Tarnish dulls the shine of brass and finally turns the surface of a brass chain black. The best way of cleaning a heavily decorated brass chain is dependent on if you would like to use a commercial iron cleaner or an eco friendly cleanser. The former is designed to make quick work of the job with minimal scrubbing, while the latter is inexpensive and nontoxic.
Commercial Brass Cleaner
Wear a set of rubber gloves and soak a soft, dry, white cloth using liquid brass cleaner.
Hold the chain at one end and run the cloth down its length, massaging gently. If the cloth does not remove all the tarnish from in the links, scrub gently with a soft toothbrush soaked in metallic cleanser.
Wipe away the cleaner using a dry, white cloth.
Polish the chain by buffing it with a microfiber polishing cloth.
The Organic Method
Squirt a drop of dishwashing liquid onto a wet, white cloth. Rub the cloth together to make suds.
Hold the chain at one end and run the botanical cloth from top to bottom, massaging gently to remove surface dirt.
Rinse the chain, and rinse and wring out the cloth.
Squirt a drop of ketchup or Worcestershire sauce onto the damp cloth.
Hold the chain at one end and run the cloth down its length, massaging gently. If the cloth does not remove all the tarnish from in the links, scrub gently with a soft toothbrush soaked in ketchup or Worcestershire sauce.
Rinse the cloth, wring it out and wipe the ketchup or peel off the chain.
Polish the chain by buffing it with a microfiber polishing cloth.