Cleaning cases with white vinegar

[NoirFan]

This might be an old trick that you guys already know about but I just tried this and it works pretty well. I don't own a tumbler because I live in a small apartment and because of that had never really cleaned my cases before. It didn't seem to affect accuracy but I was getting tired of griming up my dies and fingers.

I dropped a couple hundred grimy .38 special decapped cases into a plastic bag with 2 parts hot water and 1 part white vinegar, then swished it around a bit and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Immediately the liquid turned soot grey. After rinsing twice and drying on a baking sheet, they look pretty good; not as good as new, a few water spots here and there, but they don't get my dies dirty so it works for me.

Any downsides to this method that I should know about?

 

[Hokie_PhD]

There is debate by some about the acid in the vinegar being bad for the brass.

What you need to do is to rinse the brass in water and baking soda after cleaning them with the vinegar. The baking soda will neutralize any acid that isn't washed off/out of the brass.

Also you don't need to mix it 2:1. you can mix up a cup of vinegar with a gallon of water. Add in some ammonia and you can reduce your cleaning time to about 15 minutes.

BTW, I found this when I was looking for cleaning without a tumbler and other electric means. I don't know about others, but if say an EMP took out all of our power, I'd like to be able to at least clean my brass good enough to use!

 

[243winxb]

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cleaning-brass-using-citric-acid.708100/page-2

I would avoid ammonia.

 

[splattergun]

I don't know about others, but if say an EMP took out all of our power, I'd like to be able to at least clean my brass good enough to use!

A quick wipe with a rag will do that. Generations of handloaders did that before the ammo-as-jewelry craze hit.

 

[CptnAwesome]

Good advice so far.

What you're doing is similar to the way I clean my brass. I do 1/2 cup vinegar, 4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons dish liquid and 1 tablespoon lemishine.
Soak and for a couple hours swishing here and there. I haven't noticed any negatives so far.
Not as bright and shiny as a tumbler but it works.

 

[quaid]

I was satisfied with the results of soap and water followed by a rinse. They were so clean they made the dies squeak so I added lube.

Eventually I built a dry tumbler and keep using the same worn out media and call it good enough.

The too clean brass squeaking made me wonder if I was doing more harm then good.

 

[Varminterror]

I use 1:1 vinegar solution for the first stage of my ultrasonic recipe. I basically use the "clean and shiny" recipe, modified slightly over the years, which can be found from 6mmbr.com.

 

[NoirFan]

There is debate by some about the acid in the vinegar being bad for the brass.

What you need to do is to rinse the brass in water and baking soda after cleaning them with the vinegar. The baking soda will neutralize any acid that isn't washed off/out of the brass.

Also you don't need to mix it 2:1. you can mix up a cup of vinegar with a gallon of water. Add in some ammonia and you can reduce your cleaning time to about 15 minutes.

BTW, I found this when I was looking for cleaning without a tumbler and other electric means. I don't know about others, but if say an EMP took out all of our power, I'd like to be able to at least clean my brass good enough to use!

Thanks for the tips everyone, I'll try them next time. I got the idea when I remembered that people use white vinegar to clean brass doorknobs and fixtures. Also when you shine copper pots, you cut a lemon in half and sprinkle coarse salt on it, then use it like a scouring pad. The acid does all the work while you sit and relax

 

[mdi]

I like it when a reloader finds an easy solution for a problem. The only down side I could think of is mebbe the vinegar cleaning would leave the brass nekkid and it may tarnish easily...

FWIW (and not concerned with reloading after an EMP) I reloaded for 12 years before I got a tumbler. I tried a couple "old school" solutions, but mostly just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag as I inspected it. No ruined dies, and I could spot all defects, and if I wanted some "BBQ" brass I polished them with steel wool....

 

[hdwhit]

The Hornady Handbook #4 specifically discusses the use of household white vinegar to clean/shine brass.

Don't leave the brass in concentrated solutions for more than about 30 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly three times with hot water and then dry. I put mine on a towel and let it air dry overnight in the garage

If rinse thoroughly, passivation with a base is not necessary.

If you want more "forgiveness" from your weak acid, use lower concentrations or switch to citric acid (lemi-shine or citric acid sold for home canning) or oxoleic acid (barkeeper's friend).

I suggest you not use fruit juices since they contain sugar that if not thoroughly rinsed off will promote tarnish.

And finally, avoid using salt. It may speed up the process but it is difficult to remove and will promote tarnishing.

