Super Secret Trick for Cleaning Brass and Copper - Jewelry Tutorial HQ

How to Clean Brass or Copper
Visit jewelrytutorial... for more tips about cleaning brass and copper.
In this video, I'll show you my quick and easy trick for cleaning up copper and brass, WITHOUT any harsh chemicals or without a lot of scrubbing. I use this technique a lot for cleaning up old brass bullet shells, which is what I demonstrate this technique on. (I use them to make jewelry, in case you were wondering ;) )
In my opinion, this is the BEST way to clean copper and brass - This method works better and faster than using vinegar (which is a commonly suggested alternative) because of the added acids in ketchup. Ketchup contains vinegar PLUS malic acid and citric acid from the tomatoes. This super combination of acids outperforms straight vinegar - try a side-by-side test and see for yourself!
NOTE: This technique may not be the best to use on items with pearls, coral, wood, or any other porous or chalky stones. Glass, hard gemstones, and crystals should not be affected.
For items and finished jewelry that does contain stones, there is another way to use this method. See more here: jewelrytutorial...
GOODIES:
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Empty bullet shells: etsy.me/1bbIrzY
#0000 Super Fine Steel Wool: amzn.to/1lqyJno*
RELATED VIDEO:
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[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

👉 BEFORE YOU COMMENT: 1.) I have already been schooled on the fact that these are not called 'bullets' and that even 'shells' is apparently incorrect terminology. Now I know - "casings!" Got it. Thanks! I'm all learned up 👍 2.) YES! I know that brass doesn't 'rust' - I should have said 'oxidized'. I just said the wrong word; I paid attention in science classes and I remember that 'rust' specifically refers to 'iron oxide' and that brass does not contain iron so therefore cannot produce iron oxide. Mistakes happen (- have you ever made a mistake? No? Good for you - you should make a video and share it on KZbin to celebrate that fact! Just hope that you don't make any mistakes in that video or you will never live it down ☠️ - ) and I didn't feel like reshooting the whole video because (silly me!) I thought people would let that one slide. HAHAHA! 3.) YEP - vinegar and salt can also clean brass and copper. I prefer 🍅ketchup🍅 because it ALSO contains citric acid and malic acid (from those juicy tomatoes) in addition to the acetic acid (from the vinegar) and salt, which makes for a super awesome cleaning combo. PLUS - you can easily spot-treat with ketchup (use a q-tip or a tiny paintbrush) or slather it on a larger object if you can't submerge it in anything. And anyway - who can stand the smell of straight vinegar? WHO??🦉 4.) Did you read all of this? Comment '🍟🍟🍟' below! Thanks for watching :)

[@traviantist]

I'll tell you the secret, just named it after me (selfish me hahaha) Tamarind. - Shiny copper pennies in seconds rubbing between your finger. Your welcome Now, any trick to shine cupro-nickel ?

[@EstellaVRuiz]

That's hilarious! I'm in my 60s and always remember my Moms' response whenever someone corrected her..."well, you understood me, right" ?! Hah! Thanks for all your great tips & tutorials. (Stella in Austin)

[@brandonstandinger6671]

Fries please.

[@jaket2k927]

Im a sailor, bit more of a smarter gun owner than the hillbillies and took metallurgy in college. Yes brass does rust lol, my ship I'm on has a bell that rusted through. Entirety cast brass and years of neglect left massive brown "petina" and green "rust" as it errodes. Our windless gypsy heads have chunks pitted out as well as switches and knobs. It's highly resistant but neglect let's it happen. Don't worry about the comments, you're showing something awesomely useful and not to mention not reloading these casings lol. TBH if I can suggest if you want a really neat idea the rust if left comes out in a sea green and blue, imagine making a spiral wrap from the rim to the back of the casing using a faux petina or use a clear coat in a spiral dip into a high salt brine and let sit until desired effect. Then just clean the insides and clear coat.

[@addjewelry]

JewelryTutorialHQ Easy, Tiger.

[@PeacelandMusic]

Jessica, forever grateful here... I'm blown away how simple this is and NON-TOXIC!!! OMG, I have been using Mother's polish forever... this is SO MUCH EASIER!!! Thank you!!!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

You are so welcome! Thanks so much for your comment. I'm glad this helped!

