When a light fixture is brought into our shop for restoration it is often disassembled, stripped and polished – but never lacquered. We, and our customers, prefer to let fixtures age naturally so the brass in time turns to an honest honey hue. But what if over time the fixture needs some cleaning?
This brass part has both a good natural patina as well as dirt, grease and some minor pitting.
After some light polishing with "0000" steel wool the lamp part now looks fresh, but not too new!
First, we never recommend the use of harsh solvents or cleaners on a vintage light except during a major restoration when necessary. So, for a light already installed the best solution we’ve found is to use the finest steel wool available in the hardware store. Its rated “oooo” – four O’s. Its more like cloth than the steel wool you might be used to. Using some elbow grease the fine steel wool will lift off any dirt, grease and wax that may have accumulated over time without damaging the metal’s natural patina. The luster of the metal’s surface will brighten up a bit, but much of the rich natural tone of the metal will remain largely undisturbed.
By comparison, using solvents will create an unnaturally bright finish that will strip out all the natural patina and will leave the metal for a period of time softer and even more susceptible to tarnishing.
But most fixtures won’t even need this hand cleaning for a very long time. Many of today’s homes are climate controlled and have cleaner burning heat, etc. than those of the past century. In this environment unlaquered brass has lots of time to age gracefully and the rich patina’s they develop over time will only make them more beautiful and valuable.
Awesome work! Love your articles