Commercial products are promoted to clean and polish metal surfaces, but to avoid the expense, try some of these ideas.

To remove rust, soak the rusted item in undiluted vinegar. Aluminium cleans best with a cream of tartar and water solution. Brass can be cleaned with a paste made of vinegar, and equal parts of salt and flour. Olive oil will prevent brass from tarnishing when rubbed onto the clean surface. Chrome can be cleaned with undiluted vinegar and then polished with a small amount of baby oil, or the shiny side of aluminium foil.

Copper can also be cleaned with vinegar, (this works best when heated) and rubbed with salt. Copper with a more tarnished surface can be soaked in a solution of boiling water, salt and vinegar.

A paste of salt, vinegar and flour cleans pewter surfaces well, whereas stainless steel is easily cleaned witha  paste of baking soda and water. Olive oil can also be used to remove smears and marks from stainless steel.

Surprisingly, gold and silver can be cleaned with toothpaste, wetting with warm water and scrubbing with an old toothbrush. Avoid toxic commercial silver cleaners, and instead, polish by adding to a pan lined with aluminium foil with boiling water and a teaspoon of both baking soda and salt. A solution of baking soda and water will also clean silver.