How to Clean-Up Old Tarnished Metal Drawer Pulls and Knobs
Sometimes, when upcycling old furniture or cabinets, you'll fall in love with the existing furniture hardware; and by hardware I mean the drawer pulls/handles and knobs. If the hardware is tarnished metal; whether tarnished due to age, or just in need of a deep clean, I’ll take you through a few easy steps that will show you how to clean-up old metal drawer pulls and knobs. To revive grimy old metal hardware, restore their shine and give them a new lease of life so that you can re-use them, you’ll only need a few supplies:
-White Household Vinegar For Cleaning ( **NOT the type of white vinegar you cook with. Household /cleaning vinegar has a higher acidity)
- A Toothbrush (a clean one. If you’re recycling a used one be sure to clean it thoroughly of all residue first) or a non-scratch scrubbing pad.
- Barkeepers Friend OR Baking Soda ( I use ‘Barkeepers Friend’ and swear I’ve found it the best!)
-A pan of boiling water
- Rubber Gloves
** CAUTION: If you have 'Antique Drawer Pulls' that are of precious or sentimental value to you, please consider carefully if this is the right method for you to use. To be sure, research further. If you do decide to go ahead and use the method outlined below, you do so at your own risk!
How Clean-Up Old Metal Drawer Pulls and Knobs In White Vinegar &Water
Take a look at this old brass hardware that I removed from the drawers of a 1950’s dresser! Grime had tarnished the pulls, dulling the beautiful brass colour. I wanted to keep these pulls and re-attach them once they'd been brightened up.
I removed them from the dresser with my little electric screwdriver…a nifty, handy little tool that saves me time!
Then I grabbed a pan and the white vinegar that's specifically made for household tasks (and not meant for consumption as its' 6% acidity).
Next I began to clean-up the old metal drawer pulls in a mix of boiling water and white vinegar at a 50:50 ratio, on the stove-top.
Bringing the water to the boil in a pan first, I then added the vinegar and brought it back to the boil. I added the handles to the water and gave them about 10-12 minutes in the boiling solution. I’ve cleaned-up other handles that were only half as tarnished and grimy and so I gave them less time in the pan…you need to gauge the timing depending on what state the metal hardware is in.
You'll see some of the tarnish and grime break down in the pan of vinegar-water as it boils. The rest will come away as you clean it off afterwards...
Remove the metal drawer pulls from the water with a pair of tongs and lay them out on some kitchen paper to cool.
Once they've cooled down, liberally sprinkle 'Barkeepers Friend' or 'Baking Soda' over them. Wet a soft to medium toothbrush and rub the toothbrush in a circular motion to tease away the remaining tarnish and grime. Rinse the residue off the drawer pulls and gently pat them dry.
And there you go! They should be significantly brighter and cleaner than before! Easy Peasy!
Now all you need to do is reattach them once you've finished painting or refurbishing your piece of furniture, and only as long as the topcoat has thoroughly dried. To learn about topcoating your newly painted furniture, and which topcoat will be best for your project, read here.
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