Copper Maintenance: How to Care for your Copper Products

Caring for your copper sink proves remarkably simple as it requires minimal maintenance. Basic cleaning involves using mild soap and water—other cleaning agents are not necessary. It's crucial to avoid exposing your copper sink to harsh chemicals or acidic foods, as these can temporarily lighten its patina finish, whether it's a natural or applied patina. Therefore, it's best to steer clear of harsh chemicals or abrasive materials on any copper products.

Maintaining Your Desired Copper Finish

Part of the appeal of copper products is the gradual transformation of a copper finish. This finish adds an intriguing dimension to its character over time. As the surface matures, it develops an even more appealing appearance.

If desired, you can significantly slow down this transformation by using wax (or lacquer, when applicable). For maintenance specific to maintaining the bright patina of your matte copper sink or removing the patina from a darker finish, it's advisable to use copper cleaners like Barkeeper’s Friend or Wright’s Copper Cream. If opting for this method, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer on the bottle. Testing the polish on a small surface area beforehand is recommended. Prior to polishing the sink, remove the drain to prevent altering or removing its finish.

Except for lacquered finishes, all our SoLuna patinas are dynamic copper finishes that continue changing in color over time. We provide lacquer options for Matte Copper and Polished Copper bath and bar sinks if you prefer to maintain the patina color without changes. However, we do not recommend lacquer for kitchen or prep sinks due to their typically heavier use, which might wear the lacquer more quickly.

Water Levels and Your Copper Finish

As with any sink, if you live in an area where the water has a high mineral content, you may want to wipe your sink down periodically with a soft cloth to avoid water spotting. For extra protection, a product such as Renaissance Wax may be applied periodically to the clean copper surface. This will help maintain the luster and provide faster water runoff.

If you are looking to enhance the look of your beautiful copper sink, consider a sink grate. We encourage you to enjoy the living qualities of your beautiful, hand hammered SoLuna sink—it’s truly a unique and functional work of art! 

Copper Care for Unique Finishes

Dark Smoke and Rio Grande Finishes

Wiping your sink down with soap and water is generally all the cleaning your SoLuna Dark Smoke or Rio Grande copper sink will need. Unless you are trying to strip the finish to Matte Copper, be sure to keep copper cleaners, copper polishes, chemical cleaners and scrubbing pads away from your copper sink as they can all remove the color. Acidic foods such as lemon, salsa and ketchup can lighten the finish too if they are left sitting in the sink. This will not hurt the sink itself, and the patina will naturally darken again. Apply Renaissance Wax to protect the newly patinaed area. You can also have your copper sink pre-waxed prior to shipping to protect the finish in transit.

Café Natural

Café Natural starts off as one of the most even-toned patinas. Your Café Natural finished sink will continue to change in tone and may develop some lighter and darker areas with time. You can maintain the even coloration by regular applications of Renaissance Wax or carnauba wax. You can also have your copper sink pre-waxed by us at the factory.

Matte Copper

SoLuna’s Matte Copper finish can be treated in two ways—you can leave it to patina naturally or maintain it in the bright shiny, new copper state. The first option will be the lowest maintenance of all copper sinks—simply wash the sink with soap and water and let it patina naturally.

The shiny option will be the highest maintenance and is the only finish on which you can use a copper cleaner. Polish the sink every so often to remove the patina and bring the luster of the bright copper back again. After polishing, we recommend you apply a coat of Renaissance Wax to give the finish a little protection and extend the time between polishings.

Please note: Optional lacquer on Matte Copper seals the original patina of the sink. Wax is not necessary to maintain the finish of lacquered sinks. However, waxing does support easy clean up on both lacquered and unlacquered sinks.

Polished Copper

SoLuna’s Polished Copper patina is our shiniest patina. It is available with our bath and bar sinks, bathtubs, and lighting. The bright copper is polished to a shine and is finished with a glossy lacquer that makes maintenance and cleanup extremely easy. All you need to use is mild soap and water.

Waxing is not necessary with polished copper patinas as the lacquer seals the copper and prevents it from changing colors. However, waxing does support easy clean up on both lacquered and unlacquered sinks and will not harm the lacquer.

All SoLuna’s lacquered copper products have a 1-year warranty. With proper care and maintenance of lacquered sinks/tubs/range hood will last up to 7-10 years. We recommend regular maintenance using a crème Renaissance Wax, shown HERE. We do not recommend using harsh chemicals such as ammonia, bleach, or spray waxes or abrasive scouring pads/sponges. Using these types of products will void the lacquer warranty and remove the clear protective topcoat.

Copper Sinks with Nickel Plated Inlays

Most homeowners today are familiar with stainless steel sinks. But nickel plating is completely different. Plated nickel is more like silver plate—it will gradually develop a patina over time.

Most common metal cleaners can be used to brighten the nickel finish periodically but use them carefully. The nickel plating is only a thin layer covering copper. Overzealous rubbing can remove some of the nickel, allowing the copper color to show through. Also, if the copper portions of your sink have a patina, keep the metal cleaner away from the copper. We recommend using Renaissance Wax or carnauba wax on these sinks to avoid metal cleaner mishaps.