[@Jetty-me6cw]

I just cleaned my dolphin sculpture and the difference is amazing. My mom has to be smiling down at me. Thanks a million. Mahallo

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hi Tom! I'm so happy to hear that this worked for you :) By the way, to 'keep' that shine you may look into using some Renaissance Wax (amzn.to/2gaYsUw) as a protective coating. Exposure to air is what causes tarnish so anything that creates a barrier will help prolong the shine. I wish I would have mentioned that in the video!

[@sinbad20001]

I have no idea why someone would dislike this video. They must be from the , FREE THE BRASS, movement or something weird like that. Great tip!

[@kirkeric]

Because people are a-holes. Never understood why people gives thumbs down for no reason.

[@dirkbergstrom9751]

You probably don't understand why because you are not made of brass. WHAT IF YOU WERE???

[@kennybaby]

*Great video! I at first thought it was a joke when I first saw the ketchup being poured. I almost continued to think it was a joke until I scrolled down to the comments and noticed you left this response to someone else:* “Vinegar is amazing but oftentimes, vinegar alone is much too strong or brass and can cause the copper to leach out and leave a a dull salmony-pink patina on the surface of the metal. Ketchup also has malic acid and citric acid from the tomatoes which also help to clean the metal, but but the other stuff in the ketchup (tomatoes, sugar, etc) seems to prevent a pink patina from being an issue (unless you leave the ketchup on way too long and you’ll have the same problem, of course)” *Maybe it would have helped to mention that in your actual video! It would have definitely been helpful for people who didn’t see that response of yours like I did! Otherwise... great video! Thanks a ton!!* ♡

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hi Kenzi! Yes, you are so right! I wish I would have thought to mention that in the video :( 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thanks for stopping by to say hello!

[@kitzandkabootles]

Fantastic. I can't believe how easy that was. My brass stuff looks like gold plated. !!!! Thank you so much.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Kathie Wilson Wonderful! That's so great to hear :) Thanks for visiting!

[@LizVictor]

This method is amazing! I just tried it on some vintage handles that were BLACK. 25 minutes later they were beautiful! The best part is that the ketchup doesn't strip away the patina. I'll be using this a lot - already have a second batch going. Thanks!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Yay! That's so great to hear!! I have never tried this on metal with a patina, so that's good to know. Thank you so much for letting me know - I'm so glad this method helped with your lovely vintage handles :)

[@srf9573]

Just tried it on a copper bracelet. Amazing results, looks brand new!! Thank you much!

[@markaidan3020]

Thank you so much!!! Brought a small designer toy made in 2017 with a copper mask that was just looking ok and on the dull side.. Your method has made it look fantastic and back to the original shiney release I can see on the internet.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Amazing - that's so great to hear! Thanks so much for the tip 🙏

[@CourageousCat13]

holy shinoli! this worked immediately, didn't even have to wait 20 min. thank you SO much... I inherited some decorative platters from my grandmother that aren't valuable, but are sentimental. I don't know if they are copper or brass, but this worked! you took a load off my mind and now i can display these!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Cat Dwyer Sorry Cat - looks like I missed your comment. Just wanted to come back and say thanks and I'm so glad this helped you clean up your beautiful platters :)

[@horsejumpride8423]

Thank you Jessica! Instead of me buying new kitchen cabinet hinges I'm going to try your ketchup cleaning idea. My hinges are not real brass but some type of imitation and they tarnished over time but I think they will clean nicely with your ketchup idea. Thank you so very much for making this video.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Thanks for stopping by to say hello! I hope this worked out for your hinges 🤞

[@Potato-xm4yk]

I give a huge thanks to you Jessica! I had a few tarnished copper rounds that I had tried to clean over and over then I found you video, it worked so well!!! Thank you

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Potato So glad to hear that - thanks for stopping by! By the way, I'm curious - did you try this on live rounds? Someone else is asking and honestly I don't know much about ammo - I just play with the empty shells :)

[@Potato-xm4yk]

+JewelryTutorialHQ oh I'm not talking about live rounds, I'm talking about copper coins (copper rounds)

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Potato AHHHHH ok, lol. Sorry about that. I get so many questions about the bullets I assumed you meant ammo!!

[@totoha974]

My friends take hours to polish their brass and this technique took less than 15 mins and is just as effective Thanks

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Very cool, thanks for sharing! Glad this was useful to you!

[@MrGerryodonothing]

Found an ancient celtic brass bracelet the other day and I'm going to try this trick, thanks.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

MrGerryodonothing Very cool! Hope it worked out for you :) Thanks so much for visiting!

