How to Restore Copper Cookware

How to naturally and simply restore copper cookware to its original glory! You only need a few kitchen items to bring that gorgeous shine back!

I love thrifting, but hate when I find something beautiful that’s too damaged to be “worth it.” Figuring out how to restore copper cookware (without chemicals) was a task I happily took on recently.

I found a few copper pieces on Marketplace that I wanted as wall decor. They’re beautiful, but have definitely seen better days! I needed to find a solution to restore them to their former shiny glory without bringing in any harsh chemicals for the job.

Luckily, after a lot of trial and error, I was able to come up with something that works! This method only requires two pantry staples along with some warm water. The best part? It doesn’t require a lot of time or effort!

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Check out Erika over at The Happy Home Project for some thrifting tips and tricks! She’s a pro and this post will definitely inspire you to up your thrift shopping game and help you create a gorgeous home on a budget! Her Instagram is gorgeous, be sure to go follow her!

What You Need to Restore Badly Tarnished Copper Cookware

As promised, no chemicals here! I found that using some water, white vinegar, salt, a scrubbing pad, a kitchen towel, and a toothbrush do the trick. Be sure to never use anything that will scratch the surface of the copper cookware up, such as steel wool. A toothbrush is optional for this task. I chose to use one to get into the details of the pieces I was restoring. It made getting into the smaller areas much easier!

Maintaining Copper Cookware

So, if you plan on using this copper cookware for actual cooking...you will need to keep it in tip-top shape from now on! Handwashing with warm water, a mild dish soap, and then drying thoroughly after every use will do the trick. Never put copper cookware in the dishwasher! These kitchen items aren’t hard to maintain, they just need to be kept as dry as possible so they don’t oxidize. If you ever do end up with some oxidation occurring again for any reason, just repeat this process as needed.

What you need…

Warm water.
White vinegar.
Salt.
Scrubbing pad. (NOT steel wool!)
2-3 kitchen towels.
Optional: a toothbrush.

How to Restore Copper Cookware

Directions:

Wash your copper cookware and leave it damp.
Sprinkle on some salt. Focus on one area at a time!
Pour some white vinegar on one of your kitchen towel or scrubbing pad and gently rub the copper cookware.
Optional: use a toothbrush to get into any small creases and details.
Wash again with water and a clean kitchen towel to get all the vinegar and salt off.
Dry well with your remaining kitchen towel!

NOTE: Be as gentle as possible while scrubbing so you don’t scratch the surface! You can also just use a towel if the scrubbing pad is too rough on your copper cookware.

PIN IT FOR LATER!