# I scratched my copper tile, any help? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499 "2022-01-10T03:02:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499/1 "2022-01-10T03:02:10Z")
Copper tile on a wall in the kitchen. I was too aggressive cleaning it and it’s scratched. I’ve looked up and tried everything on line - baking soda/salt/lemon juice/ car wax. Nada. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499/2 "2022-01-10T03:41:07Z")
Is it real copper? (Not copper flash on ceramic, or some other substrate.) If so, it might be possible to buff the scratches out, but I suspect that you will never be able to both get the scratches buffed out **and** match the finish on the other tiles. It will either be a slightly different texture, or too shiny or too dull. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499/3 "2022-01-10T03:42:31Z")
Real copper, not ceramic, but again, IDK what copper flash is, very thin tiles ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499/4 "2022-01-10T03:44:03Z")
To save money, these things are sometimes made with a very, very thin layer of copper (or other expensive metal) on top of a cheaper substrate. Think “Silver Plate.” ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499/5 "2022-01-10T03:51:28Z")
Scratches need to be polished out. That involves removing material until the level is reduced down past the depth of the scratches. For a proper copper sheet this isn’t a problem. But for some form of plating there is a very real risk that there simply isn’t enough material to survive, and you end up polishing the entire copper surface away. Basically you polish the surface with abrasives, starting with one that is one step finer than the scratches, and moving to finer and finer grades until the abrasive is so fine it leaves a polished surface. Most hardware stores will sell what is needed. But you would want to be sure about what you are getting into. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-scratched-my-copper-tile-any-help/957499/6 "2022-01-10T05:23:36Z")
Thanks, I will get the box of extras back out of the shed tomorrow where i put it in a fit of pique after the manufacturer was decidedly unhelpful, maybe I can figure something out without having to chip out the scratched ones.