It’s fine to use bottled lemon juice if it is in fact 100% juice. Start with about 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of juice and add baking soda until you get the proper consistency.
For a small-to-medium bronze item, for example, you might start with 1/2 c (60 g) of flour and 1/2 c (135 g) of salt. You’ll probably need around 4 fl oz (120 ml) of vinegar to make a thick paste.
You’ll need enough toothpaste to apply a thick coating over the entire item—in most cases, a standard tube should be plenty.
The acids in ketchup work to break down tarnish on bronze. Unlike the other DIY options here, ketchup lacks grittiness to help manually polish your bronze item. So it’s probably best suited for use on lightly-tarnished items or delicate items that you’re worried about polishing too harshly.
Pastes and creams tend to be less messy and easier to use than liquid formulations, but that’s mostly up to personal preference.
Removing this surface debris beforehand makes it easier for the polish to get to work right away.
Scoop up more polish as needed and buff it into another part of the item until you’ve covered the entire thing. Apply more polish and pressure to the areas that are more heavily tarnished. You can skip putting on cleaning gloves if you’re using a DIY polish (not commercial metal polish), but wearing gloves will save your hands from some unnecessary irritation.
Lemon juice and baking soda: 30-60 minutes. Flour, salt, and vinegar: 30-60 minutes. Ketchup: 30-60 minutes. Toothpaste: 5-15 minutes. (Toothpaste lacks the tarnish-busting acids of the other options here, so the benefits of leaving it on after buffing are limited. ) Commercial metal polish: Follow the specific product instructions. Your chosen brand of polish may or may not recommend any amount of “leave on” time.
Work over the kitchen sink to capture the falling debris. You could also use a paper towel or sponge since this process will get your cleaning rag a little messy.
Using hot water may help to dissolve and loosen the polish more quickly.
Since body oils can get bronze dirty, wear cleaning gloves or cotton gloves when you’re drying off and handling bronze. If you notice some areas still have a dirty-looking patina, you can repeat the polishing process.
A little olive oil goes a long way here! You only need a few drops for a smaller bronze item. The finished product should be slightly glossy, not greasy. Wear gloves so you don’t transfer skin oils to the bronze. The olive oil will provide a shiny finish and will seal off the metal from the elements naturally. Alternatively, use the same technique to apply clear paste wax to the item to add a more protective coating. [13] X Research source
