6 Easy Ways to Clean Brass Door knobs

Obviously, brass doorknob adds more beauty to the door, but you need to clean them often to maintain its looks. A touch of the brass cleaning solutionoccasionally will help, but you can use other various natural and artificial mixtures to clean the brass doorknob.

With a homemade mixture of baking soda, water, salt, and vinegar, you can restore the shines of the doorknob. But try to be gentle when cleaning with soft or steel wool to prevent scratches on the brass doorknobs.

In this article, we have provided you different ways on how to clean brass doorknobs, including how to use the homemade solution. We will also provide steps on how to clean a brass doorknob without removing it.

How to Clean Brass Door Knobs After Removing them

First, you need to remove the screws that hold it in place and then drag out both sides of the brass doorknob. Keep the screws in a safe place because you will still need them. After this, you can use the following methods to clean the brass doorknobs.

1. Rub Vinegar and Salt on the Doorknob

It’s either you put it in a vinegar solution, or you can dip a cloth in the mixture and rub it on the knob. Then, spray the right salt quantity on the vinegar-soaked doorknob before wiping it clean with a soft fabric.

When it has dried off a bit, clean it again with a moist microfiber material. Afterward, use a dry rag to clean it for one last time.

2. Using Milk to Clean Brass Doorknob

Put the doorknobs in a small cooking container. Then pour the same quantity of water and milk into the pot, say, five teaspoons of water and five of milk. Now, make sure that the solution is well above the doorknob when it sinks in, then applies mild heat.

Ensure that the mixture gets to boiling point before you decrease the heat supply. Wait for about 10 minutes before taking out the doorknob from the solution. Then, clean with a moist rag before you rinse under a running tap in your sink.

3. Sink the Brass Doorknobs in Ammonia

Get a sizeable bowl that you don’t use for food things and fill it with a reasonable amount of ammonia. Ensure that the brass cleaning solution covers the doorknobs that you want to clean. Now, take the knobs and sink them into the ammonia mixture, ensuring that every part is inside.

After some minutes, say 30 minutes, take out the brass handles and brush then with the cleaning side of a sponge. You can remove it from the ammonia if it’s easy to scrub off dirt and grime. But if the dust is still difficult to clean out, put back the handles into the ammonia bowl.

When you now bring them out, squeeze a little amount of a mild cleaning agent like Barkeepers friend on the knobs. Scrub them with a soft fine wool ball for a while then clean them out with a smooth napkin. Ammonia can be corrosive on the skin, so always wear a glove before touching it.

How to Clean Doorknobs Without Removing Them

You don’t need to remove the knobs for cleaning if the stain is small. Below are some methods you can use to clean doorknobs without taking them out.

4. Regular Cleaning with Soap and Water

Get a full bucket of water and put a little amount of dish soap or any mild detergent. Soak your rag into the solution and squeeze out the water. Now, clean the doorknobs with a lathery cloth. If you come across some intense tints on the doorknobs, scrub with a brush to get them off.

After cleaning again, rinse off the soapy rag in clean water, squeeze and wipe the knob. Ensure you remove soap remnants on it, then dry with a piece of pure fabric.

5. Cleaning Off Stain Using Vinegar

Using Vinegar is among the best ways on how to clean brass hardware. To clean your brass doorknobs with the method, Get a bowl of the natural brass cleaning solution and deep a cloth into it. Afterward, sprinkle a little amount of salt on the rag and wipe the handle thoroughly.

Rinse out the rag in clean water, squeezing out excess moisture. Then use it to clean the knobs once more to remove vinegar and lemon juice residue. Take a soft fabric to dry them off before polishing them with wool to restore the sparkle.

6. Using Lemon Juice

Moisten a rag with lemon juice and clean the handle with it. Take a clean, dry cloth to wipe off the juice residue. Use a dry fabric to wipe it off once again. You can also use lime juice as a substitute.

How to Clean Brass Doorknobs and Polish Them

You can use a brass polish you got from the store to restore the shine on your brass door handle.

Step 1: Wipe with Soap and Water

First, clean the knobs with warm lathery water and a smooth rag. You may have to take out the handle from the door to make work easier for you. However, after cleaning, you can fix it back. Take an old brush with soft bristles and scrub the hidden areas and pick out the crevices with a toothpick.

Step2: Clean with Abrasive Cleaner

Another option is to use a product that can clean as well as polish. But you can wipe first with a mildly abrasive solution and polish later. Make sure you abide by the guidelines of the cleaner product when applying, and then rinse out nicely afterward.

Scrub the areas with stubborn stains until you remove them. Rinse and dry to make it ready for polishing.

 Step 3: Polishing

If you’re not using a combo product, then ensure you follow the instruction on the manual. Use a soft fabric to polish and shine the doorknob. Ensure you get all the holes and parts of the handle when buffing. Then finish with mineral oil for protection if your brass is unlacquered.

You can also apply lacquer for brass on the knob if you want. Ensure that you don’t apply polish when the handle is still moist to prevent corrosion. No matter the type of polish, do well to dry off before buffing.

Helpful Tips on How to Clean a Brass Hardware

Put on Gloves

Ensure you wear plastic gloves when cleaning any brass door handle to avoid smudging them. When you touch the brass with bare hands, you may rub dirt on one part, and it will stain faster. So, try and wear a glove even for skin protection from harsh solutions.

After Cleaning, Coat with Oil

Coating your doorknobs with oil after cleaning is a protective measure against tints. You can use a paper towel or a clean fabric and deep it into olive, linseed, or lemon oil. Then, rub it on the brass handle surface.

Call an Expert

If you don’t have time but a little cash to spare, you may save yourself the stress and call a professional. That way, your brass doorknobs will receive a pro’s touch, which is way better than a DIY job.

Final Word

If your doors have brass handles, it is best you know how to clean brass with vinegar. This way, you can save yourself the stress and cash of always hitting the store for a brass cleaning solution.

This article highlights how to clean brass doorknobs without removing or when in place using homemade mixtures. Only ensure that you follow the instructions thoroughly and ensure to wear gloves when cleaning.

However, if you don’t want to or know how to clean a brass doorknob, call an expert.