Even though copper is considered as a noble metal which implies that unlike iron, it doesn’t rust. However, copper do is prone to corrosion and tarnishing. When a copper utensil is exposed to air for a long period of time, copper surfaces act vulnerable and react with the
surroundings.

Over years, these chemical reactions can significantly corrode and tarnish your copper vessels, resulting in flaky orange grims and greenish patina in their appearance.

Of course, there are plenty of synthetic copper cleaners available in the market; these liquids can sometimes do more harm than good. Therefore, it’s always a better idea to go for natural substances and homemade remedies.

Mentioned below are five such easy hacks you can apply to clean your copper utensils in a matter of minutes.

1. Use some Lemon Power
Lemon is one of the most sure-fire and dependable way to clean all those stubborn burns from your copper utensils. To clean a copper utensil, simply take a ball of lemon, cut it in 2 to 3 slices, take one slice and gently scrub it over the tarnished copper surface.

Leave it dry for a few minutes and then mildly mop it with a clean cloth. If the stain is too stubborn, try adding a pinch of salt. Squeeze half the lemon, mix it in the salt to create a paste and scrub the stained area with this paste. The combination of
lemon and salt produces molecules of citric acid which are good for combating the
tarnish.

2. Make your own metal polish
Homemade polish is another great way to clean your oxidized copper utensils. Take a small cup of white vinegar, in it squeeze 4-5 tablespoons of lemon juice and pour some olive oil or any other essential oil in it.

Mix the contents well to form a cleaning solution. Apply this solution on the oxidized copper surface. Once the solution forms a varnish-like layer on the copper surface, rinse it off with a soft sponge or a clean dishwasher scrub pad.

For increased viscosity and high-quality cleaning effect, you can add powders of salt, flour and detergent to the cleaning solution. This solution can also be used to clean the copper jewelry and other copper items in your house.

3. Wipe the Stains with Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent alternative if your refrigerator runs out of lemons. Also, it can be used in a variety of combinations to clean all those stained copper water bottles and jugs.

To begin with, take a tablespoon of salt, mix it in one-fourth cup of vinegar and apply over the corroded area. Another idea is to use flour along with a combination of vinegar and salt. Make a paste out of the three ingredients. Take the copper utensils you want to clean.

Now, gently apply this paste on the stained surfaces and rinse them off. If you’ve a lot of copper utensils that are ready to be cleaned, take a big bucket or large bowl. Fill it with boiled water; add the vinegar-salt-flour paste to the water.

Mix it well. Now dip all the copper utensils in the bucket and leave them soaked for around half an hour. Then take them out and cloth them dry.

4. Utilize the Neutralizing Property of Baking Soda

Baking soda is alkaline in nature. It holds a terrific property of reacting with acids and neutralizing them, making it one of the most effective ways to clean tarnished copper. Take some baking soda powder. Scrub over the copper stains with a lemon slice, wipe it
clean and watch the resulting shine!

5. Catch some ketchup
Yes, ketchup! A scoop of tomato ketchup works as an amazing symphony of the above ingredients, even more. Comprising of complex sugars, organic acids, starch, soda, vinegar, corn syrup, spices and onion powder, tomatoes help to fight off the flaky layer of corrosion deposited by the surroundings.

To clean your copper pans or vessels with ketchup, spread some ketchup on the surface with the help of a flat spatula. Leave it for a few minutes and scrub it off using a soft scrub or cloth. To strengthen its effect, apply some olive oil on the cleaned surface with a
sponge or hand.