How to Polish a Copper Still

A Copper Still is a lovely display piece for your house. Over time, though, even if you clean your still after every use - the copper will dull and even tarnish.

Here we'll give you two options for restoring your Copper Still to its former glory!

Cleaning your Still with Copper Cleaner

There are many commercially produced copper cleaners, with the most commonly available ones in Australia being: Brasso; Twinkle and Scanpan. Always follow the instructions, but the general idea is:

1. Wear gloves.

2. Apply the copper polish to the surface of the still using a soft cloth.

3. Leave it for a couple of minutes.

4. Polish the still clean using another dry, soft cloth.

Before Brasso

After Brasso

Cleaning your Still with Vinegar and Salt

As you'd expect, Vinegar (the perennial over-achiever of the home cleaning world) can also be used to polish up a copper still. Here's how:

1. Put 3 parts white vinegar with 2 parts salt in a small bowl

2. Thoroughly mix.

3. Apply the resulting paste to the surface of the still with a cloth.

4. Rinse off

5. Dry the still.

Before Salt 'n' Vinegar

After Salt 'n' Vinegar

Should I clean my Copper Still with Vinegar or a Commercial Cleaner?

Both will work, but we prefer a commercially produced cleaner.

Surprisingly, this is because white vinegar is such an effective cleaner. It strips the surface of the still back to a pink-ish shade, and loses a lot of the rich copper colour that we love so much.

In a pinch, though, vinegar and salt are a perfectly acceptable way to polish up your copper still.