 

[IMtheNRA]

I tried some variation of that a long time ago, when I started reloading. Immediately, I saw that some of my brass began to look more "coppery". Upon closer inspection I observed what appeared to be copper deposits in the case walls. Turns out, the vinegar was reacting with zinc in the brass, leaving copper behind. I scrapped that batch of brass and haven't touched vinegar since that day.

 

[rsrocket1]

Don't be surprised if the brass starts to look "pinkish". The zinc will be leeched out by the acid and as others said, acetic acid does not passivate the brass like citric acid (like what's in LemiShine) does. If you use LemiShine, don't overdo it either. Stainless pin tumblers have noticed pink brass too if they left the brass in the tub too long.

Some vinegar users rinse in a weak solution of baking soda in water which will also help, but as long as you get all the acidic molecules away from the brass, it ought to be good enough.

I simply toss my brass in a vibratory tumbler, throw in a couple of cut up used dryer sheets, set the lamp timer to 3 hours, turn it on and leave. 1 hour is good enough for clean, 3 for clean and very shiny.

 

[hdwhit]

IMtheNRA wrote:
Immediately, I saw that some of my brass began to look more "coppery". Upon closer inspection I observed what appeared to be copper deposits in the case walls.

What concentration of acetic acid were you using and how long was your exposure time.

I've used 3% acetic acid for "chemical milling" of brass before and while I have started to get measurable dimensional changes after 72 hours, I have never encountered "copper deposits".

 

[hdwhit]

I wonder if cider vinegar would work, too?

 

[kwg020]

I have heard a million reasons why NOT to use ammonia to clean brass. Has anyone used Brasso to clean the collar brass for your Army uniforms? My collar brass from 40 years ago is still in great shape. It got Brasso'd almost every day for 3 years. I use Windex or a similar product to clean all of my rifle brass and some of it is on the 4th reload. I spray the dirty brass with the windex until it is nice and wet, I then rinse it twice with hot water and then lay the brass out to dry. I then tumble it for 2 hours. I think the key is, I don't let the windex set on it for more than a few minutes before it gets rinsed. It hasn't failed me yet even if the ammo sets for several years before it gets shot. I see no reason why vinegar would not work. I just think there are faster ways to get brass clean.

 

[mdi]

Ammonia will affect/corrode brass. Fact. But how much and how quickly it happens it the "controversy". Like kwg020 has used it for years on decorative brass with no ill effects. But some who used ammonia based cleaner on cartridge brass have reported corrosion, mostly over a period of time. It's one of those internet "theory vs. real life" discussions...

 

[fguffey]

Cleaning cases with white vinegar: I have cleaned cases in white vinegar, all of the vinegar I have used had an acid content of 5%, What does that mean? It means I clean my cases in 5% white vinegar for a maximum of 15 minutes and that 15 minutes in the vinegar is for the life of the cases meaning I do not make it a habit. I use vinegar for the worst of cases to cut down on TT, that would be tumbling time, before vinegar I use another acid. The other acid cut cleaning time to 90 seconds maximum. After cleaning in the other acid I had to rinse the cases in boiling water twice. And then there is no mistake about the cleaning method, the cases take on a different appearance.

F. Guffey

 

[jhansman]

After I decap/resize, I soak my brass in heated vinegar for about an hour. It doesn't seem to have much effect on the outside of the case, but I can tell that the debris inside is reduced. Does it assist in making a more accurate round? I dunno. I still tumble in walnut for a couple of hours, and occasionally I will run it though corn cob for an hour for that lovely shine. I figure the better I treat my brass, the longer it will safely last.

 

[fguffey]

New
After I decap/resize, I soak my brass in heated vinegar for about an hour.

Before I started cleaning cases with vinegar I started with a few cases at a time, I cleaned 38 Special cases in 5% vinegar for 30 minutes, the cases turned pink/orange. I found I had nothing to gain by going beyond 15 minutes. I also use vinegar for cleaning old rusty tools, pots and cast iron, time wise I am forgiven for more mistakes when using vinegar than I when using the acid that smokes.

F. Guffey

 

[H&R Glock]

I had a problem with my 50bmg brass. It would not fit into my tumbler! Got some Birchwood Casey brand brass cleaner, mixed it with hot water, and followed instructions. After the treatment the brass came out with a frosted look. Chucked it up for trimming in the drill and then hit it with fine steel wool after the trim operation. Voila' fine looking brass even a gunney sargeant would love to shoot.