Cleaning A Brass Desk Lamp With Ketchup

One of the difficulties with a brass desk lamp is keeping the brass clean and shining over the years. One of the surprising ways to accomplish that task is to use ketchup as a cleaning agent. It gives remarkably good results, thanks to the acidity of the tomatoes in ketchup.

Check the Brass

You’ll only want to use the ketchup technique on solid brass, not brass plated steel. A simple way to determine if you have solid brass is to put a magnet on the lamp. If the lamp is solid brass, the magnet will fall off. If it is plated steel, then the magnet will stay put on the lamp.

If you notice what looks like tarnish, but you find that your item is plated steel and not brass, what you see may be rust rather than tarnish. Use a very find grade steel wool to remove the rust, and see about relating or a brass plating paint.

Protect Your Surface

Lay newspapers over the entire surface of whatever table or other surface you are using for cleaning the brass desk lamp. Because you will be using ketchup, it’s a good idea to also put a plastic or metal tray under the lamp.

Ketchup will soak through the newspaper quickly and leave you with a soggy mess, so consider the newspaper the second line of defense. The tray you use could be a dish pan liner or a cookie tray.

Shine with Soapy Water

Although it won’t polish and shine the brass, warm soapy water does remove a great deal of the dirt and grime from old brass.

Because you are cleaning a brass desk lamp, you do need to use care that the water does not enter any of the electrical openings in the lamp. Instead of dipping the lamp into water or using a really wet rag, use a damp rag that has been dipped in soapy water, then rung out until just slightly damp.

Start Small

With the brass desk lamp, you’ll want to start with small sections of the lamp at once. Place the lamp on the tray, and squirt ketchup over a small section of the surface.

Again, you will want to be sure that you are not letting the ketchup drip into the openings for the electrical wiring, etc. Ketchup can cause problems with the electricity. It won’t help to have a shiny brass lamp if it won’t light.

Rub Ketchup Into the Brass

Using a soft cloth, rub the ketchup into the brass. Squirt more ketchup on the next section, then rub it into the next section. Complete the cleaning by rubbing the ketchup into a section at a time.

After the entire lamp is covered, go back with a damp cloth that was dipped in clear, warm water and wipe off the ketchup from one section at a time. Rinse the cloth frequently to clean off the ketchup, being sure to wring it out so it is only damp as you wipe the lamp.

After the ketchup is off, buff the lamp with a clean, soft cloth.