Great tips for keeping brass door handles in top condition
Tuesday, 7 February 2012 5:53 PM
Having brass door handles in your home can quickly give your place a sense of glamour and finesse. However, it is vital you put in the effort to ensure your brass fittings stay looking good. By following the tips below, you can be confident your handles will always be in peak condition.
Like many other metals, the shiny, reflective surface of brass can - in time - begin to lose its sheen. This can happen for a variety of reasons from handles being exposed to sunlight for long periods of time to rings and keys gradually scratching off the clear lacquer coating on a brass bathroom door handle, leaving them susceptible to discolouration.
Exterior door furniture in particular can be prone to tarnishing. Again, this can be attributed to a range of things, including humidity and pollution, while if you live near the coast you may find salt spray damages your brass fittings.
However, there is no reason to think that as soon as your door handles start to appear anything below their best there is nothing that can be done about it. In fact, with a little regular maintenance you can quickly get them looking as good as new.
Cleaning brass handles can be a slightly messy job, so before you begin it is worth laying down some newspapers to protect the surface of the floor and soak up any spills. In addition, you should have some tea towels handy to help clear up any mess.
If you're looking to improve the appearance of internal door fittings, you can use either a soft cloth or a camel hair brush to dust down the handle. Try doing this roughly once a week and you ought to find that your brass quickly maintains its shine.
On top of this, you should attempt to wash down the handles with soapy water. This can be an effective way to remove stubborn marks. However, it is vital you do not use boiling hot water, as this could end up doing more harm than good.
Using a cloth that has been moistened with warm water to clean brass door handles on rose will suffice or, alternatively, you can use beeswax.
However, if you have exterior brass handles - perhaps those attached to your front or patio door - you will need to put in a little more effort to ensure that they stay in peak shape.
You should still give these items a regular dusting down, but as their protective lacquer will fade away much quicker in comparison to their internal counterparts, you will also have to reapply the wax coating.
If, however, your brass furniture is fitted on exterior doors the process is different. You should still dust your brassware, but it is advisable to apply a coating of wax polish once a week, this should keep your brassware in good condition. It is also beneficial to lubricate the mechanism with a drop of light oil about once a year.
Start off by removing the handles from your door and place them on top of your newspaper. Rub them down in the same way as you would with an interior door handle, before removing the existing lacquer with a varnish remover.
Buff and polish the brass - taking care to use a clean, soft cloth - until it shines again, prior to adding a fresh layer of wax polish. It is a good idea to apply several coats in order to ensure maximum protection from the elements. Make sure that it is completely dry before attempting to pick them up and fixing them back on to your door.
It is vital metal cleaner or aerosol spray polishes are never used for this job, as this can damage the lacquer even more and bring on discolouration earlier. For the same reasons, scouring pads and wire brushes should also not be deployed.
Of course, it is important that your brass handles are not only visually attractive but also function properly. Pour a little oil into the product's mechanism every year and it should stay nicely lubricated and easy to use when opening and shutting your door.
Bear the above pointers in mind and you can rest assured that your brass door handles will look good and perform well for many years to come.
-
Tags:
- brass ,
- brass door handles ,
- door furniture ,
- door handle
