Vintage style kitchen handles are an incredibly popular design trend due to their style and durability. Not only do they look stunning, giving your kitchen an antique aesthetic that optimises its style, but they are also made from top quality materials, one of which is high quality brass.
This is a beautiful material that also happens to be incredibly corrosion and rust resistant. Naturally, this makes it a favourite amongst Aussie homeowners looking to give their home that antique look whilst ensuring it doesn’t actually depreciate like the collectibles of yesteryear (which are often in need of urgent repair).
But, like all home fixtures, your beautiful brass designs will need occasional cleaning and maintenance.
Here are four essential tips to ensuring your gorgeous vintage handles stay that way:
Give them a regular clean
This is a sturdy material that doesn’t require regular cleaning to stay top quality. But any kitchen fixture is susceptible to accumulating grime and muck over time and yours is no different. So, it’s important that you give your brass designs a regular clean just to ensure that they are fresh and vibrant at all times.
There is really nothing to it: all you have to do is wipe away the dust with a soft cloth before giving them a more thorough wipe with a solution of one tablespoon of mild soap with a cup of warm water. Wipe them down again with a dry cloth and voila! You’ve cleaned your handles.
Give them the occasional polish
We’re obviously not saying you have to frantically polish them every week – of course not! Just be sure to give them the occasional polish if you want to retain that beautiful brass shine that makes the material such an aesthetic joy. Once again, there isn’t much to it, just applying a soft brass polish to retain that vibrant shine.
Just be sure to avoid any abrasive chemicals, scour pads or steel wool to ensure that you don’t scratch the material as this is typically damage that can’t be undone.
Protecting your handles
And, of course, there are always steps you can take to prevent your brass designs from depreciating over time. This is not to say that they are at too much risk of depreciation as they are incredibly sturdy. However, it’s always important to take preventive measures to ensure your designs retain their beauty and usability.
As such, you might like to apply a preventive coat of wax or varnish to prevent any grim, grub, muck, scratches, smudges or stains from depreciating this otherwise elegant material.
Additional tips
Yes, we’ve mentioned it about five times already: brass is tough. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t susceptible to succumbing to an overly-forceful hand during cleaning. Therefore, be sure to clean them with a free, loose hand, avoiding excessive force, as excessive force can accidentally damage what is an otherwise incredibly-durable material.
What’s more, it’s always a good idea to check the hardware once in a while to ensure they are all properly in place. So, have a look at the screws to see if they are properly tightened. If not, well, you know what to do, as the last thing you want is any kitchen fitting falling to the ground (as this could damage the fitting!).
These tips, and ensuring your hands are clean before you wipe them down are the ultimate ways to keep your stylish vintage handles at your home in brilliant condition!
