'We have 18th-century candlesticks in our home-made of the same material-and they still look beautiful, hundreds of years later,' says Sallick. Ultimately, with proper care, unlacquered brass should last a lifetime-or longer. If you find that your unlacquered brass faucet tarnishes more quickly than you'd like, you can also consider coating it with carnauba car wax, which will seal the surfaces (and reapply as it wears off). Depending on how much of a patina you want, unlacquered brass kitchen faucets can be polished twice a year or as often as once a month. As a rule, Sallick doesn't recommend DIY mixtures, many of which, she says, are abrasive and scratch the finish.
There's one important detail to note, however, if you turn to brass polish: Most formulas are corrosive to some countertop surfaces, like marble or wood, so be careful not to overdo it, especially around the escutcheons that join the faucet to the countertop.
