To clean copper, rub the outside with half a lemon dipped in salt, or with a paste of white vinegar, salt and flour, leave it for a few minutes, rinse in warm water and dry straight away. The tin-lined inside of copper pots, pans and coffee pots is different: wash it only with warm soapy water and a soft sponge. Never use steel wool, abrasive scrubbers or the dishwasher on copper cookware, because they wear away the tin.
Outside copper or inside tin: know which surface you are cleaning
Most copper cleaning advice online treats copper as one surface. Copper cookware has two: bare copper on the outside and a food-safe tin lining on the inside. They need opposite treatment.
| Surface | What it looks like | Clean it with |
|---|---|---|
| Outside (bare copper) | Pinkish red, tarnishes to brown or dark | Lemon and salt, vinegar and salt, citric acid, ketchup |
| Inside (tin lining) | Silver-grey, turns dull with use | Warm water, dish soap, soft sponge; baking soda for stuck food |
| Lacquered decorative copper | Even, glossy shine that does not tarnish | Damp cloth only; acids and polish strip the lacquer |
A dull, grey tin lining is normal and not dirt. Do not try to polish it bright. The lining only needs renewing when pinkish copper starts to show through.
How to clean copper naturally: 4 methods that work
Lemon and salt
Sprinkle salt on the cut side of half a lemon and rub the tarnished copper in small circles. Light tarnish lifts at once. Rinse in warm water and dry completely with a soft cloth.
Vinegar, salt and flour paste
Mix half a cup of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of salt, then add flour until it forms a paste. Spread it on, leave it for 15–20 minutes, wash it off and dry. The paste stays put on the sides of pots and the rims of trays, where liquid would run off.
Citric acid soak
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of citric acid in 1 litre (about a quart) of warm water. Soak small pieces for a few minutes, or wipe larger ones with a cloth dipped in the solution. Rinse well so no acid is left on the surface, then dry.
Ketchup
The vinegar and tomato acid in ketchup dissolve tarnish. Spread a thin layer, wait 10–15 minutes, wipe with a soft sponge and rinse. It works well in the dents of hand-hammered and engraved copper.
These methods are for the outside of copper. For heavily oxidized or green-stained pots, follow our step-by-step guide to cleaning tarnished, oxidized copper pots.
How to clean tin-lined copper pans and pots
- After cooking, wash with warm water, dish soap and a soft sponge.
- For stuck or burnt food, fill the pan with hot water, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda, leave it for 20–30 minutes and wipe with a soft sponge.
- Do not store food in the pan for hours; move leftovers to another container.
- Never heat the pan empty. Tin melts at about 232 °C (450 °F).
- Dry it straight away; copper left wet gets water spots and tarnishes faster.
Our guide to cleaning tin-lined copper cookware covers new and freshly re-tinned pieces. For a burnt or blackened pan interior, see how to clean the inside of a copper pan.
What should you not clean copper with?
- Steel wool and abrasive scrubbers: they scratch the outside and strip the tin lining inside.
- The dishwasher: detergent and heat stain copper and dull the tin. We explain why in can copper go in the dishwasher.
- Bleach and strong acids such as muriatic acid: they etch copper and tin and are not safe in the kitchen.
- Leaving acid to dry: lemon, vinegar or citric acid left on the surface causes spots. Always rinse and dry.
- Air drying: leaves water marks and speeds up tarnish.
What will make copper shiny again?
After cleaning, buff the dry copper with a soft cotton cloth in small circles; it brings back much of the shine. For a mirror finish, see how to polish copper. Copper reacts with oxygen and moisture, so it will always darken in time. That is the nature of the metal, not a fault. Keeping it dry and wiping it regularly slows the process; the causes are explained in why copper tarnishes and how to slow it.
Copper trays
Trays do not hold food directly, so every outside method above is safe on them. A soft toothbrush reaches into engraved patterns. Our copper tray cleaning and polishing guide covers routine care, restoring an old, blackened copper tray covers neglected pieces, and how to clean green copper deals with verdigris.
When does copper need re-tinning?
If pinkish copper shows through the lining, usually on the base or around the rim, cleaning will not fix it: the piece needs re-tinning. Our workshop re-tins old copper, and copper bought from modabakir.com is re-tinned free of charge one year after purchase. Our hand-hammered, tin-lined pieces are in copper pans and skillets.
Frequently asked questions
Can baking soda clean copper?
Yes. A paste of baking soda and lemon juice lifts tarnish on the outside, and baking soda in hot water loosens stuck food inside a tin-lined pan. Use a soft sponge so it does not scratch.
How do you remove oxidation from copper?
Spread a paste of white vinegar, salt and flour on the oxidized area, leave it for 15–20 minutes, rinse and dry. Small pieces can soak in warm water with citric acid.
How do you clean copper without scratching it?
Use soft cloths and sponges only, let the acid do the work instead of scrubbing, and rinse off any salt before buffing.
How do you clean copper without removing the patina?
Wash it with warm soapy water only and dry it at once. Lemon, vinegar, citric acid and polish all remove patina.
Can you put copper pans in the dishwasher?
No. Dishwasher detergent and heat stain the copper and dull the tin lining. Wash copper by hand and dry it straight away.
About this guide
This guide was written in the Moda Bakır workshop in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, where we have been making copper pots, pans, coffee pots and trays for around 40 years. Our own craftsman tin-lines our cookware, and re-tins old copper, with lead-free pure tin. The advice comes from what we see on the pieces we make and repair. Questions are welcome at destek@modabakir.com.