How to Clean Home Hardware Finishes

Home hardware adds style, color and luster to our homes, and just like the hardwood floors and the upholstery, we have to take care of them and keep them clean. The best thing about cleaning home hardware, is the materials that work for each type of finish are probably already in your kitchen cabinets!

Not all metals and finishes can be treated the same way, so we've broken down the different common finishes for cabinet knobs, pulls, hooks, faucets and everything else, so you can keep your home hardware looking beautiful for many years to come.

Here is a list of the things you will need:

• Lint-free cloths.
• Vinegar
• Dawn dish soap, or another similar soap.
• Glass cleaner
• Ketchup

Bronze

Bronze cabinet knobs and pulls can be wiped free of grime weekly or every few weeks with a damp, lint-free cloth. As for sink faucets and other things that come in contact a lot with water and corrosive substances like tooth paste, bleach and other chemicals, you will need to wipe them down every couple of days. This will help them retain their original finish.

Chrome

Chrome will last for many years, but it will start to look dull and dirty after a while due to corrosion. First, try gently scrubbing it with a dish soap like Dawn and a soft wash cloth. If that doesn't do the trick, vinegar will. You want to start as mild as possible because you want to stay shiny and free of scratches. Dry and polish with a micro fiber cloth .

Brass

The hot soapy water and cloth should also work to get rid of regular old grime build up. For tougher dirt, the gentle acid found in ketchup or tomato paste with a micro fiber cloth and some elbow grease will get the job done. Don't forget to dry and polish.

Nickel

Try wiping off dirt with a dry soft cloth. If that doesn't work, use the soap and hot water and scrub in circular motions. For a quick cleaning, spray your nickel cabinet knobs with a regular glass cleaner, and polish it off to make sure no spots or streaks are left behind. As a general rule, don't use any harsh cleaners such as oven cleaners.

Stainless Steel

Use a wash cloth and vinegar water to scrub it clean. Vinegar is effective in getting rid of dirt as well as bacteria and molds. Don't scrub across the grain of the steel, always scrub along with it. Polish it dry with a clean dry lint-free cloth.

Decide Which Finish is Best for Your Home Hardware

There are so many types of finishes for home hardware, it can be hard to decide which one is right for your home. You might even have decided on the perfect theme and the perfect colors, but with so many beautiful and versatile pieces of cabinet knobs, bathroomhooks and other essential pieces, it can start to get confusing!

First, you should consider the basic color scheme of the kitchen or bathroom where you plan on installing your new home hardware. Does it involve mostly cool colors or warm colors? Cool colors are blues, greens, purples and pinks, or shades that contain these hues.

If your bathroom features cool colors, one special kind of finish that would work well here, is verdigris. Verdigris gives the look of oxidized copper, which if you look at an old penny that has been oxidized, has a bluish green color. It also has a rustic and old fashioned feel. It would go great in a bathroom that has an aquatic theme.

Next, think about the basic décor aesthetic of your kitchen or bathroom. Is it more polished and modern, or does it have a very country, shabby-chic or rustic feel? Your finish should definitely match the aesthetic.

Chrome home hardware would be perfect for modern, ultra modern, or even a fancy or “romantic” theme, depending on the style of the cabinet hardware and hooks, right down to the toilet paper holder and even the soap dish. On the opposite side of the coin, antique iron, antique bronze or antique copper would go well in a rustic style atmosphere.

Then, there are the more versatile finishes available. Oil rubbed bronze home hardware is very popular, and it comes in many different shades of the same basic neutral, ruddy brownish gold. It's neutral, because it would go well with both cool and warm color schemes. Nickel is also very versatile, comes in variations like polished, satin and even black nickel, and is also considered largely neutral.

Now that you've answered these questions, you can narrow down your search for the right home hardware finish. Next, you can focus on the shape to go along with the overall style and feel of the room or rooms.