5 quirky tips to clean mirrors, silver and brass

Mirrors and items made from silver and brass are lovely when they shine — it's keeping them that way that's a challenge. No problem, really, with these unusual ways to keep them sparkling using items from the kitchen.

Your mirrors will show nary a streak if you wash them with equal parts water and white vinegar. But it's your technique that matters: Spray-cleaning a mirror can end with moisture seeping behind the glass and turning the silvering black. Instead, dip a clean sponge or wadded-up newspaper (without coloured ink) into the solution and clean the mirror. Wipe dry with a soft cloth, a paper towel or more newspaper.

Although sooner or later you'll need to polish your silver pieces, you can make the task easier by keeping tarnish to a minimum. Protect your silver from tarnish-causing moisture by placing a few charcoal briquettes or a small bowl of rice in the cabinet where you keep silver; both are super absorbent. Place a briquette inside a silver teapot or coffee pot to prevent moisture from building up.

Is your grandmother's cherished silver tea set tarnished? Polish it with banana peels or toothpaste. Whichever you use, rinse the pieces well after wiping them clean and then buff them dry with a soft cloth.

• Banana peels:Remove the banana and gripping the peel, massage your silver with the inside of the peel. For tougher tarnishes, puree the peel in a blender and massage in the paste. Remove with a soft cloth.
• Toothpaste: Rub non-gel white toothpaste onto the tarnished pieces and work it in with a damp soft cloth.

For a tarnish-free shine, clean any brass item in one of these two ways:

• Sprinkle a slice of lemon with baking soda and rub it onto the brass. Or, sprinkle salt onto a soft cloth dipped in white vinegar and rub the surface.
• Rinse the brass with a cloth dipped in warm water and then buff it dry. For some extra shine, rub just-cleaned brass with a little olive oil.

A good way to clean knickknacks, drawer pulls and other pieces made of brass is to boil them in ketchup or hot sauce! Just put the items in a saucepan, cover with ketchup (more practical and economical than using hot sauce) and place the pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the brass shines like new. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

Your mirrors, brass and silver will stay tarnish free and clean, and you can have a blast telling your friends the quirky ways you did it using items from your kitchen cupboard.