Home >> Collecting >> Antiques

How to Clean a Brass Eagle Oil Lamp Burner

Oil lamps are a favorite of collectors, a cozy reminder of simpler times. Since they were a common household item, they are easy to come by and relatively inexpensive. Cleaning the glass base and chimney is usually simple, but cleaning an antique brass eagle burner is more complicated. Years of accumulated soot and grime, compounded by decades of neglect in someone's attic or barn, is enough to intimidate any collector. However, even the most filthy, tarnished burner can be restored with the right materials, as long as the brass hasn't been completely eaten away by rust.

Things You'll Need

Hair dryer
Cooking oil or mineral oil
Soft cloths
Cuticle stick
Basin
Hot water
Dish soap
Small brushes
Rubber gloves
CLR cleaner
Brass polish

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the burner from the lamp. If the burner does not come out easily, set a hair dryer on high heat and hold it 3 to 4 inches from the burner for one minute. Put on an oven mitt and gently remove the burner. If it still won't budge, allow the lamp to cool down and repeat the hair dryer process several times. Only use this technique on empty lamps, since the heat could cause the oil to combust.
- 2
  Wash relatively clean, unclogged burners with oil to avoid rust. Put a dab of cooking oil or mineral oil on a soft cloth, and rub the burner gently to remove soot and residue. Wrap the cloth around a cuticle stick or another thin object with a pointed tip to clean the holes and crevices. Wipe away the excess oil and allow the burner to dry before putting it back in the lamp.
- 3
  Wash dirty burners with soapy water. Fill a basin with very hot water, stir in a few drops of dish soap and place the burner in the solution. Scrub the residue off the burner with a small brush, making sure to clean the crevices. Brushes made for cleaning musical instruments work well for this task.
- 4
  Tackle very dirty brass burners by soaking them in equal parts CLR and water, to remove rust, grime and mineral deposits. Put on rubber gloves, place the burner in the mixture and use small brushes to scrub away the residue. Leave the burner in the solution for the least amount of time necessary to get it clean. Do not overuse this technique since it will eat away at the metal and leave the brass with a coppery cast if done too often.
- 5
  Rinse the burner thoroughly with water and dry it with a hair dryer. Wiping the burner dry or allowing it to air dry could leave moisture on the burner, causing it to rust.
- 6
  Polish the burner with brass polish, if desired. Apply the polish to a soft cloth, rub the burner down and buff it with a clean soft cloth.

Antiques