How to clean brass: Interior designer uses tomato paste to transform decor
Interior designer leaves old vases sparkling clean with an unlikely pantry staple — with spectacular results
- Interior designer revealed how boring copper can be turned into beautiful antiques
- The craftsman uses tomato paste to polish old solid copper objects
An interior decorator has revealed how to breathe new life into old, dull brass items and turn them into immaculate masterpieces in minutes without using harsh cleaners.
Emma was recently strolling down the aisles of her local shop when she found some beautiful old copper vases and pitchers.
The pieces were quite knocked down and scratched, but the pro decided to spice up the $5 purchases with a steel scrub and tomato paste.
The method involved Emma gently brushing tomato paste into the copper and then rinsing her new vases with tap water.
Acid from tomato paste breaks down the dirt and buildup on old copper and makes the metal shine.
An interior designer has revealed how to breathe new life into old, dull brass objects and turn them into immaculate masterpieces in minutes
Emma was recently strolling the aisles of her local store when she found beautiful old brass vases and pitchers
Emma shared her brilliant trick on social media along with a video of the process.
Emma shared a close-up of a half-finished vase with a shiny top but cloudy bottom
“I always use tomato paste to clean solid copper pieces,” she wrote. “It works wonders and only takes five minutes.”
Emma shared a close-up of a half-finished vase with a shiny top but cloudy bottom.
The interior designer added, “I keep all my solid brass decor looking clean and shiny by using a steel scrub and some tomato paste to scrub and clean them before washing and drying.”
She also revealed that it’s possible to use the same method on silverware and copper.
Various other products with acids such as lemons, lemon juice and vinegar can also be used to polish old brass.
If the items are severely tarnished, it is recommended that you make a paste of citric acid and bicarbonate of soda and let it soak on the item for 30 minutes before gently scrubbing it off.
Many were impressed by the unlikely hack.
“I heard this works, but wasn’t sure!” exclaimed a woman. ‘How amazing.’
“Oh, wow, tomato paste,” said another. “Usually I use Brasso, but I like this idea.”
“I’m going to try this hack, they came out great,” commented a third.
“The copper looks so gorgeous, great hack,” wrote another.