Either soak a clean soft cloth and wring out any excess before rubbing the tarnished areas, or make a warm water and vinegar solution to soak larger items in for 30 minutes or so before thoroughly rinsing. Try a commercial product: We like SimplyGreen for heavy soils and greasy spills.
To remove the oxide, the Nickel or Nickel alloy components should be dipped in the Superior PreFlux Nickel Cleaner a period of 1-30 seconds depending on the degree of oxidation.
The reason vinegar hurts nickel plating is it's an acid. Nickel does not play well with acids(even weak ones). IPA has a PH of 7, it will not hurt nickel plating. I suspect the reason people say this is because of the acrylic.
Lye/sodium hydroxide is the best for cleaning nickel... It will eat anything organic, including your skin so care must be taken. One must also mix add the lye to the water, not water to the lye to avoid an exothermic reaction. I use a 1/4-1/2 cup to gallon of water.
Hydrogen peroxide is a fantastic solution for removing dirt from coins while also sterilizing them. Simply place the coins in a bowl and ensure they are completely covered with hydrogen peroxide. Allow them to soak for a full 24 hours. Afterward, rinse the coins with water and gently dry them using a cloth.
To keep your Polished Nickel fittings looking shiny we recommend polishing with a proprietary brand of silver polish (we use Autosol or Silvo which are generally available from local DIY stores).
A gentle, eco-friendly option, baking soda paste effectively removes grime and tarnish without scratching, making it ideal for maintaining nickel surfaces.
Here's our surefire way to clean tarnished coins: In a plastic container like those for storing your leftover foods or a small child sized bucket, add 1 cup of white vinegar and soak 4-5 coins in it. The longer you leave them to soak, the better the effect of the vinegar will be.
When silver tarnishes it turns black, and when nickel tarnishes it turns yellow-green. They look quite different. (The nickel mounted frog shown above has no heel plate.)
Add a small amount of water to a tablespoon of baking soda to form a paste. Apply the paste to each coin using an old toothbrush and scrub gently. Rinse the coins to reveal the now-shiny surfaces.
Directions for Cleaning Brushed Nickel Faucets:
Add 1 oz. of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner to 1 cup of water in an empty spray bottle. Apply. Spray the solution onto the brushed nickel surface and let it sit for a minute or so.
You can clean (reactively dissolve) the NiO corrosion layer over metallic Ni by immersion in hot diluted acetic acid. From mass difference, prior and after cleaning, you may be able to estimate the mass of oxide removed.
While nickel can exist in oxidation states -1, 0, +2, +3, and +4, its only important oxidation state is nickel (+2) under normal environmental conditions.
Acidic solutions can break down and dissolve light oxidation and tarnish.
Regular Care
Nickel and Chrome are generally quite low maintenance, but the finish does benefit from occasional cleaning with warm, mild soapy water and a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Then give it a good wipe over with a lint free cloth to dry - it is important to do this quite quickly to prevent water marks from forming.
[5] reported that dissolution of nickel metal without any impurities in dilute sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide system at acidity of 1.6–3.0 mol/L, H2O2 concentration of 15% and at a temperature of 90–105 °C.
Fill a small bowl with enough hydrogen peroxide to submerge your coins. Put a few of your coins into the solution at a time and let them soak for up to 24 hours so the tarnish has a chance to loosen up. Rinse your coins under cold running water when you're finished and pat them dry with a soft towel.
Fill a small bowl with one part white vinegar and three parts water. Use a fresh microfiber cloth to thoroughly wipe down the fixture. The white vinegar can help restore shine to the finish, and also descale any remaining buildup.
Make a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. Spray this on the nickel and buff the item with a clean cloth. Do not soak nickel in vinegar or allow a vinegar solution to sit on the nickel. If the vinegar solution alone doesn't work, you can add a little power to your solution with cornstarch.
For items fitted outside if you start to see pitting marks in the nickel a metal polish such as “Brasso” or “Peek” can be used to polish the layer of nickel. Regular cleaning to remove dirt, finger prints and water marks will ensure your Polished Nickel products will last for a very long time.
Both the Nickel and Chrome finishes that we stock are unlacquered and will dull and tarnish over time if left unpolished. In terms of durability, you may find that Chrome is slightly less susceptible to tarnishing than Nickel, although for the most part these finishes are equal in their longevity.
Unlike some other metals that require special cleaning solutions, polished nickel can be easily cleaned with a mild soap and water solution. Routine maintenance helps preserve its lustrous finish, ensuring that your hardware continues to shine bright with minimal effort.