Ok. So maybe not fried potatoes but using potatoes and other common foods to clean your brass or copper really is a thing! There are several household food items that you can use to remove tarnish from copper and brass just as effectively as a commercial cleaner. Before you polish your items, be sure to give them a quick wash with soap and water. Here are some examples, and we would suggest you try these on a small area first:
Potatoes
An ap-peeling way to polish your copper/brass is by using potatoes or even the peels. Acid in the potato makes this an excellent cleaner. Next time you peel potatoes, save your peels and lay them on your item. Or you can cut the potato in half and rub the item with the cut end. Not a lot of effort is needed to get your items polished! Then rinse and dry.
Ketchup
Not just a condiment anymore. The combination of acid and salt found in ketchup dissolves the oxide buildup. Just rub the tarnished copper/brass until shiny. Then rinse and dry.
Lemon
Don't let those tarnished rods leave you sour. Another natural food with acidity is lemon. Just cut a lemon in half, add salt to the cut side and rub gently onto the item. You can also make a paste with lemon juice, and equal parts salt and non-oxidized cornstarch or baking soda. Then rinse and dry.
Vinegar and Salt
Vinegar is the mother of all household cleaners. Just rub a mixture of 1 tablespoon of table salt and 1 cup of white vinegar onto the copper/brass with a soft cloth and rinse.
So, the next time you run out of that store bought polish or you just want to go natural, try opening your refrigerator or pantry and grab a polish off your shelf!