Copper and brass items used for daily puja, such as lotas, thalis, glasses and other ritual vessels, tend to turn dark and dull after just a few months of regular use because they are handled and washed so often. Most households reach for expensive market powders and chemical cleaners to bring back the shine, but a few everyday kitchen ingredients sitting on the kitchen shelf can do the same job just as well, at a fraction of the cost.
A Cleaning Paste Made From Flour, Turmeric, Salt and Lemon
According to Shalu Tiwari, who shares household tips and simple home remedies, wheat flour, turmeric, salt and lemon juice can be combined into an effective cleaning paste. This paste is said to help cut through the grime and blackening that builds up on the surface of copper and brass utensils used every day. To prepare it, take a little wheat flour, turmeric powder and plain salt in a bowl, then add lemon juice and mix well. Add small amounts of water as needed until the mixture turns into a thick paste that will hold onto the utensil's surface.
How To Clean The Utensils
Before starting, wash the utensil in plain water to remove any dust and dirt. Then apply the prepared paste gently over the blackened surface and leave it on for about 30 seconds to a minute. After that, rub the surface slowly with a soft cloth or a sponge to lift off the built-up blackness, doing this gently rather than scrubbing hard so the metal surface does not get scratched. Rinse the utensil thoroughly in clean water to remove all traces of the paste, then wipe it dry with a soft cloth. If the utensil is still not fully clean, the entire process can be repeated. Tiwari notes that these ingredients are easily available in any kitchen, and using them also saves the money that would otherwise go on expensive market cleaning products.
Take Extra Care With Old Or Decorated Utensils
Utensils that are very old and heavily blackened may not come back to a full shine in a single attempt, and the cleaning process may need to be repeated more than once on them. For utensils that have polish, carving or a special design, it is better to try the paste on a small area first rather than applying it all over, so the polish or design does not get damaged.
