Brass, Chrome and Metalwork That Cannot Be Redone

Lacquered and unlacquered brass need opposite treatments, and the wrong one strips a finish that cannot be reapplied on site.

What matters, and why.

Telling them apart

Lacquered brass has a clear protective coat and should never be polished — polish removes the lacquer and the brass then tarnishes unevenly.

Unlacquered brass

Ages and patinates by design. Whether you polish it back is a taste decision, but it should be a decision rather than an accident.

Chrome and stainless

Cleaned with the grain, never with an abrasive pad. Scratches in a satin finish are permanent and immediately visible under downlights.

Limescale on metalwork

Descaled rather than scrubbed, with a dwell time and a neutral rinse. Acid left in contact with plating damages it.

If this is something you would rather hand over, our marble and hard surface care is scoped at an inspection and confirmed in writing before any work begins. We will also tell you when a job does not need us.

Questions

Answered plainly.

If tarnish appears in patches rather than evenly, the lacquer has failed somewhere. Ask us to check before anything is polished.

Light marks sometimes polish out. Through-plating damage cannot be fixed on site.

A damp microfibre and nothing else. Most tap damage comes from bathroom sprays, not from use.