I just purchased outdoor solar lights in a copper finish. How do you keep copper looking clean?
Deb D – I’m sorry to say this to you but the copper finish will tarnish and within a year it will fade and even turn into a dull silvery metal look. If you try any lemon, vinegar etc.. etc.. you will only accelerate the tarnishing process.
your only chance of keeping the copper finish is by using a lacquer finish on them and even then it will soon tarnish because of the sun. the finish on most of the solar fixture is poor at best & unless the fixture is made with true copper all the way through and not an applied (very thin) copper finish it will soon fade.
The reason I know this is because I’ve been designing, installing & repairing Landscape Lighting systems for about 20 years now. I get about 15 calls a week from people wanting me to repair their solar lights and I now tell them it’s cheaper to buy new ones (I getquestions about the finishes all the time). I think the idea of a "Solar powered – LED lights" in theory is great but honestly the reality is very different. The LED light is very dim and the color temparature is very unnatural giving a weird looking light. Plus within a year you will have to replace the batteries – and get this most of those types of batteries are considered hazerdous and should be recycled at your city/county recycle center.
Sorry Deb, I know this isn’t the answer you were hoping for, I truely wish I could give you a problem solving answer but the truth is you’ll spend more time and money trying save the nice copper finish but the results I’ve seen all come out the same. Sorry.
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