How To Clean Copper Cookware

My research uncovered many different ways to clean copper, from natural methods to store-bought copper polish. Different remedies were recommended depending on the level of tarnish, or patina, that had accumulated. 

Initially I thought I had to go au naturel, based on what I'd read online. Later I discovered that I had something in my kitchen cabinet that could maybe do the trick: Bar Keeper's Friend. So I started with that. I only used it on one half of the bowl so that we could compare it with a natural method (lemon and salt) on the other half later.

I attacked a particularly nasty area to see how it would perform.

 All I did was shake the bottle, pour the liquid onto the bowl and rub it in gently with a soft wet sponge.

Even the finger ring and adjacent hardware looked better. Not perfect by any means, but better.

Here you can see that half of the bowl is clean and shiny, while the other half of the bowl still needs to be cleaned.

Enter lemon and salt, nature's way to clean copper. Coarse sea salt, that is.

After squeezing the lemon juice into a pinch cup and adding some sea salt to form a paste, I was ready to go.

I just dipped a soft sponge into the lemon and salt mixture and then gently rubbed it onto the still tarnished half of the copper bowl. And look how it shined! I kind of felt like it worked even better than Bar Keeper's Friend!

The badly tarnished inside of the bowl was another story. I mean, it was really bad. I read that baking soda was a go-to method for really bad tarnish. So I tried it.

Honestly, I was unimpressed. The baking soda barely made a dent in the ugly green tarnish inside the copper bowl. I scrubbed really hard, to no avail.

So I went back to the store-bought solution: Bar Keeper's Friend. Granted, I still had to scrub pretty hard (with the scrubby side of a sponge), but it worked!

I accepted the fact that I would probably never be able to restore the copper bowl to its' original glory, but I was more than happy with the overall results at this point. 

So what other ways are there to clean copper?

Other potential copper cookware cleaners:

1. Ketchup (acidic, like lemons)

2. Vinegar, salt and boiling water

Some say you can protect the copper from tarnishing by covering it with baby oil or mineral oil right after cleaning. Honestly, I couldn't be bothered with that. Just being real.

So, what's the best way to clean copper cookware? Whatever works for you! 

Tips For Cleaning Copper Cookware

Regardless of the cleaning method you use, be sure not to scrub too hard or you could mar the copper finish for good.

How to know if your cookware is really copper (versus just copper plated)? If a magnet sticks to it, it's copper plated. In that case you won't want to use the same cleaning methods I lay out above lest you rub the plating right off. Warm soapy water is probably best for copper plated pieces.  

So what of MY estate sale copper bowl? 

In its newfound shiny state it fits in seamlessly with my hammered copper Moscow mule mugs.

Here's that gorgeous hammered copper pitcher I was telling you about.