How To Clean Heavy Tarnish Off Copper

I know a lot about bathrooms—materials, fixtures, cleaning, and more—and I share it with you here.

Copper baths are beautiful and delightful, but they require special care. Read on to discover the best techniques for making sure they remain the shining centerpiece of your bathroom!

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How to Clean and Fix Problems With Copper Bathtubs

Copper baths are a gorgeous luxury product, giving your bathroom a standout piece and an air of rustic traditional quality. Unfortunately, this means that they are usually pretty expensive, and although worth the investment, you want to know whether or not you can ensure that it is easy to maintain and clean on a regular basis.

However, you may be surprised to know that, unlike the bath itself, cleaning and maintaining the bath doesn't require any expensive cleaning products and is a simple enough task to do on your own.

How to Clean a Copper Bath

What you need:

Mild detergent or mild soap
Warm water
Soft cloth, such as a flannel
A pair of gloves

Once you've gathered the items above, double-check that you're wearing gloves as a pair of gloves is important when dealing with detergent because it can be harmful to the skin. If you're only using a mild soap, it's not as important to wear gloves, but it is advisable to do so as you might irritate your skin otherwise.

Firstly, you need to wipe around the inside surface of the copper bath using your soft cloth, making sure you cover the entire area. It's as simple as that, with no advanced steps required such as those for cleaning stone baths. However, make sure you completely rinse the bath with water, getting rid of any excess soap or residue.

After cleaning, take heed of the warnings below.

Cyprium Freestanding Copper Bath by Boundary Bathrooms

Boundary Bathrooms

Warnings

Use mild detergent or mild soap ONLY. Other cleaning products can damage the surface of the copper bath. These include degreasers and corrosive cleaners, plus ammonia or acid-based cleaners. NEVER use any of these as they can cause irreparable damage.
Use a soft cloth ONLY. NEVER use steel wool as this can scratch the surface of the bath, and the same goes for brushes.
When you're having a bath, make sure anything you want to add to the water is suitable for use in a copper bath. For example, lemon should NEVER be added to bathwater.

Dealing With Mineral Deposits

From time to time, you may get a film on the surface of your copper bath that is the result of a build-up of mineral deposits. This will especially be the case if you live in an area where the water has a high mineral content, but it can happen anywhere if you don't take the correct precautions.

Simply do the following:

Dry the surface of the bath down thoroughly after each use, making sure it's completely dry and smooth.
Optionally you may want to try waxing the surface of the copper bath. This helps to prevent scratches, but it also helps prevent mineral deposits from forming in the first place. When you've done this, you will notice that beads of water form on the bath. When these disappear, it is time to give the bath another coat of wax, although it's worth noting this won't be a regular task.

Scratches

To be honest, it's really not worth trying to repair any scratches. It's a well-known fact that copper scratches easily, and the second you try to repair a scratch, another one will just pop up elsewhere. Instead, you should learn to love the scratches, as these alongside dings and dents form a unique character for your copper bath and add to that rustic feel. Eventually, scratches will blend into the surface of their own accord anyway, as copper will change appearance over time.

Jazz on November 14, 2017:

Can you tell what type of wax to use on a copper bath?