As a collector of antique brass buttons, an important part of your hobby is the cleaning and restoration of your buttons, particularly if you wish to sell them to other collectors or place them on formal display.  With the proper materials, it is easy to clean your antique brass buttons at home yourself, but you must make sure to do it correctly, otherwise you risk ruining your investment.

Here is a brief guide on how to clean antique brass buttons at home.  First, if your antique brass buttons are attached to clothing, you must remove them to clean them.  You can reattach them to the garment once they’ve been cleaned. 

Surprisingly, a very effective brass cleaning solution can be prepared using common household items, namely lemon laundry detergent, ammonia and water.  Remember, you can only substitute plain laundry detergent for the lemon if you have a fresh lemon or lemon juice on hand, as it is the acidic lemon content that aids with the dissolving of oxides on the brass.  Mix one part ammonia to two parts water.  How much total solution you make depends on how many antique brass buttons you have to clean.  You should make enough to completely submerge all antique brass buttons in the solution.

Once you have prepared the ammonia and water solution, add lemon laundry detergent until the solution is very strong and very soapy.  If you don’t have lemon laundry detergent, you can use plain laundry detergent and add fresh lemon juice.  The juice from one lemon is sufficient for one gallon of solution.  Prepare the solution in a container that can be sealed to prevent evaporation of the ammonia.  Tupperware works nicely, as do glass jars with screw-on lids.

Once you’ve prepared the cleaning solution, it is time to add your antique brass buttons.  You should wear gloves while handling the buttons, as the ammonia solution is corrosive and can burn your skin. Ensure that your buttons are completely submerged in the solution and there are no air pockets, which can leave you with green patches on the brass.

Soak your antique brass buttons for a period of 2 to 24 hours, depending on the volume of buttons.  You will be able to tell when they are ready to be removed from their color in the solution.  After removing them from the solution, scrub them with a brass brush which has been dipped in a small amount of cleaning solution.  To dip the brass brush, use solution that is separate from the solution you used to submerge the buttons.

After gently scrubbing each button with the brash brush, submerge it in clean water until you have a group of buttons ready for drying.  Dry with a clean, soft cloth or towel, taking care not to touch the buttons with your skin, as this can lead to premature oxidization.  After drying, submerge buttons in white spirit to completely remove excess water, then leave to air dry in a safe place.

You may also consider protecting your antique brass buttons from future oxidization by applying a brass lacquer.  If you follow all these steps, you will be impressed by how fantastic your antique brass buttons will look.