Many older houses have brass fixtures that have been painted and repainted. When removing the paint from these fixtures, or any other brass object, you need not resort to harsh chemicals. Baking soda is nontoxic and effective alternative to the harsh paint strippers available in stores and baking soda is better for you, the environment, and your brass objects. Using baking soda to remove paint from your brass objects takes about an hour and will leave the work area fume free. After removing the paint, you can then polish the brass using another nontoxic household staple, ketchup.
Instructions
1. Combine 4 tablespoons of baking soda for each quart of water needed to cover the brass object in the pan. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Place several layers of newspaper on a flat surface while you are waiting for the water to boil. You will be placing the brass object on the paper after boiling so be sure there are enough layers to keep water from soaking through to the surface. The surface should be at a height that will make completing the project comfortable.
3. Add the brass object to the boiling water and boil for 30 to 40 minutes. To make sure all areas of the object are adequately exposed, use the tongs to turn the object over every 10 minutes.
4. Put on the gloves. Remove the brass with the tongs and place it on the newspaper. Let brass cool slightly before proceeding.
5. Wipe the paint off of the brass object with a clean cloth, with the gloves still on. Remove all traces of the paint and then buff dry. To polish, put ketchup on a clean cloth and rub it all over the object. Wipe off the residue with a clean damp cloth and buff dry.
