soak the pieces in the kitchen sink with 4 packages of KoolAid for two hours (I'd imagine you could use 1 package for smaller items but this was a lot of brass). It saved me a lot of rubbing, polishing and brass polish. The only drawback I can find is that it turned my hands red (stained by the dye) so it would be best to wear rubber gloves. Also, wash the pieces with soap and water before soaking so they will be free of dirt and grease. For stubborn spots, use a little very fine 00 steel wool.

It is supposed to work on silver also.