Simple Metal Cleaning Solutions at your Home

It is important to maintain our metal appliances and metal surfaces with regular cleaning. Of course, we want them to look shiny and good all the time. However, metals can get rusty and negligence to look after these rusts can start eating away at the metals. As a result, commercial metal cleaning products are now available to make cleaning faster and effective.

Metal cleaning does not need to be very expensive. There are many commercial products on the market, however there are many solutions to metal cleaning can be found at your home!

This article will give you the inexpensive remedies to clean metals and how to use them. Read on to find out:

Washing Soda – chemically known as sodium carbonate, washing soda belongs to the same family as baking soda. However, it is much more caustic/alkaline, with a pH of 11. Washing soda takes away grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax, and neutralizes odors in the similar way that baking soda does. This is an inexpensive and mild ingredient that works perfectly to clean metals.

To clean metals using washing soda, mix a solution of two cups water and ½ cup washing soda on a spray bottle. Spray it onto metal surfaces and wipe it using a sponge or neat cloth. For cleaning small metals, pour two cups of hot water in a bowl, add and stir ½ cup of washing soda, and soak the metal in the solution for at least five minutes. Lastly, dry the metal using a clean cloth.

Warning: By no means should you apply washing soda on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors. And even though this cleaning solution does not give off dangerous fumes, you still need to wear gloves when using this.

Baking Soda – a paste from baking soda is very efficient in cleaning and scrubbing because it acts as a neutralizer for many substances that cause smell and stains. Baking soda can be made to scour, clean and to smoothly lift dirt from a range of fabrics and materials while deodorizing at the same time.

A lot of metals can get scratched when strong chemical abrasives are used to clean them. Baking soda is one of the strongest abrasives but it will not damage even the softest metals such as stainless steel.

To clean and deodorize metal surfaces, baking soda and lemon juice is a great combination. In a spray bottle, mix a solution of one cup water, three teaspoons of baking soda and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Make sure you use a household cleaning spray on metal surfaces or to shine small metal objects. The baking soda acts as a deodorizing agent while the acidic quality of the lemon juice destroys the dirt and grime and leaves behind a citrus-fresh scent.

Warning: It is not advised to use baking soda for cleaning aluminium objects because it attacks the thin unreactive protective oxide layer of this very reactive metal. A solution in warm water will eliminate tarnish from silver when the silver is in contact with a piece of aliminium foil.

Vinegar – this is another solution that cleans, disinfects and deodorizes metal surfaces. White vinegar is a popular cleaning agent because its acidity can dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers, and other smooth surfaces. Using white distilled vinegar as a household cleanser is a sensible way to avoid using harsh chemicals; it is also environmental friendly and more cost-effective. Vinegars are also ideal to use for cleaning brass and bronze.

To use vinegar in cleaning metals, mix a solution of two cups of water and one cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray it directly onto metal surfaces and wipe away with a clean cloth or sponge. If you are cleaning small metal objects, like earrings, just pour a small amount of vinegar into a glass and soak the items there for a while. Once the rust has dissolved, simply rinse the items off and dry.

Warning: Never mix white vinegar cleaning recipes with other cleaning products because ingredients such as chlorine bleach may react terribly with natural cleaning recipes. Moreover, do not apply white distilled vinegar on marble as it can ruin the surface. Do not also add vinegar directly at materials that contain ammonia because this could create harmful vapors.

Olive/Baby Oil – aside from being used in culinary, medicine and skin care, oil is ideal to use in cleaning metal surfaces such as stainless steel and copper, too. Brass will appear brighter and will need less polishing if it is rubbed with a cloth moistened with olive oil. Olive oil also slows the formation of tarnish on metals. Furthermore, baby oil is utilized for polishing furniture and woodwork.

To clean metals, dip a cloth in the oil and wipe it over the metal’s surface. The oil will soak into the object to polish it and will help remove any dirt and debris. The oil also helps make the faucet turn a lot easier. This cleaning solution definitely is a practical way to clean highly visible metal surfaces.

With the number of metal cleaning commercial products available in the market today, you may be confused as to what product is best to use. If you want to get rid of toxic chemicals and wants a more economical way to clean metals, knowing and making use of these alternative and natural cleaning solutions is the answer to your worries. But you have to remember that improper cleaning of metal surfaces can result to spots, streaks, or even permanent damage. Therefore, take necessary caution in cleaning them. Maintaining your metals’ appearance and functionality need not be expensive at all because the solutions are just found at your home!

For more Metal Working Tips and Metal Abrasives Products, visit Smith and ARROW Australia.