How to Age Shiny Metal

You know how much I love rustic. With the easy steps in this tutorial, you’ll see how to age shiny metal buckets, trays, milk cans and more, to make them appealingly rustic. If you don’t want to spend days or weeks scouring your local thrift shops for antique metal finds, then this post is for you!

How To Age Shiny Metal

Age Shiny Metal: Method #1

So there are two easy ways to age shiny metal–this is the first option. With this option, you need some simple ingredients from your kitchen pantry.

• Table salt
• White vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide

You also need a container big enough to hold the shiny metal you want to age, as well as some rubber gloves. A plastic bin works well for this project!

In the bottom of the plastic bin, pour a few tablespoons of table salt. The bigger the item, the more salt you should use. Place your shiny metal bucket, basket or other item on top of the salt. Pour enough white vinegar in to completely submerge the metal.

As the item sits, the mixture bubbles. After several hours, when the bubbling stops, wear gloves to remove it from the salt and vinegar solution. Rinse out the plastic bin, but do not rinse the metal!

Place the metal back into the plastic bin, add several more tablespoons of salt, and then cover the metal with hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak for approximately half an hour, or until bubbling stops. Remove from the solution and place on dry toweling to air dry. That’s it!

Method #2

The second method to age shiny metal is simpler, but involves chemicals. Namely, some Lysol toilet bowl cleaner. This method gives more of that greenish-blue tint to your aged metal, so if you like that this may be the method you want to try.

Have a container on hand to soak your metal in, or a big piece of cardboard for it to stand on. Coat the metal with the toilet bowl cleaner. Wearing gloves, work it in with a piece of steel wool. Now allow it some time to sit. It can take up to 24 hours to achieve the look you want, but this step is pretty hands-off–just waiting!

After soaking time, rinse away all traces of the Lysol and then allow your now aged metal to air dry thoroughly.

Here are some ideas to help you use your aged metal in your home décor!