I had a similar experience, but with my old farmhouse sink. Thought I was being clever with lemon juice—nope, ended up with dull patches everywhere. Thankfully, a friend suggested olive oil to bring back the shine, and surprisingly, it worked pretty well. Still learning as I go! Has anyone tried something natural for brass fixtures? Mine are looking kinda sad lately, and I'm hesitant to experiment after the lemon juice fiasco...
I've had decent luck with a baking soda paste for brass fixtures—just mix baking soda with a bit of water, rub gently, and rinse. Did wonders on my grandma's old brass handles without scratching them up... might be worth a shot after your lemon juice adventure.
"Did wonders on my grandma's old brass handles without scratching them up..."
Gotta agree on baking soda—it's surprisingly gentle. I was nervous trying it on my vintage knobs (first-time renovator jitters, anyone?), but it worked beautifully. Store-bought stuff feels harsh sometimes; natural just seems safer, imo.
"Store-bought stuff feels harsh sometimes; natural just seems safer, imo."
Yeah, baking soda's great—gentle but effective. I've also had good luck with vinegar-water mixes for stainless steel appliances. One thing though, gotta be careful with lemon juice... learned the hard way it can discolor certain finishes if left on too long. Natural doesn't always mean foolproof, but still beats breathing in those chemical fumes from store cleaners any day.
Totally agree about lemon juice—been there myself. Once I left a lemon-water mix on my fridge handles thinking it'd brighten them up, and ended up with weird blotchy spots instead. Took ages to fade, too. But yeah, even with those little mishaps, I'd still take vinegar or baking soda over the harsh chemical smell of commercial cleaners any day. Feels better knowing exactly what's going on the surfaces I touch every day...
