In the East, brass deity idols have long been a part of the cultural fabric. Brass, with its lovely golden brilliance, is increasingly widely used in Western homes. While installing a brass idol sculpture in your house certainly improves the appearance of the room, you could also worry about the item’s upkeep. In this article, I shall show you some simple cleaning techniques for brass idols that you can accomplish at home using items that are likely already in your kitchen.
Importance of Brass God Idols Regular Cleaning
Cleaning is a necessary part of keeping brass god idols beautiful and durable. Over time, brass, which is mainly made of copper and zinc, is prone to tarnishing and forming greasy coats on its surface. These coatings have the potential to severely harm the idol’s material integrity if they are not cleansed. Brass god idols can be cleaned to restore their lustrous brilliance and to get rid of accumulated dust, at least once every three months. Frequent cleaning not only makes the idol look more beautiful, but it also shows how really devoted the worshipper is. Dusting the area around brass god statues and keeping them in a dust-free atmosphere are essential ways to keep them clean.
Composition of Brass
Lead, tin, and iron are present in trace amounts in brass, an alloy principally made up of copper (55–95%) and zinc (5–45%). Brass’s unique golden color, robustness, and resistance to corrosion are all attributed to its composition, which makes it the perfect material for creating aesthetically beautiful and long-lasting religious objects like god statues.
Brass God Idols and Their Relevance to Households
In many Asian and South Asian cultures, brass is seen as lucky. Brass is listed in the Panch-Tattva, or “Five Essentials of the Universe,” of the Vedic writings. This love for brass is undoubtedly connected to the metal’s exquisite golden shine as well as its exceptional toughness and strength. It makes sense that brass was regarded as a metal with specific uses by the erudite thinkers and architects of antiquity. Brass is considered by the ancient Indian architectural theory Vastu Shastra to welcome good fortune and piety into any area.
As early as 3000 BCE, brass was used to make household things like utensils and accessories, as well as religious objects like statues and ornaments for temples and shrines. In the five millennia that have since passed, the demand for brass has not decreased. These objects are regularly seen in many homes since brass remains a popular metal used to create idols and implements for celebratory or spiritual usage.
Whether or not you are acquainted with the extensive cultural heritage connected to brass, it makes sense that you would want a unique brass idol in the house. It may hold spiritual significance for you, or you may simply appreciate it for its beauty. When you finally purchase a brass idol, the issue of properly caring for your prized property also arises. I’ll go through how to properly care for brass idols in the next part, so they keep all of their beauty and brilliance.
Different Types of Brass and Their Cleaning Requirements
Certain varieties of brass, such as lacquered and antique brass, need special cleaning techniques to preserve their integrity and aesthetic appeal. Because of its old appearance, antique brass should only be lightly cleaned to preserve its patina. To avoid damaging the protective layer covering lacquered brass, use gentle cleaning solutions. Examine the texture and finish of the brass to determine its type. Lacquered brass seems glossy, but antique brass may have a worn appearance. Antique brass can be cleaned with a gentle cloth and mild soap, while lacquered brass can be cleaned with a moist cloth to maintain its distinctive qualities and increase its longevity.
Maintenance of Brass God Idols
Brass is basically fairly low maintenance, despite the mythological and historical attributes that make it seem intimidating. Objects made of brass have remarkable strength over a prolonged period of time since the metal is strong and will not corrode quickly. Pure brass is a lovely golden yellow hue, but over time, exposure to ambient air and moisture causes metal to tarnish. Dark greenish-black tarnish appears on brass over time. The item is unaffected by the tarnish itself. Connoisseurs disagree on whether the tarnish detracts from the visual appeal of brass, nevertheless. While some antique brass connoisseurs consider that brass is most charismatic in its golden sheen, others argue that tarnish gives brass idols texture and beauty.
You get to select the degree to which you want tarnish stains on the brass items in your home. Brass doesn’t require much care; if you don’t mind tarnishing, you may completely skip the polishing phase. In addition, brass merely needs to be dusted and cleaned from time to time.
Dusting
As we all know, dusting cleans your brass idols of any collected dust or grime. It is advised that you routinely brush your brass idols to prevent dust from settling on them. Dust not only tarnishes the objects’ appearance but also runs the danger of scratching them, degrading their attractiveness in general. In addition to dust, humidity and grease particles from the atmosphere also land on brass statues, causing tarnishing or unwanted blemishes. It is advised to dust brass idols using a clean, dry cloth at least three times a week for maximum effects.
Cleaning
Brass idols need to be cleaned by wiping them with a cleaning solution for a deeper cleaning. Cleaning is mostly necessary because brass idols develop greasy coatings on their surfaces that, if left there, can seriously destroy the items. You can quickly remove the oil and make your brass idols spotless by using a retail cleaning solution, a simple detergent, or an acidic solution. To prevent irreparable harm, it’s crucial to remember that you must never use abrasive cleaning agents or solvents on your brass idols.
Polishing
Professionals should ideally perform the polishing. However, you may also complete it at home using polishing methods designed for professionals. It is crucial that you purchase the right polishing agents for the brass idols, and it is even more crucial that you strictly adhere to the directions provided with each of these polishing chemicals. Brass idol polishing may go horribly wrong and potentially harm the product if it is not done properly.
5 household items that you can use to clean brass idols
As you can see, maintaining your priceless brass idols just requires routine cleaning—at least once every three months. But it’s also crucial to keep in mind that cleaning brass cannot be done using abrasive chemicals. You may easily get cleaning supplies from shops, but you should carefully read the contents to make sure they don’t include anything that could damage your brass idols. Using common household things to wash the brass pieces is a much safer approach. These are frequently gentle and easily accessible.
The following list of commonplace things can be used to clean brass idols:
- A combination of vinegar and salt
- A combination of lemon with baking soda
- Tomato pastes or ketchup
- Toothpaste
- Skin scrub
To keep your brass goods clean and glossy, take note that each of these contains gentle detergents or acidic substances that delicately remove any grease. These not only provide a mild cleanse, but they are also simple to procure and quite cheap.
The importance of a dedicated cleaning space for brass idols
Establishing a specific area for washing brass god idols is essential to promoting a concentrated and deferential approach to this practice. The idol is protected from unintentional harm and scratches by a spotlessly clean, well-lit location with plenty of room and a soft cloth spread out, underscoring the holiness of the washing procedure. This special area not only makes cleaning easier but also makes it a more deliberate and thoughtful action, increasing the respect and importance that are placed on the act of maintaining these holy items.
Summary
Brass idols are a popular and valuable household item in every region. Many people purchase brass idols for their homes out of a desire to radically transform the interior’s visual appeal or for spiritual reasons. The ability to properly care for a brass idol is just as crucial as owning one, though. I covered the fundamentals of caring for a brass idol in this blog post, along with some advice on how to cleanse brass idols with common home products.