece with a brass cleaning cloth to shine it back up!
PRO TIP: It is extremely important to completely dry off your brass before storing back in an air-tight plastic bag or wearing out. As stated above brass oxidizes quickly in water.