Brass Door Handles – What You Need to Know

If you are looking for Lo-And-Co-Interiors brass door handles to enhance your home’s interior design, many styles and designs are to choose from. Brass can look very elegant whether styled in a formal or more casual design. Antique brass does not need to be matched to your existing brass door hardware. Bronze looks wonderful if appropriately styled, complimenting the darker tone of the door hardware in your current choices of fixtures for your interior lighting as well. The likes of an antique chandelier would look stunning with this style, as would a well-placed floor lamp with brass trim.

 

Cleaning with a soft cloth should always be the first step in maintaining your brass door handles. After using the cleaning brush provided with your brass hardware, you may want to purchase a brass cleaning detergent to use as a spot clean. Make sure to dry any residue that may remain on the handles before replacing them with new ones. Do not use steel wool on brass door handles as this can lead to pewter tarnish.

 

A slightly abrasive cloth such as cotton should be used to gently remove any dirt, dust or fingerprint marks that may be present on Lo-And-Co-Interiors brass door handles before polishing. You can use ordinary mild soap or just plain soapy water and do not use any acidic cleaner as this can cause damage to the finish over time.

 

First, to apply the oil, soak the brass handles in warm soapy water until they have become soft. Then brush a thin coat of oil onto the surface, working from the outside inwards. Let the oil dry for a few minutes before buffing. For harder stains, use another clean cotton cloth and apply gentle pressure onto the area to be rubbed. Do not use a coarse brush as this may damage the finish.

 

If your brass door handles need a polish more frequently than is typical, you can purchase special cleaners for this purpose. Most home improvement stores carry these. Another option is to purchase Lo-And-Co-Interiors brass door handles and polish them yourself. A simple solution consists of rubbing a soft polishing compound onto the surface of the door handles and then wiping them down. Be sure to allow the polish to dry completely before polishing again.

 

If you find that your handles are beyond the soft cloth stage, it is time to add a protective layer of lacquer or clear lacquer to the surface. Several types of lacquer are available for this purpose, including shellac, which is completely clear and virtually colourless. Another type is made up of a combination of substances such as silver and zinc plating. It gives an incredibly smooth finish and imparts a rustic appeal to your decor. You will need to buff the surface occasionally to keep the new lacquer from flaking.