Be Excellent To Each Other

Hello folks that know stuff.

Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning tarnished nickel plate whilst still maintaining the shininininess? If it is something that is easily available from high street type shops or supermarkets, etc, that would be best as I at least have a hope of getting to somewhere like that and not having to pay shipping costs.

Monkey on!

I'd guess at Brasso, but might be worth a google to check if it's OK for nickel plate. It's certainly readily available, and works well.

I googled it but can't find any info, so may just have a look on the bottle.

Could you possibly tell me where I might find it? (I don't quite know what it is) Is it for cars or household cleaning type things? When you say readily available I don't know if you mean in a supermarket, or in a car parts place, or wilkinsons, etc. I will go and have a look tomorrow, but I don't know what kind of section of what kind of shop it might be in.

Oh, is this it?


I remember my nan having a bottle of that stuff in the hall cupboard when I was little

Yup, that's the stuff, you should get it in a large supermarket or any sort of hardware shop if you have one of those.

I had a quick look and it doesn't mention "nickel plate" as one of the things it's specifically meant for, but I doubt it'll do any harm.
What is the item, is it particularly valuable and stuff?

Nickel plate is actually fairly rare on modern things. I have some copper bus bars which are nickel plated, and when I need to use them I remove the green tarnish using WD40.

You might try multi-surface cleaner or toothpaste or suchlike first if it's very delicate.

Yeah that's Brasso, you should be able to get it in hardware shops and supermarkets as well I'd think, usually at the ends of aisles maybe? I think Brasso should be ok for nickel.

EDIT-beaten by kalmar.

Cheers Gill and Kalmar



It's for some knitting needles - not particularly valuable, I'll try it on one of the pairs I get less use out f, they can always be replaced if need be. They are apparently nickel plate over a copper core, but they do tend to tarnish with use, and this makes them less smooth.

I did actually try toothpaste a while ago, but that was just ona whim as I thought I had heard it smewhere before.

OOh, WD40 - I did think of that, too, but never had any. I'll pick some up as it is handy to have around.

Sounds like Brasso is the way to go then, for optimum polishings.

Can you use the same trick you can use with silver:-

Find a container large enough to immerse the item. Put a piece of aluminium foil into the container and add hot water and salt. Dip the item into the solution and after a few seconds it should become bright and shiny.

Certainly works on silver, no idea about nickel though. Any chemists in the house?

I bought some Brasso. Now if someone can get me a crowbar, or a blowtorch, something to get this tin open I'll give it a go.

I really, really wanted to give End of an Era's suggestion a go, but I don't have any salt and couldn't find any at the shop

Top tip: The good cutlery is best for getting small tins open. Especially if they contain Humbrol paint which then spills out onto the carpet.

Brasso.

It just works.

Cheers lovely x

"Shiny"

They are indeed back to their shiny selves and that makes them much easier to use. I was surprised at how much black 'muck' came off of them onto the cloth I was using - I was worried that the tarnish was where the nickel plate had worn off rather than deposits onto the needles... or something like that.