How to Clean Brass Utensils: Lota, Jug, Glass, Bowl and Bottle
How to clean a brass lota, jug, glass, bowl or water bottle: lemon and salt or tamarind outside, a gentle rinse inside, and what not to do to a tin-lined vessel.
To clean a brass lota, jug, glass, bowl or bottle, rub the outside with lemon and salt or tamarind pulp, rinse with plain water and dry it at once with a soft cloth. The inside is treated more gently, and a vessel with a silver-coloured tin lining is never scrubbed. The rest of this guide covers each case.
Check two things before you start
| What you see | What it means | How to clean |
|---|---|---|
| Glassy shine that stays bright for months | Lacquered outside | Soft dry or barely damp cloth only |
| Yellow metal that dulls in a few weeks | Raw brass | Lemon and salt, tamarind or brass powder |
| Silver-grey inside surface | Tin lining (kalai) | Soft sponge and mild soap; no acid, no scouring |
| Green or blue-green spots | Verdigris | Remove completely before the vessel is used again |
Our guide on lacquered and raw brass shows how to tell the two finishes apart.
Outside: three methods that work
- Lemon and salt. Dip half a lemon in salt and rub in circles. Leave for two minutes, not longer, then rinse.
- Tamarind. Soak a small ball of tamarind in warm water, rub the pulp over the vessel, rinse. This is the gentlest of the three and the usual choice for pooja vessels.
- Brass powder such as Pitambari. Rub with a damp cloth, rinse well. Quick, but it leaves a residue in carvings, so rinse twice.
Whichever you use, dry the vessel immediately. Water left to dry on brass leaves spots, and damp brass darkens within days.
Inside a lota, jug, glass or bottle
- Unlined brass used for plain water: fill with warm water, add a teaspoon of salt and the juice of half a lemon, swirl for a minute, pour out and rinse three or four times until there is no smell of lemon.
- Tin-lined vessels: wash with a soft sponge and mild dish soap. Acid and steel wool strip the lining. If the yellow metal shows through, the lining needs redoing; see kalai explained.
- Narrow bottles: use a bottle brush with soft bristles, then stand the bottle upside down to dry with the cap off.
Brass vessels are for water. Milk, curd, juice, pickle and anything sour should not be stored in unlined brass; this guide explains why.
What not to do
- No dishwasher. The detergent dulls brass and lifts lacquer.
- No steel scrubber on a polished surface. It scratches and the scratches hold dirt.
- No overnight soaking in lemon, vinegar or tamarind. Acid left on brass turns it pink.
- No storing while damp, and no stacking wet vessels inside each other.
How often
A vessel in daily use is rinsed and dried every day and polished once a week or fortnight. A showpiece needs a polish every month or two. Why brass darkens at all is covered in why brass turns black or green.
