How To Prevent Brass From Tarnishing

Brass

Over time, you may have noticed that the surface of your brass objects has tarnished and become dull. Tarnish is a natural process that most metals undergo and occurs due to exposure to the elements (mostly sunlight and moisture). If you would like to prevent your brass objects from tarnishing, you have two options – keep it out of the elements of give it a protective coating.

Option 1: Give the outside of your brass objects a regular coating of wax. To begin with, give the object a quick dust and wipe down to remove the old layer of wax. Then, apply the new layer by following the directions on the wax packaging. In most cases, this will need to be done once a week to ensure protection.

Option 2: Cover your brass objects in lacquer for a longer lasting solution. Take a piece of scrap metal and give it a test spray with the lacquer to make sure that it goes on clear. Then, cover the entire surface of your object. You will need to apply three to five coats to ensure protection.

You will only need to coat the exterior of your brass objects, as the inside is not exposed to the elements and, therefore, does not tarnish. To make sure that the interior of your brass objects is kept nice and shiny, however, you should give it a regular dust and wash with soapy water.

Keep in mind that, after coating your objects with either wax or lacquer, they will not feel the same as they did before. Wax, however, does feel fairly similar to uncoated brass so, if you would like to return this feel, you can apply wax over the lacquer to simulate it.