How to Polish Copper

by DoItYourself Staff

You need to polish copper regularly to prevent it from darkening or turning greenish in color due to oxidation. Copper is available in any form, be it pot planters, or pots and pans but it has to be polished often to sustain its beautiful shine.

Keep these tips in mind when polishing copper.

First dust your copper pieces well so that they are clean and there is no danger of oxidation setting in. Buff well and then polish to a nice beautiful sheen.
Wash your copper pieces after dusting them in mild dish soap and dry completely with a soft cloth. Polish to a nice sheen again.
Buy copper cleaners from hardware stores and make sure you don’t use abrasive cleaners that will damage your copper pieces. Copper is a soft metal and can get scratched easily.
After polishing with the cleaner, rinse your copper piece and dry well and thoroughly to a bright shine.

Copper cookware requires the same care as copper decorative items. Use copper cleaners specially meant for copper pots and pans. Do not put copper dishes in a dishwasher. Copper dishes must be hand washed with a special cleaner then dried and finally polished well with a soft cloth till the desired shine is achieved.