[@Will4fun]

Thank you for sharing this...I bought an older antique brass pendant and wasn't sure how to clean it. I will start off giving this a try...it sure is simple.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Will Mike Thanks! It IS simple and it should work perfectly for your antique brass pendant. Thanks for stopping by!

[@carmine99ful]

Love to have you come by our Old Marines Gun n Brass cleaning Camp .......You R a Very Improvise , Adapt , Overcome Lady , and Bet Your Dad is one helluva guy .....S/Fi .......Bubba ( Mustang O-5 67-88 Retired ) .......RVN 69-71 . p.s. I am proud of you n your simplicity .

[@CarisaLove]

Just cleaned my copper anklet. Worked Beautifully. Thank you.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Carisa Love Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that!!! It's totally weird, and a little bit messy, but it definitely works :) Thanks so much for stopping by!

[@rcflightseeker3488]

I do ammo reloading, and all I use is a splash of Windex and a splash of water with dish soap and it polishes them like gold. no scrubbing needed just let them sit in it

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Awesome! Haven't heard that one - thanks! So for other stuff besides bullet casings where you can't necessarily let the entire piece soak or if you just need to spot treat - non-diluted ketchup works well because you can dab it on and it won't run off. For future reference if you ever need it :) I'll give the windex / dish soap combo a try too. Great tip!

[@rcflightseeker3488]

No problem glad to help, thanks for the video

[@TenebrusI07]

If you know someone that reloads ammunition you could ask them to clean the brass up in their tumbler

[@Nomadcreations]

Thank You & So Simple & easy to have, "Cleaning Solution"! I came here curiously after a 3 prong electrical wire end was very tarnished & didnt want to But a Typical Chemical solution Costing much much more than a new Wire end! Again Thank you! :)

[@debbbs4630]

4 years later. You. Are. A. Lifesaver!

[@thalegacy6]

I gave you a thumbs up for the ketchup idea but I like my ketchup for my fries and burgers haha. When I clean my cases for reloading my last step is to use a little bit vinegar, I don't leave it on for more that 30 seconds as it is very acidic but my goodness it works well.

[@clairebacchi360]

Interesting. Never knew catsup could do that. Thank you 😊

[@thomasjoseph5876]

Great tip, using it right now to clean some old tarnished LP gas connectors so I can make sure they don't have any pitting or cracks. You have a nice voice for presentations unlike some on youtube. Plus you're easy on the eyes too ; ).

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+tom h (Dr. Death) Thanks very much :) Glad you found it helpful!

[@alanreynolds2287]

"Judge if you want." ROFL!

[@Refuge51]

I was using toothpaste on my brass and copper and it did a good job, but it sticks everywhere and makes it difficult to remove in the tiny crevices. Thank you so much for this much easier method.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Awesome! I'm glad to hear this helped :) Thanks so much for stopping by!

[@lancecole5338]

Though I have never tried it on brass or copper, I can (straight-faced) say that cat urine is the most powerful 'metal remover' in existence. I bought a brand-new muzzleloading rifle a few decades ago, left it laying on it's locking case (which had a foam eggshell-type liner) and went to get a beer in the fridge. When I came back, I locked the case and put it in the closet. Two months later, at hunting season, I unlocked the case and THE RIFLE'S BLUING CAME OFF!!! Bluing is like an industrial-epoxy paint! I couldn't figure out how a new, hot-blued gun lost it's bluing - until I saw the stains in the foam. I smelled it an instantly figured out what had happened. While getting a beer, my cat had pissed in the gun case (he liked the foam feel, I guess). I came back, and locked the rifle in with the high-urea cat urine - and it destroyed the muzzleloader's finish! I never tested this idea again, but never forgot - if you want to remove BATTLESHIP PAINT (or gun bluing), use cat urine and time!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Lance Cole Hahaha OMG. CATS, lol!!! Thanks for sharing :)

[@mrharlemike28]

Your "before you comment" was super cute! Thanks for this trick. Kind of trippy! 😊

[@jackpackage256]

The fact that you cleaned your pennies when you were younger makes me trust your advice.

