Best way to clean tarnished copper fittings?

[Jim Goodenough]

I've a load of copper fittings, both end-feed and solder-ring that are tarnished.

What's the quickest and best way to clean them without wire-wooling individually?

 

[Chuck]

I've a load of copper fittings, both end-feed and solder-ring that are tarnished.

What's the quickest and best way to clean them without wire-wooling individually?

I prefer Scotchbrite over wire-wool.

In the past I remember people using a jug of cola (Pepsi IIRC) to clean a batch. I think this worked because it contains phosphoric acid.

 

[Best]

Emery cloth is also excellent for heavily tarnished old copper pipe or very dirty fittings, especially the Yorkshire type than can have a varnish like finish inside them. Still means doing individual fittings though.
Am sure there are chemicals that fittings could just be soaked in for a few seconds, then carefully rinsed, but hazardous for skin and eyes.

 

[Ric2013]

Vinegar (dilute?) cleans up tarnished brass well. Would imagine it might work on copper. Worth a go?

 

[gmartine]

Vinegar and salt, I suspect you'll need to scotch off the worst of it still and neutralise the fittings by washing with sodium bicarb solution to stop them from rotting.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Wire wool and then solder the fitting