Last updated on January 25th, 2022 at 10:40 am

Door handles are something you and your visitors use everyday. Keeping them clean and bacteria-free is something that can be forgotten, but there’s nothing worse than presenting your guests with a dirty door handle, plus, if left unclean, you could damage the surface of your door handles permanently.

As well as leading to the build up of bacteria and dirt, not cleaning your door handles regularly can result in them becoming tarnished and looking worn before their time.

The good news is that depending on the material your door knob is made of, you are likely to already have the ideal cleaning materials to hand. And it is important to know exactly what your door handles are made of as using the wrong type of cleaner may actually harm them. Luckily our handy door knob cleaning guide is going to tell you exactly what cleaning material is going to suit the door knobs in your house.

Door handles can generally be cleaned using just soap, water and a soft cloth. Almost as important as what to clean door handles with, is what not to clean door handles with. It is best to avoid harsh abrasive cleaning substances and materials such as wire wool that will scratch and harm surfaces.

How do You Clean Brass Door Handles?

Brass door handles are a traditional choice but do come in a variety of forms from Victorian to the more contemporary minimalist styles.

Brass handles also come in different finishes including polished, satin and unlacquered finishes which will dictate what cleaning method you will use.

The easiest way to clean brass door handles is with warm water that has a tiny amount of washing up liquid added to it and a soft cloth. Do use quality dishwashing liquid though as cheaper brands can have salt in them which could lead to the tarnishing of the brass.

After cleaning the brass door handle with soapy water make sure you use fresh water to rinse any remaining soap residue away, and use a dry cloth to get rid of excess water and bring a shine to the handle.

How do You Clean Tarnished Brass Door Handles?

You can clean tarnished brass handles with a cloth that has been soaked in white vinegar or pure lemon juice. After you have cleaned the handles with the cloth, use clean water and a fresh cloth to rinse away any remaining vinegar or lemon juice. Then buff the handles with a dry cloth.

If however your brass door handles have a clear coated finish that has become tarnished  you might need to remove the remaining finish with white spirit before cleaning the brass surface and then making a decision as to whether you will reapply the coating.

How do You Clean Chrome Door Handles?

You can clean tarnished brass handles with a cloth that has been soaked in white vinegar or pure lemon juice. After you have cleaned the handles with the cloth, use clean water and a fresh cloth to rinse away any remaining vinegar or lemon juice. Then buff the handles with a dry cloth.

If however your brass door handles have a clear coated finish that has become tarnished  you might need to remove the remaining finish with white spirit before cleaning the brass surface and then making a decision as to whether you will reapply the coating.

Chrome is a great finish for door handles as chrome is hard-wearing and requires little cleaning. Usually you can use a dry cloth to buff and clean chrome handles. However, if the door handles have accumulated dirt you will want to use soap and warm water and make sure you rinse thoroughly and dry. Overcleaning or using abrasive substances will result in the chrome coating being rubbed away to reveal the metal below.

How do You Clean Stainless Steel Door Handles?

Stainless Steel door handles are often used in commercial & industrial situations and are amongst the hardiest of handles. Once again soapy water should be good enough to clean most stains but when faced with stubborn spots such as grease or water scaling, ammonia-based commercial cleaning fluids can be used, as long as the handles are rinsed thoroughly with water afterwards. Abrasive cleaning pastes and steel wool should be avoided to prevent scratching the stainless steel surface.