Bronze Cleaning Tips
Bronze Cleaning Tips
Our bronze cleaning tips will help you keep your rosary or chaplet in good condition.
Bronze Cleaning Tips
It is never a good idea to soak your rosary. Moisture can get trapped inside the beads next to the wire and can cause damage.
The Aging of Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy primarily made of copper. With age and exposure to air, it naturally darkens to rich, earthy tones. Naturally-aged bronze will make your rosary look like an antique. You can maintain that with gentle cleaning from time to time.
Quick Cleanup
For a quick cleanup, use a jewelry polishing cloth that is safe for copper. The cloth will leave a layer of residue on the rosary. Next, buff it up with a clean, non-linty cloth.
Time: about 5 minutes.
Gentle Polishing
For gentle polishing that will not remove this vintage appearance, start with a mild liquid detergent (not a degreaser). Mix a little soap with a small amount of warm water.
Steps
- Dampen a toothbrush and a corner of a lint-free cloth (like t-shirt fabric) with the solution. Surface clean it, one section at a time. If needed, toothpaste will work for most stubborn stains.
- Dampen a corner of the cloth with clean water to wipe off any soapy residue.
- Finally, dab it dry with a corner of the cloth and then let the rosary completely air dry.
Time: about 10-15 minutes.
Deep Cleaning
If you prefer a shiny, gold finish, your rosary will need a monthly cleanup which will take about a half hour each time. Since it is primarily made of copper, it is like trying to keep a penny shiny without being able to immerse it.
Polish Paste
For deep cleaning, we suggest polish paste (one recommended for bronze). You will need to wear disposable gloves.
- Apply a small amount on a soft, lint-free cloth and use a soft toothbrush in the crevices.
- Clean off any residue with a dry toothbrush and a clean, dry cloth.
- Leave it out to air dry completely.
Time: about a half hour.
TIP
We DO NOT RECOMMEND DIP CLEANERS because they could cause permanent damage. Some of them will corrode the metal and the beads. Even immersing a rosary in a gentle cleaner can leave moisture trapped inside the bead holes next to the wire. As a rule, the wire should be kept dry.
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CREDITS
The LOGO image of Our Lady of Grace is original artwork by Martin Lariviere in 2009. We have the artist’s permission (my son). It is our exclusive trademark logo image.
A beautifully photographed sky by Donald Tong inspired the website’s colour scheme. Cropped portions of it are the background for the footer Bible verse. He shared it as a free download on pexels.com.
Raphael painted The Sistine Madonna circa (1513-1514). We made circular cut-outs from the original image.
Our information is from general knowledge, experience, and shared internet resources. We’d like you to use it as a starting point for your research to verify facts and build a reference list.
IN REVIEW
Bronze naturally darkens to rich, earthy tones that make your rosary look like an antique. For a quick cleanup that will not remove this vintage appearance, start with a mild liquid detergent and a small amount of water.
- Dampen a toothbrush and a corner of a soft cloth (like t-shirt fabric). Surface clean it, one section at a time. If needed, toothpaste will work for most stubborn stains.
- Dampen a corner of the cloth with clean water to remove any soapy residue.
- Finally dab it dry and then let the rosary completely air dry.
If you prefer a shiny, gold finish, your rosary will need a monthly cleanup which will take about a half hour each time. Since it is primarily made of copper, it is like trying to keep a penny shiny without being able to immerse it. It is never a good idea to immerse a rosary because moisture could get trapped inside the beads next to the wire. Also, some cleaners can cause permanent damage to the beads and the metal.
- Put on disposable gloves and apply a small amount of polish paste (one recommended for bronze) with a soft cloth. Use a soft toothbrush to clean the crevices.
- Clean off any residue of the cleaner with a dry toothbrush and a clean, dry cloth.
- Leave it out to air dry completely.