Alright folks, so picture this: I’m out in the shed yesterday, hunting for my trowel, and bam! I knock over my old copper watering can. It was hiding behind some pots, looking all sad and forgotten. Covered in this grimy green stuff and weird white flecks – downright nasty. Used to be so shiny, you know? Could practically see your face in it years ago. So yeah, decided right then – today’s project: bringing this rusty old gal back to life!
Digging Around for Supplies
First things first, gotta find stuff that cleans metal. Scavenged the kitchen cupboards like a raccoon. Here’s what I grabbed:
- That bottle of ketchup no one finishes (always lurking).
- Mouthwash nobody uses anymore (Listerine-type).
- White vinegar (works on like, everything).
- A couple lemons getting lonely in the fruit bowl.
- Table salt.
- Some rags I definitely wasn’t saving for best.
- Dish soap, obviously.
Figured one of these weird combos had to work. Worst case, it stays ugly. Ready for action.
The Dirty Work Begins
Wasn’t gonna touch the green gunk bare-handed, nope. Rubber gloves on! Started simple: rinsed that can outside with the hose, splashing water everywhere like a kid. Quick scrub with soapy water and a rag – got some loose dirt off, sure, but the real mess? Still grinning at me, stubborn as heck.
Alright, time for the heavy hitters.
Ketchup Round One: Slathered that poor can with ketchup like a weird hot dog. Every speckled spot got smothered. Left it sitting there, looking like a murder victim, for a solid 20 minutes. Went back… kinda worked? The really weak spots got lighter. But that thick green crust? Barely flinched. Gave it a stiff brush and rinsed. Slight improvement, not amazing. Needed more firepower.
Vinegar & Salt Combo: Next tactic. Poured vinegar into the can itself – fumes hit me right in the nose, oof! Sprinkled a whole bunch of salt onto a wet rag and went to town scrubbing the outside. Saw some bubbling, heard a bit of fizzing… felt promising! Went at it for ages, arms getting tired. Rinsed it off… ugh. Cleaner? Yeah. Shiny? Not even close. Still all blah and dull. Frustration rising.
Citrus Last Stand: Was running out of ideas. Chopped the lemons up. Dumped salt all over them, rubbed half a lemon directly on the copper. Squeezing juice, grinding salt, hoping for magic. Did it smell kinda nice? Sure. Shiny? Nah. Cleaner, but still looked old. Moment of doubt hit. Should I even bother with the mouthwash?
Mouthwash Surprise: Okay, almost gave up. Said “what the heck,” poured that blue mouthwash all over the can. Didn’t bother with fancy techniques, just dumped and sloshed it around. Left it sitting in the messy blue puddle for maybe half an hour. Came back… rinsed with the hose… wiped it with a clean rag… and wow! Actually shiny spots appeared! Not perfect, but the difference was real. The vinegar and ketchup must have softened things up for the mouthwash to finally cut through.
Final Touch: It was finally looking more like copper than garbage! But I remembered: shine doesn’t last. Found some car wax in the garage. Rubbed a thin layer of wax all over the dried, shiny copper. Took effort to get it even and buff it off, but man… seeing that smooth shine come through? Totally worth the sore arm.
The Big Reveal
Dried it off completely. Held it up near the window. Sunlight hit it… Bam! Glowing! The deep, rich copper color was back. You could see the reflection, clear enough. It felt solid and good in my hands again, not like a rusty relic.
Key Thing I Learned: Seriously, that mouthwash (the plain blue one!) was the dark horse champion. Vinegar/ketchup worked okay, needed elbow grease. The lemon/salt… smelled nice but meh. Persistence paid off! Big takeaway? Use what you’ve got already, mix it up, try the weird stuff. And sealing the deal with that wax after cleaning? Crucial step. It locks in the shine. Without it, it’ll just fog up again super quick.