[@zackfair1473]

this video was made for me omg, i was looking up how to clean brass for my bullet shells and thats what this vid is about without mentioning in the tittle!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Zakkusu Fea That's awesome! I wasn't sure many people would be looking for that! What are you going to do with yours? There are definitely other ways to clean brass (and copper) but some of them (like vinegar/lemon juice/salt) can actually leave a patina on the bullet shells which I think is due to the chemical reaction with the gunpowder residue, since it doesn't seem to be a problem with other brass items. Hence, the magic solution for shiny bullets is ketchup :)

[@OgMandin0]

JewelryTutorialHQ Vinegar (malic acid) and a miniscule amount of citric and malic acid from the tomatoes used to make the ketchup. *AND* there is *SALT* (160 mg.) in Heinz Ketchup. *SO*... Ketchup = vinegar + Salt. *SO*... It IS vinegar and salt.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

OgMandin0 Right, but straight vinegar (*acetic acid*) is often too strong for brass and can leach out the copper to the surface, causing a pink patina on the brass. The other ingredients in the ketchup appear to 'soften' the effect of the vinegar while still cleaning it. The vinegar and salt combo has not worked for me - it turned my bullet shells pink and even blue in spots in only a few minutes, so I stick with the ketchup. Of course, leaving ketchup on way too long can cause the same issues, but it does the job easily and reliably in 30 minutes or less.

[@OgMandin0]

JewelryTutorialHQ You are correct the primary acid in vinegar is acetic acid. But, it ALSO contains malic acid. It is all a matter of "DEGREES..." The pH of ketchup is about 3.9. The pH of grocery store vinegar (" called 5% strength" is 2.4. (THat's right the stronger acid has a LOWER pH...) It is ALL about the concentration of the acid + how much salt is added. *PLEASE* CONTINUE to do it your way. But know dilute (=water added) vinegar and a few grains of salt would work equally well. NOTHING magic about ketchup.

[@TheKydyr]

Awesome and thank-you. Worked fantastic on my old Pog Brass Slammer

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Great to hear - thanks so much for reporting back! I totally had to look that up and see what it is - I had no idea 😂

[@diannaclark846]

I clean money too. You seem like a really nice person. Don't let the haters change you.

[@kokopelli2012]

thank you! will try that on brass or copper old drink coasters

[@zuverlassig2jl]

"Nerd Alert"...so adorable...lol😆. Make jewelry as well, but picked up an old ring at flea market today I love for a couple $$s, but needs to be cleaned and looking for other methods besides the one I've always used. Thanks for I info.

[@chris61670]

very interesting..will keep this in mind.was looking for something to clean the brass on my 1866 rifle.I am not ready to cover it in ketchup but will try some other things..thanks!

[@markwright6045]

I have pennies and I have catsup...thanks you saved me a trip and time to Wally's world. I am cleaning jewelry.

[@hsswitz]

Just used your technique to clean a copper bracelet--looks good as new! Thanks so much!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

hsswitz Fantastic! So glad to hear it. Thanks for letting me know :)

[@klausphx]

I clicked on this video to find out best way to clean my Penny Collection. Judge if you want. Lol

[@Coleman77]

I don't have a bottle handy but packets of ketchup work just as easy. Makes easy cleaning of bezatine and box copper chains. This method will keep a shine a few days.

[@SM-cg2dc]

Nice pendants. I don’t know if your aware, but the black dust in those cases contain lead residue from the priming compound. Touching them and then your ketchup will contaminate the bottle then your fridge when you put it away. Please be careful and wash your hand in between.

[@lindarobert3484]

Thanks! Will let you know how it turns out! Will look for that finishing wax too!

[@jonward6763]

Excellent information 🇺🇸

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sereezee]

That is the coolest thing ever! I have a question for you - I have a copper jug with a very high lip which I want to cut away. How can I do that simply and easily without expensive equipment? thanks for any tips!

[@susanglick8951]

Really nice tutorial vid. Thanks I'm going to try this right now!

[@thevegasunset]

Thanks for the tutorial. About citric acid - you can find it in ebay or amazon. Gonna go grab my ketchup bottle now!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

thevegasunset Great tip, thanks so much!

[@brotus59]

{"judge if you want...." I am laughing my butt off over here! I love that line and your look that went with it. Academy Award goes to.....YOU! Great video, thanks for the great tip. I love your jewelry too.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

brotus59 Thank you so much :) I almost took that part out but decided to leave it in since it's just so... 'me'. Lol. Glad you liked the video, thanks for visiting!

