Silver, brass and taps: stopping tarnish in sea air
Salt air and humidity tarnish silver, brass and chrome fast on the Costa del Sol. How to clean each metal gently and slow the tarnish from coming back.
· 2 min read
Why metal tarnishes faster by the sea
Tarnish is a chemical reaction on the surface of the metal. Silver darkens when it meets sulphur compounds in the air, and brass and copper dull and turn brown or green with moisture and oxygen. Salt-laden, humid air along the coast tends to speed all of this up.
The good news is that light tarnish is only a surface layer. Caught early, it comes off with gentle products and little effort.
Silver: gentle, then dry
For lightly tarnished silver, wash with warm water and a drop of mild washing-up liquid, then use a proper silver polishing cloth or a non-abrasive silver polish following the label. Rub in straight lines, not circles, and rinse and dry thoroughly afterwards.
Avoid toothpaste and rough scourers: they scratch, and scratches hold tarnish. Check before cleaning anything plated, antique or with a lacquered finish, as strong polishing can wear through thin plating.
Brass, copper, chrome and taps
Many modern brass door handles and light fittings are lacquered, so they only need a soft damp cloth and drying. Polishing a lacquered piece with metal polish can damage the coating. Unlacquered brass and copper respond to a metal polish made for them, wiped off fully afterwards.
Chrome and stainless taps mostly suffer from water spots and limescale rather than tarnish: wipe dry after use and use a mild descaler when needed. Avoid bleach and abrasive powders on any of these metals, as they pit and cloud the finish.
Slowing it down and how we help
Store silver in a closed cabinet or drawer, in anti-tarnish cloth or bags, and keep it away from rubber, wool and felt that may contain sulphur. A silica gel sachet in the drawer helps in humid months. Cleaning little and often is kinder to the metal than occasional hard polishing.
If you look after a villa with a lot of metal fittings, ask us to include taps, handles and fixtures in your regular clean. We use gentle products suited to each finish and tell you if a piece needs a specialist.
