Cleaning Old Hardware: Make That Vintage Hardware Shine Again!

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Old French Provencal furniture hardware
Cleaned up French Provencal furniture hardware.

One of my favorite things about vintage furniture is the hardware. While it sometimes will date the piece, it sometimes will make the piece! And even if you are in love with the existing hardware, chances are it is dirty. So let’s talk about cleaning old hardware to make it shine again.

Why clean old hardware

Whether you love the hardware more than the peice itself, you want to keep true to the style, or don’t want to spend money on new hardware, keeping the old hardware is always a great option. Often vintage hardware is made of solid brass, which does tarnish over time, but also cleans up beautifully.

Another option is to keep the old hardware but change the finish with paint. Even if you plan on going this route, the hardware still needs to be clean for the new finish to adhere well. Generally, I clean using the steps I outline below in this article and then decide if I want to keep the existing finish or change it to something new.

Is it brass?

While you can (and should) clean any hardware you plan on re-using, knowing whether it is brass can help determine if you can restore it to a bright brass finish. A quick and easy way to tell? Find a magnet. Solid brass is not magnetic, whereas brass-plated steel or cast iron is.

Steps for cleaning

Supplies for cleaning furniture hardware. Pictured: vinegar, steel wool, Brasso cleaner.
Supplies for cleaning
Scrubbing furniture hardware will steel wool and Brasso.
Scrubbing with steel wool and Brasso
Brass finish of hardware after cleaning.
Brass finish after cleaning

Here are the basic steps for cleaning old furniture hardware:

  1. Boil in a vinegar solution: Using an old pot (that you don’t care about), put the hardware in a 50/50 mix of distilled water and vinegar. Bring this solution to a boil and keep it at a boil for about 10 minutes. You can let it cool on its own or use cold water to cool the hardware.
  2. Scrub: Using a polishing agent (my favorites are Barkeeper’s Friend or Brasso) and 0000-grade steel wool gently polish the tarnish and grime off of the hardware. A toothbrush is also helpful for getting into the nooks and crannies.
  3. Polish: Take a soft cloth or rag, and use it to dry and polish the hardware. At this stage, you will be able to see how well the hardware cleaned up. If you like the way it looks, you are all finished and just need to re-install it on your refinished piece of furniture.

Changing the hardware finish

Using Rub N Buff to refinish furniture hardware.
Using Rub N Buff to refinish
Using spray paint to refinish furniture hardware.
Using spray paint to refinish

So, you’ve cleaned off all of the tarnish, dirt, and grime, but the hardware still doesn’t look great. Or it’s just not the color or finish that you are looking for. The solution? Give it a new finish! My two favorite ways to do this are with Rub N Buff or with spray paint. The possibilities are endless when deciding on a color, and you can mix and match or layer to give the hardware any look you want! Have fun and play around with it.

And if you just don’t love that original hardware? Be sure to check out my post on replacing hardware for a whole new look.

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