How to Clean a Metal Coffee Table
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1 hours
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Beginner
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Cleaning a metal coffee table is an easy task you can accomplish in a relatively short period of time using supplies you most likely have around your home.
Step 1 - Determine Metal Type
Before you clean, you need to determine what type of metal you are cleaning. Most likely the top is steel or galvanized or tin. All of these would be cleaned the same way. With a soft cloth, dust the entire table to get anything off it that would scratch the metal. Then, take a damp cloth and wipe away any dirt or stains. You can also use a household general cleaner if the top is especially dirty or has sticky or messy spills on it.
If the top is dull, shine with a stainless steel cleaner or use toothpaste on a soft cloth and buff the area.
Step 2 - Cleaning a Copper Table Top
A copper table top may or may not have a lacquer coating over the copper. If it has a lacquer coating, just wipe clean with a damp cloth. If you see some dark discoloration or green on the copper, it doesn't have a lacquer coating. You can use half a lemon dipped in salt to scour it or any good commercial copper cleaner such as Barkeepers Friend.
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![Judy Rawnsley]()
Judy is a contributing writer for DoItYourself.com. She has experience researching and creating a wide range of home improvement and garden projects, and especially enjoys learning about household crafts, cleaning, and organization.![H.R. Helm]()
H.R. Helm is an accomplished DIY craftsman. He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. He built every permanent building on his current homestead and did all the plumbing and electrical work. He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. He currently has a home shop where he sharpens and rebuilds saws, repairs lawn mowers, mobility scooters, hydraulic jacks, and anything else that comes along. He also builds custom tools for metal working. Invention prototypes are another of his many accomplishments. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. H.R. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. He is committed to outdoor cooking in a Bar-B-Q pit he welded together several years ago. He maintains fruit and nut trees along with helping his wife with a vegetable garden. He farmed commercial garden produce for several years. It helps to have over 50 years of farming and ranching experience. Employment/Education Highlights ASE Certified Master Auto Technician Certified Welder Cross country truck driver -- over dimensional freight Design Engineer/Project Manager for injection molded plastic company Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) BS in Industrial Technology
