How to Clean Bronze

Bronze figurines, statues, and jewelry need to be cleaned every once in a while, especially if a statue has been outside or a piece of jewelry is worn regularly. Fortunately, some of the best bronze cleaners are household ingredients! Cleaning bronze can take anywhere from a few minutes to overnight. Using boiling water, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, flour, or a combination of these, you can get your bronze looking clean and pristine once again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Mixture of Vinegar, Flour, and Salt

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Use a bowl that is big enough to allow you to mix the two ingredients together without the flour flying everywhere. Blend these two until they are fully mixed together.^{[1]XResearch source}
Your mixture should now be a paste of the vinegar, flour, and salt.^{[2]XResearch source}
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You can put a glove on your hand, dip it into the paste, and then spread it onto your bronze piece. You can also use a sponge. If your item is something small, like a piece of jewelry, place the jewelry in the bowl. Be sure that your item is completely covered in the paste. Then, leave the paste on for 1-2 hours.^{[3]XResearch source}
After 1-2 hours, bring your item to the sink and rinse it under warm water. If your item is large and can’t be moved, bring a pot or bucket of warm water over to it, and pour the water over the item to rinse the paste off completely.^{[4]XResearch source}
While you are drying the bronze, rub it with the cloth to remove any marks. Make sure it is completely dry and that all the paste is removed.^{[5]XResearch source}
Add a few drops of olive oil to a soft clean cloth and rub it over the surface of your bronze. Olive oil has been a method for cleaning and protecting bronze since ancient times.^{[6]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Boiling Water and Soap

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1
Place your item in a pot of boiling water on your stove. Choose a pot that is big enough to hold your entire bronze item. Bring the water to a boil first, and then place your bronze inside the pot. Leave it in the pot for a moment or two, until it is hot.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If your item is too large to fit in a pot of boiling water, consider using a different method to clean it.
Use tongs to grab the item from the hot water, or use a strainer to drain the water. Place the strainer in the sink, and carefully pour the water from the pot into the strainer. If your bronze item is delicate, be careful not to let it fall too far into the strainer.
3
Dip a flannel cloth in water and soap. The flannel cloth should be soapy and full of suds. Use it to pick up the warm bronze item, and then rub the item thoroughly with the cloth. Remove any marks or stains with gentle rubbing.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Use a natural, unscented soap. Avoid using alkaline soaps that don't have sodium hydroxide as an ingredient. Also, if your bronze is lacquered, avoid using detergents that have pyrophosphates, such as Tide, or solutions made of ammonia. These can cause the coating on your bronze to deteriorate.
- Be careful not to burn yourself if the bronze is still very hot. You can use the cloth as a barrier between your skin and the bronze.
Chamois leather is sheep or lambskin leather that is tanned using natural oils. It is known for being absorbent and non-abrasive, so it will not damage your bronze as you dry it.^{[9]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Household Items

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Using a sponge, your hand (in a glove, if you want to avoid a mess), or simply a bowl full of ketchup, apply ketchup to the entire surface of your bronze. Let it stay covered in ketchup for about 15 minutes. Rinse it with warm water, and then dry it with a soft cloth.^{[10]XResearch source}
You can squirt lemon juice onto it, or soak the item in lemon juice for 15-20 minutes. Remove the item, rinse it with warm water, and then dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth.^{[11]XResearch source}
3
Soak your item in white vinegar and water overnight. Pour equal portions of white vinegar and water into a large bowl, and soak your item in the solution overnight. The next morning, rinse your item off in warm water and dry it with a soft cloth.
- If your item is large, such as a statue, this method will be more difficult. If you do not have a bowl large enough to fit the statue inside of, consider trying a different method for cleaning.^{[12]XResearch source}

Expert Q&A

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Question
How do you restore oil-rubbed bronze?
David Liu
Residential Cleaning Expert
David Liu is a Residential Cleaning Expert at Anita’s Housekeeping Referral Agency. Since 1994, Anita's has been connecting homeowners, renters, and property managers with experienced cleaning professionals who offer deep cleaning, green cleaning, general housekeeping, maid services, post-construction cleaning, and window cleaning. David holds a BS from Carnegie Mellon and an MBA from INSEAD.
David Liu
Residential Cleaning Expert
Expert Answer
The easiest way is to just use water and a soft cloth. After that, you can spread a thin coat of beeswax over the entire surface of the bronze fixture (either with your hands or with a soft cloth).
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I have a piece of bronze statuary. How should I clean it?
Community Answer
Try multi-metal polish or brass polish. You can find both at Amazon.com if you can't find them locally.
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