What are the Best Chemicals to Clean Copper?
Home remedies are most commonly used for cleaning copper vessels. But, there are a bunch of other industrial products which work just as well or even better to clean the surface of copper. Today we are going to discuss some of the common chemicals which easily clean copper vessels.
1. Citric acid- Citric acid is an organic acid which works perfectly well for cleaning copper. It is not considered as a very strong acid but works perfectly for getting rid of oxidized copper. Citric acid is an organic acid which is found in citrus fruits such as lemon, mandarin, oranges, etc. The most potent source of citric acid is lemons as they are packed with large quantities of citric acid. When combined with baking soda it makes for the perfect concoction for removing the stubborn copper oxidation marks.
2. Acetic acid- This is one of the most commonly used chemicals to clean copper. A lot of people don’t realize this but acetic acid is available in almost every house in the form of vinegar. When compared to citric acid, acetic acid is not as potent but it does the job of cleaning copper vessels pretty well. Vinegar is usually combined with baking soda, cream of tartar, salt or flour make a paste and the paste is then used to clean the copper utensil for the never before seen shine.
3. Acetone- Acetone is an organic compound which is most commonly used as a solvent. It is majorly used in nail polish removers as the primary ingredients. Acetone evaporates very quickly and therefore you need to work very fast with it. If you want you can also submerge the entire copper vessel in the acetone for cleaning it.
4. Hydrochloric acid- Hydrochloric acid is very strong and is used in products meant for cleaning bathroom tiles and sinks, etc. this one is not often recommended for the purpose of cleaning copper as it is very harsh and sometimes may even damage the utensil. But if you are extra cautious you will end up with just clean utensils and nothing else.
5. Tartaric acid- Tartaric acid is most commonly used in combination with acetic acid. When the two are combined together they create a very strong but harmless formulation which easily cleans the copper surface without damaging it.