[@assurance13]

+JewelryTutorialHQ I'm so glad you put this on youtube...I've been looking to restore an old coin without damaging it..thanks for all of your replies too! :)

[@jaredhighlands4604]

Am trying it and it works. I don’t think it has as much of a shine or good of color as when you first get it but it cleans a lot off. Wonder if it harms the copper at all cause I have been letting it sit for like two hours

[@alfredocabreratrejo5129]

GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR.SALUDOS DESDE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO.

[@elylioney6390]

Wow ketchup is really the "all purpose sauce"

[@nelsonfernandez3787]

Kool worked great for me thanks i cleaned copper exhaust on my mini bike

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Awesome! Glad to hear it - that's a new one :) Thanks for stopping by to say hi!

[@765respect]

Thanks for your tip. This is the brightest my brass/bronze has looked (I don't know the difference between the two). But now I have a pinkish tint on the metal. Any ideas?

[@theforgottenoxlegend6600]

thank you soo so much i have a brass fidgetspinner and this work sooo good

[@soconaturalhealth]

It's the citric acid right?

[@sanramondublin]

thank you . short and down to the point.

[@craignapoli]

Thank you for that AWWWWSOME trick. I love it.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Thanks Craig! Glad it was helpful. I appreciate you stopping by to say so!

[@asboricua1]

Nice!But this is the question:I have a small(about 10inches high)table top water fountain and is brass.This is going to take a lot of ketchup.Can I use tomatoe juice instead?Thank You

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Augie Sanchez Great question. I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure that it will work as well, but I know that it definitely won't hurt. Here's what I would suggest: test on a small area (apply with a q-tip maybe?) using just tomato juice and if it doesn't seem to do much after 15-20 minutes then try again after adding some vinegar to the tomato juice. Again, test in a small area, maybe a little more out of sight this time as too much vinegar could cause the brass to turn pink (it leaches the copper out to the surface of the metal), and that's not easy to get rid of. Tomato juice has malic and citric acid in it but I think it's that mixture + the vinegar that really makes it a winning combo! Will you let me know how it works out? I'd love to know!

[@WickedWaynee]

Thanks so much! I found a 1941 british world war 2 coin and wanted it nice and shiny once again this has helped a lot after 25 mins looks brand new! :D

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Awesome! So glad to hear that. Thanks for letting me know!

[@WickedWaynee]

You're more than welcome thank you once again great video!

[@MaynardRojenEsplanada]

That is so cool! But do you know how to remove copper build up on a lapel pin? Please answer this...

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Maynard Rojen Esplanada Thanks very much! I'm not sure I understand your question - can you give me some more info and I'll try to help. Is the lapel pin made of copper or some other metal? Brass is an alloy that contains copper and some chemical reactions can cause the copper to leach out of the metal, making the surface pink. Just want to make sure I have all the info before telling you how to fix it.

[@legomn54321]

Cleaning with Ketchup is just like cleaning with Vinegar. Ketchup has Vinegar in it, and that's why this works the way it does.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+American Outdoor Notification Systems Thanks so much for your comment! Actually, that's not completely true! Yes, ketchup has a lot of vinegar in it, but it also has malic acid and citric acid from the tomatoes, so it works better and faster than just using vinegar. I did a side-by-side test and ketchup cleaned my brass completely after just 20 minutes, and there was absolutely zero visible change in the same time with straight vinegar. I also repeated the experiment using warm vinegar, with the same results. Try it sometime! Also, in many cases, straight vinegar can actually be much too harsh on the brass, causing some of the copper to leach out to the surface and leaving a matte pink finish that's difficult to remove. This isn't always the case so I believe it might depend on the particular brass alloy - there are lots of different alloys out there that are all called 'brass'.

[@lennyf1957]

+American Outdoor Notification Systems Actually tomato (juice) will do exactly the same thing without vinegar. Tomato is very acidic and will remove tarnish off of copper and brass.

[@MeganNorris-Vburg]

Luv this. Beautiful n very intelligent. Also interesting as hell. Ty

[@lindarobert3484]

Thank you much for the reply! This old teapot has been in the family for generations. Comes from our ancestors who had a castle in Scotland eons ago! Would love to visit that place but apparently it was destroyed during the wars my Gram said. The spout looks like a snake mouth, the handle is full Amber, the whole length of it. I will be careful as one of the grandchildren will inherit one day.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Linda Robert Oh how wonderful! It sounds absolutely amazing. I'm glad you were able to keep such a treasure as a connection to your family history! Sad news about the castle though :( By the way, after you clean it and get it nice and shiny, you can apply Renaissance Wax (amzn.to/1ON8nYT) to protect it and prevent it from tarnishing again so quickly. You just apply it with a soft cloth and then buff off the extra (using the same cloth). You can apply several coats for better protection. Brass items that sit out in the open (as I imagine your teapot might) tend to oxidize more quickly, as it's oxygen that causes that to happen in the first place. The wax creates a barrier and protects the metal from the air. I'd love to hear how the ketchup works for you, and the wax too if you use it!

