Care guide

The metal does most of the work. We do the rest.

Three finishes. Three short routines. One simple principle: brass is a living material, and the care you give it should match the finish you chose.

First, the principle

Solid brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Like all copper-based metals, it reacts with air, with moisture, and with the salts on the human hand. How it reacts is determined by the finish we apply at the workshop — and how you live with the hardware is determined by the finish you have chosen. There is no single right way to care for brass. There are three.

1. Polished Unlacquered Brass — the living finish

What it is

The piece is cast in solid brass, polished to a bright mirror surface, and shipped with no lacquer or sealant. The metal is left bare.

What it does

From the first day, the bare metal begins to oxidise. Over the first weeks it will darken evenly across the entire surface. Over the first months and years it will brighten in the most-touched places — under the fingertips, around the screw heads, along the leading edge of a drawer — and darken in the recessed places that are not. This is the living finish.

What to do

• Wipe with a clean, dry cotton or linen cloth as part of normal kitchen cleaning. That is the entire routine.
• If a fingerprint mark bothers you, wipe with a barely damp cloth and dry immediately. The fingerprint is the start of a patina; it will integrate within a week.
• Once a year, if you like, wax the piece with a small amount of natural beeswax on a soft cloth. Optional.

What never to do

• Never use Brasso, Bar Keepers Friend, or any abrasive brass cleaner. These will strip the patina back to the original mirror polish and restart the cycle.
• Never use household kitchen sprays containing ammonia, bleach or vinegar directly on the hardware. They etch the surface.
• Never wrap the hardware in cling-film, foil, or plastic. Trapped moisture leaves marks.
• Never worry about the patina. It is correct. It is the point.

2. Aged Brass — the controlled patina

What it is

The piece is cast in solid brass, polished, then hand-treated at the workshop with a controlled patinating agent to bring the colour forward to a warm, deep amber. The surface is then sealed with a soft natural wax.

What to do

• Wipe with a clean, dry cloth, or with a barely damp cloth if there is a kitchen spill.
• Re-wax once every two to three years with a small amount of microcrystalline or natural beeswax on a clean cotton cloth.

What never to do

• Avoid abrasive cleaners and acidic kitchen sprays — they will eat through the patina layer.
• Avoid steel wool, scouring pads, or scratch-sponges.

3. Satin Brass (lacquered) — the sealed finish

What it is

The piece is cast in solid brass, polished, then brushed to a fine directional grain. The grained surface is then sealed under a clear, hand-applied lacquer.

What to do

• Wipe with a damp cloth and, if necessary, a small amount of mild non-abrasive cleaner.
• Dry with a soft cloth.

What never to do

• Avoid solvents (acetone, alcohol-based cleaners).
• Avoid abrasives that would scratch the lacquer layer.
• If the lacquer eventually wears through after many years of heavy use, the piece can be re-lacquered at the workshop. Contact us.

What to expect, by month — Polished Unlacquered Brass

If something goes wrong

Send us a photograph. We will tell you whether it is correct (very often, with unlacquered brass, what looks like damage is patina) or, if not, what to do. Anything that cannot be solved at home can be sent back to the workshop and reconditioned.

Workshop contact: care@winfieldandturner.com