Copper BBQ Pit Cleaning

Tarnish Removal

CertaPro Painters of Missouri City was asked to clean the tarnish off of the hood of a large BBQ pit and apply a seal to prevent the tarnish from returning. CertaPro used a  Copper Clean & Protect Kit from Everbrite for the project. The kit included  HD Copper Cleaning Gel Pint,  EZ-Prep Neutralizer, and Everbrite Protective Coating. There were multiple steps and the project took five days.

First, CertaPro degreased the hood  with a mild degreasing soap (like Dawn dishwashing liquid) wash .There was no mold present but had there been CertaPro would have created a 20% bleach to water solution to remove the mold.

CertaPro tested the surface to determine if the copper had a previously applied coating on it by testing a small area with HD Gel Copper Cleaner. CertaPro put a small amount on the surface of the copper (about the size of a drink coaster), waited 30 minutes and wiped the gel off with a cloth.

Next, CertaPro applied the gel by liberally brushing the gel onto the copper. The crew was patient and left the gel on the surface for 5 hours which meant that they constantly misted the Gel with water to keep it moist.

Once the tarnish was loose, the crew thoroughly scrubbed the copper one section at a time with a no-scratch scrub pad, going in the direction of the copper grain (usually vertically) to prevent scratching or swirl marks and dried the surface with paper towels. In order to prevent oxidation and the return of tarnish the surface was neutralized with  EZ-Prep™ Neutralizer, rinsed with distilled water (Texas tap water has a high mineral content) and toweled dry.

Just prior to coating the surface with sealant the surface was wiped down with Xylene solvent. Lastly, the surface was protect with 3 coats of Everbrite protective coating.