[@sahdirellis4901]

I frigging love this....I work at a costume jewelry business would I be able to use this on brass plated jewelry covered in gold, rose gold and silver?

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hi Sahdir. Sorry for the delayed reply! This will only work on copper and brass directly - it won't have an effect on the outer gold / rose gold / silver coating.

[@WaschyNumber1]

Use vinegar with water is the same stuff that clean your shells :-) Regards Thomas

[@DShore27]

Can you use this trick on items that have semiprecious stones already in them?

[@Makanilaki]

BRILLIANT! Thank you!

[@chrismaloney5570]

Simple and informative....thank you and God bless

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Chris Maloney Thanks so much! I appreciate you stopping by :)

[@mustafamarie8191]

As a vaper who owns a copper mech mod.. that remedy is no secret to me ;)

[@connieefurulee]

This is wonderful, thank you so much

[@mrsbaylocksvideoemporium9621]

Thank you you lovely gorgeous woman! You have helped me to clean my knobs and they've come up so shiny and with minimal effort :)

[@boedabeeldje1573]

i have got brass buttons on a pair of pants can i get some ketchup and i paper towel to do this

[@ebonyhughes8514]

Thank you so much for making this it worked a treat I used it to clean some of my pennies from my coin collection!😄

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

So glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!

[@carmine99ful]

Sorry ......it's for my Marine Corps duty buckles as I do Not throw them away , and save them all , but the NEVR-DULL Does Not work as well as your simple method because I have tried white vinegar saly flour paste to a Non Shine to a D.I. for a young boot would have to impress in 2nd phase on that sandbar in S.C. ........Thanx Again Kiddo !

[@ShockMe1994]

Thanks, going to clean my vintage belt buckles with this method.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+ShockMe1994 Awesome! Let me know how it works for you!

[@gooldesai8547]

Tamarind/lemon rind and salt are traditionally used in India.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Nice! Thanks for sharing this! I love that there are many different ways to clean without chemicals 🙏

[@29zzj]

Hi, Thank you for the tutorial!! I just tried it on my copper necklace, and it worked really well on the most part, but there is some part that turned red-ish, and I cant get rid of that. Do you know why is that and what to do? Thank you!!!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Jenny Li Sorry to hear that! I have had that happen before and my best guess is that there was some sort of other residue already on that part of the metal that caused a different reaction between the copper and the acids in the ketchup. Have you tried scrubbing it with very fine (#0000) steel wool?

[@29zzj]

+JewelryTutorialHQ Ya I did. It's like rose gold color lol.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Jenny Li Are you sure the necklace is made of solid copper and not brass or some other metal? I'm a little confused because clean copper is pretty much the color of rose gold :) Brass can turn pink with too much acidity sometimes. The only other thing I can think of is to maybe try Brasso which is a metal polish.

[@29zzj]

Ya, i bought it from urban outfitters, and I checked the website, it said copper there. I think the color is cool as long as its not dull and black lol. Thank you very much for the help!!

[@malaross]

I went a little too far cleaning brass dresser hardware with vinegar. Seeing the pink patina. What can I do to bring back the brass color?

[@sheilaputnam6188]

+Mary Ellen Ross You can polish it back up with rouge and a polishing wheel. Maybe a brass polishing agent and some elbow grease.

[@DancingTreeGifts]

Great tip, thank you for sharing. :)

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

KayMac91407 My pleasure. Thanks so much for visiting :)

[@Roshini-Vicky]

0:53 *Nerd Alert*🤓 Just now found out I am a nerd too😂

[@Memes-XD]

so I had some dirty ends of shells (took a saw and chopped the ends of) and tried cleaning them with this tactict. 30 minutes wasn't enough, so I put them to a jar with ketchup and will check results in the morning

[@OurJeepAdventures]

Great tip!

