How to Clean Burnt Copper

Co-authored by Raymond Chiu

Last Updated: November 22, 2020

When water and dish soap aren't enough to clean your burnt copper cookware or anything else made of copper, boiling water mixed with a cleaning agent will help loosen the crud before scrubbing. Additionally, a number of common household items and acidic foods have proven effective in removing burnt foods and stain.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Deep-Cleaning Burnt Copper

1
Bring water and cleaning agent to a boil. Fill a pot or pan with water. Add a few squirts of mild dish detergent and/or a generous splash of vinegar. If you're cleaning anything other than a copper pot or pan (or cleaning the outside of a smaller pot or pan), place the item in the water. Set the burner to medium heat and bring to a boil.
- For heavy build-up of crusted-on materials, substitute the dish soap and vinegar with a cup (221 g) or more of baking soda for a more abrasive cleaning agent.
EXPERT TIP

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for MaidSailors.com, a residential and commercial cleaning service based in New York City that provides home and office cleaning services at affordable prices. He has a Bachelors in Business Administration and Management from Baruch College.

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional

Boil a pot of water, one cup of vinegar, and a tablespoon of salt. Drop the item in the pot and let it sit in the solution until the black coating comes off, which can take a while. Remove the object and rinse with water. Then, drop the item in a solution of lemon juice and a tablespoon of salt. Follow up by cleaning with baking soda and water. Rinse and dry the piece.
2
Test the crud's bond. Wait at least fifteen minutes once the water comes to a boil. Then remove the copper with tongs (or the item's handle if it wasn't submerged). Use any pointed tool (like a butter knife or screwdriver) to prod at the offending material. If it only seems marginally looser, put it back in the boiling water. Otherwise, set it on a heat-safe surface and wait for it to cool enough to handle safely.

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3
Dislodge the crud. Once the crud gives way when you poke at it, switch to a brush, sponge, spatula, or similarly soft item to avoid scratching the copper. Use this to brush or scrape off the crud. For especially heavy build-up:
- Combine baking soda and just enough water to create a thick paste. Apply an even coat of this over the copper before you start brushing or scraping.
- Repeat as needed, since heavy build-up may require a lot of elbow work, during which time the crud may dry and crust over again.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Common Household Items

1
Add water to baking soda. Place the copper in a suitably sized container (or skip this part if what you're cleaning is the inside of a copper container). Dust the bottom with baking soda. Then add water, which will cause the baking soda to start fizzing. Wait for the fizzing to subside, then remove the water and scrub the copper with a sponge, cloth, or similar material. Rinse with clean water when finished and towel dry.
2
Remove stains with fabric softener. Put the copper in a container large enough to fit. Fill it with water. As you do, add a few squirts of fabric softener. Give it an hour or so to soak. Then pour the water out and scrub the copper. If the copper is cookware, be sure to wash it again with water and mild dish detergent to remove all traces of the softener before rinsing and drying.
3
Freeze off burnt-on foods and other materials. If your freezer is large enough, place the copper inside. Let it sit for two hours or so in order the weaken the bond between the burnt-on material and the copper. Then remove and wash with mild dish soap and warm water.
4
Scrub stains with aluminium foil. First, soak the copper in water for a few minutes. Then ball up one or more pieces of aluminum foil. Scrub over the stained area. If needed, take a break and repeat the process for more stubborn stains that tire you out.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Acidic Food Items Instead

1
Use cottage cheese as a paste for stains. Coat the copper with an even layer of cottage cheese. Let it sit for five minutes or more. Dampen a cloth and scrub the copper, then rinse the cheese off with clean water. Repeat as needed for tougher stains.
2
Scrub with apple cider vinegar. Feel free to use other varieties of vinegar if desired. However, expect other kinds to have more acid, which could have an adverse effect on especially delicate copper. Soak a cloth in the vinegar, then scrub the copper. Rinse with clean water and towel dry.
3
Soak copper in beer. Place the copper in an appropriately sized container and fill it with beer (or simply pour beer into your copper pot or pan.) Let it soak for at least two hours. Then pour the beer out and scrub the copper with a dampened cloth. Rinse the copper and towel it dry.
4
Scrub with lemon slices and salt. Slice a lemon into quarters, thirds, or halves so you can handle them easily. Dip them in salt to add an abrasive agent. Then scrub the copper directly with the lemon slices. Dampen a cloth when finished and wipe the copper clean to reduce the risk of rust. Inspect for any salt particles that have been left behind and remove them. Dry thoroughly.
5
Make a cream of tartar and water bath. Bring a liter of water to boil. Stir in two tablespoons of cream of tartar. Soak your copper in the mixture once the cream of tartar has totally dissolved. Remove after two of three minutes, then scrub with a moist cloth, rinse, and dry.
6
Use ketchup as a paste. Cover the copper in an even coat of ketchup. Give it about half an hour to penetrate the dirt and stains. Dampen a cloth and scrub the copper after thirty minutes. Rinse off the ketchup with clean water, then dry.

Warnings

If the item in question is made of other materials, research how materials cited here may affect those, since what works for copper may not be advisable for other materials.

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Using steel wool and similar products to scrub may scratch and damage copper.

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