How to clean heavy tarnish off copper

Lemon Juice + Salt

Create a paste with lemon juice (lime or orange juice works, too) and salt at a 3:1 ratio, respectively. Make sure salt is dissolved so as not to scratch the copper. Rub a small amount of paste on the soiled copper object with a clean cloth until you start to see the grime loosen up.

To keep copper from tarnishing, you need to eliminate the circumstances which make it tarnish. Additionally, you can coat your copper object by wiping it with a light coat of baby oil, mineral oil, olive oil, WD–40, or even a thin layer of carnauba wax or beeswax.

Although using baking soda and aluminum foil can quickly remove tarnish from silverware, some dealers caution against using it on antique silver, as it can be too abrasive and ruin the finish (especially if you’re unsure of the provenance and it’s possible that the pieces are not actually sterling silver).

Vinegar, water and baking soda together are a great option for many things including your tarnished silver. To use this method you just need to mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water. Let the silver soak for two to three hours.

Mix two parts baking soda to one part water to make a paste, then gently rub the mixture onto the jewelry. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth or microfiber towel. You can also follow a similar method using cornstarch. Just let the paste dry completely to remove the tarnish.

Silver turns black when kept in the air because it reacts with sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S) present in air. The black substance formed is silver sulphide. This is a common issue with Silver, even British hallmarked 925 solid Silver can tarnish, it’s not a fault, it’s a natural occurrence.

If you don’t have any chemical cleaner, you can use Coca-Cola, or Coke, as a simple cleaning substitute for sterling or plated silver. The acid in Coke works to cut through any grime or rust on the silver’s surface. Once you soak the silver in cola, you can have a piece that looks good and new!

Use the multipurpose WD-40

Spray it on the silver jewelry and use a clean microfiber cloth to polish it in a circular motion. You will slowly see the tarnish disappear. WD-40 is an excellent cleaning agent that you can use to clean and shine your jewelry and several other items.

White Vinegar & Baking Soda

Soak your tarnished jewelry in a ½ cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Warning: this mixture fizzes. Keep your sterling silver in this solution for two to three hours, rinse and dry.

Jewelers use ultrasonic cleaners with high frequency sound waves and chemicals, which create bubbles that latch on to the dirt on the diamond. The high frequency sound waves pull the dirt away from the stone and bring them up to the surface.