[@JussiTuukkanen]

thank you

[@Troys221]

TACO BELL HOT SAUCE! Cleans brass and copper almost instantly

[@chadleo4918]

I'm going to try this with my ROTC Belt buckle.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Chad Leo Cool! Let us know how it goes :)

[@funnymovies7965]

Cool i will try it now! But do you think this will work on silver?

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+funny movies Unfortunately, no. This works on copper and brass but not silver :(

[@shadowreaper4973]

Nice video. How should I do this in order to clean a guitar input jack that's still soldered to the guitar? (I don't want to unsolder and later resolder it in place).

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hey Shadow Reaper. Sorry for the delayed reply! If you still need to do this, you can use a small paintbrush to apply ketchup to the input jack (if it's made of brass or copper?) and simply wipe it off when it's done.

[@Hellkittenn]

I wanna use this method on some antique furniture fixtures.. I've heard that white vinegar also works. Have you tried that, and if so, does the ketchup still work better?

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hellkitten Actually, I do think the ketchup works better. Sometimes straight vinegar is way too harsh and can cause a pink patina to show on the surface of the brass. Ketchup of course contains vinegar but with all the other ingredients it's not so harsh unless you leave it on way too long (and then the same pink patina can happen). Other commenters have shared that they used this method on antique brass knobs and it worked perfectly! I would suggest trying one first and check the progress at 15 minutes, then 20 minutes, etc. up to 30. As soon as it looks ready wash it off. Then you can do a batch with the rest of the fixtures. Let us know how it goes!

[@destinationbluewheelnut9074]

Thanks for you tip I'm going to use it for my brass drain

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+E type jag Excellent! Hope it works out for you. Thanks so much for visiting!

[@sandyortiz6831]

just what I need. Thank you 😀

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Sandy Ortiz Wonderful! I hope it worked out for you :) Thanks so much for visiting!

[@donaldsaunders852]

Wow great job thanks

[@bobkeller8383]

Beautiful. and trying now!

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Bob Keller Awesome! How did it go?

[@skateboardist1686]

can you use vinegar as a substitute? I ask because I know ketchup is mostly vinegar. Does ketchup have other helpful cleaning "chemicals" that will do a better job?

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hi +Erich Taylor! Great question. True that ketchup is mostly vinegar but indeed it has additional cleaning power that comes from the tomatoes in the form of malic and citric acid. Many people do use vinegar (or a mixture of salt and vinegar) but sometimes that can actually be much too harsh for brass and cause the copper to leach out to the surface and leaving a matte salmony pink patina instead of a shiny gold finish! I prefer using ketchup since I've never had that problem with it. Hope that helps. Thanks for visiting!

[@skateboardist1686]

yes it does help. I never thought about the acidic content of the tomatoes either. Its more of a natural cleaner rather than using synthetic and expensive cleaners that might damage the metal. Very good information. Thanks

[@deborahkay59150]

What type of copper is that that looks like brass

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Hi! Sorry for the delayed reply. It is brass but this works on both brass and copper.

[@happycamper4429]

Wow to think of all that wasted elbow grease we used in the Navy to keep our brass polished. It was there all along on my fries!!!

[@HeartsXoXd]

Thank you so much!

[@alexflowers5430]

I like the way u talk! Cute and relaxing!

[@jaredhighlands4604]

This work with copper rounds?

[@lindarobert3484]

Hi! Would this work on an antique Middle Ages brass tea pot with amber handle?

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Linda Robert I believe it would! I've had lots of comments from people using this method on antique brass of all kinds. I would however, suggest covering the handle somehow to protect it, maybe with some kind of low residue tape or something? You can also use a brush to apply the ketchup in tight spaces. Have fun!

[@MrBlair19727]

Does this work for old pennies? I have real old ones that I want to look back to proof condition if that's possible.

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

+Blair Smith Yes! If they are made of copper and don't have any sort of coating then it will work! I'm not sure about proof condition but it will get you part of the way there for sure - take the brown off and make them more pink :)

[@roseytrax]

what if its on a handbag connect D ring? how to not ruin the bag?

[@rjiggy07]

I am so sorry, I didn't hear a word you said. Except for calling the casings "bullets", but that really doesn't matter. Great video. wow. [compliment].

[@laurasurdyk9397]

Thank you for sharing Jessica! Hilarious="judge if you want"

[@JewelryTutorialHQ]

Laura Surdyk Thanks Laura. Lol, I was a kooky kid ;)