Cleaning and Polishing Copper

The best way to keep Copper clean is to not
allow it to get dirty in the first place.
Where possible, decorative items should be
kept clean and free of dust. Many
decorative copper items are coated with
lacquer to protect the finish. Other than
dusting, for these items occasional washing
with luke warm, soapy water may be
required. They should never be polished as
this may remove the protective lacquer.
To remove tarnish from Copper cookware,
simply rub with lemon halves dipped in salt.
Tarnish can be removed from Copper in
industrial applications using commercial
copper polishes. These polishes should be
applied following the manufacturers
instructions.
If a brushed finish is required on Copper or
copper alloys, stainless steel brushes must
be used to eliminate cross contamination.