How to Use the Copper Cleaning Gel on Heavily Tarnished Metal

Heavily tarnished cleaned and protected with Everbrite Coating.

HD Gel Copper Cleaner - Environmentally Friendly, Heavy Duty Copper Cleaner

Unique Gel that has been blended specifically to remove tarnish from copper-based metals - will clean copper, brass & bronze.
Clings on copper roofs or walls. Stays where it is applied until you wash it off
Environmentally safe - non-toxic, non-hazardous. Will not harm plants in flowerbeds.

Polish alone will not clean these deck caps with heavy tarnish.

APPLY THE GEL - Liberally brush (you can use a paint or chip brush) the gel onto the copper – about the thickness of thick paint. If thinner Gel is desired, a small amount of water can be mixed into the gel.

Let the Gel work. Be patient- the process can take time. The gel is not extremely aggressive but is highly effective with time.

After about 30 minutes, check a few areas with the enclosed gray scrubber pad to determine if the tarnish has “melted” enough to scrub it off. Note the test in bottom corner of the picture below. If the tarnish is still hard to remove, leave Gel on for additional time checking every hour.

For heavily tarnished copper, you can leave it on the copper for up to 3-5 hours or more. If the Gel starts to dry up, mist with water (use a spray bottle) or dip a paint brush in water and agitate on the surface. The gel will become ineffective if allowed to dry.

When the tarnish has been loosened, thoroughly scrub the copper (one section at a time) with a Prep pad or a no-scratch scrubber, going in the direction of the copper grain (usually vertically) to prevent scratching or swirl marks. ***IF YOUR COPPER IS NEW- DO NOT SCRUB, WIPE WITH A SOFT CLOTH.

Remove the gel & dark residue with cloths or paper towels. If you are happy with how the copper looks - Neutralize to stop the acid cleaning process.

HOW TO NEUTRALIZE - Mix the EZ-Prep Neutralizer with 4 parts water OR mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1 gallon of water. Rinse the copper one section at a time) with this solution using a sponge or cloth. Make sure the surface is thoroughly neutralized.

After neutralizing, rinse well with plain water and towel dry. (If your water has high mineral content, it can affect the clean copper. It is recommended to test your water on a small area first to determine if it affects the copper before washing the entire area. You can use distilled water instead to rinse the copper).

POLISH IF DESIRED

The HD Copper Cleaner Gel will remove the tarnish from copper but will not polish it. If a higher sheen is desired, polish with a good copper polish. Midas Touch Polish is an excellent polish that does not contain acids so it does not need neutralizing. (Available in Kits with Polish)

We do not recommend polishing copper roofs, because they are rough copper and polishing will not work well. If a higher shine is desired on a copper roof, you can mechanically sand/buff the copper to bring out more reflectivity.

Wash off the copper with EZ Prep or with a few drops of dish soap and water to remove the polish residue.

Copper Before and After cleaning. The copper is not coated yet.

If the copper is cleaned but not protected with Everbrite Coating, it will tarnish again very quickly. Everbrite Coating has anti-oxidants to prevent copper tarnish and will keep your copper from tarnishing long-term.

SOLVENT WIPE & APPLY COATING

Now that you have spent so much time and effort cleaning your copper, you can protect it with 2-3 coats Everbrite Coating or ProtectaClear to keep your copper shiny for years to come. Use Everbrite Coating for architectural copper - copper roofs, gutters, panels, balestrudes, weathervanes, fountains and more. Use ProtectaClear for copper that gets a lot of use - sinks, faucets and other copper items that get a lot of use and abuse. Use CrobialCoat for copper where you want anti-microbial protection as well.

Solvent wipe to remove all residues from the polish or cleaners. This will ensure a completely clean and dry surface so the protective coating will adhere properly.

Tips for Successful Applications

If cleaning exterior copper, the gel works best between 65°-85°F, avoiding direct sunlight.
Washing the copper roof first with a mild degreasing soap (like Dawn dishwashing liquid) will help the gel work better. If mold is present, a 20% bleach to water solution can be used to remove the mold before using the gel.

Test the surface first: Determine if the copper has a previously applied coating on it by testing a small area with the HD Gel Copper Cleaner. Put a small amount on the surface of the copper (about the size of a drink coaster). Wait 15-30 minutes then wipe the gel off with a cloth. If the tarnish did not change at all, there is most likely some type of coating on the surface. Any coating must be removed in order for the gel to work. You can remove previous coatings by sanding (using a 1⁄4 sheet vibrating palm sander) or with a stripper or solvents like xylene or lacquer thinner.

Some copper has a pinkish tint after it is cleaned. If the copper has too pink of a tone for your liking, Brasso is an excellent polish to restore a more copper tone.

Note: Everbrite HD Copper Cleaner Gel is a mild acid-based product. Always use personal protection, eyewear & gloves. Everbrite HD Copper Cleaner Gel is biodegradable and “green” and will not harm plants. It does not have preservatives and does not have an indefinite shelf life, please see the suggested use-by date on the container. If the Gel gets thick, it can be thinned with water.

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