Thurible Cleaning with Xtreme Clean

Our Xtreme Clean is such a versatile cleaner – removing dirt, grime and grease from pretty much everything! This thurible is used at Easter within the catholic church for the burning of incense. Our Xtreme Clean cleaned it up so that it was bright and shining for the service!

If you have a thurible you wanted cleaned simply follow the steps:

First: Put down some newspaper! This stuff is messy! Lots of newspaper. Just trust us.

Secondly : Most incense in New Zealand uses tree gum as part of the fragrance. This leaves behind a very sticky residue for cleaning. (This one was overloaded so hence the black streaks of gum on the outside)

The first thing you want to do is to soak the inside of the base with Xtreme Clean. Use this at a 1:3 mix (one part Xtreme Clean to three parts water) and leave for at least an hour.

Use a wire brush to scrub out the bottom. Regularly dip the bottom into hot water so that the gum parts you have scrubbed off do not restick to the thurible.

Then you come to the outside. For this it is easier to make a small mix of 1:3 of Xtreme Clean (one part Xtreme Clean to three parts water) but use hot water. Make up only about half a cup at a time, and wipe it on the brass with a sponge. Then use fine steel wool (so you don’t scratch the exterior) and scrub. Again, regularly dunk the thurible in hot water to remove any smeary buildup before it hardens.

Enjoy a finished job!

Some points: Gum sets when it is cold. (a bit like wax) using hot water to rise off the thurible ensures any residue doesn’t cool and reset meaning it has to be cleaned off again.

The huge advantage to using Xtreme Clean (over other cleaners) is that it doesn’t stink when the thirible is heated again for use. Most other cleaners leave a residue that when it burns smells foul. Xtreme Clean residue comes off in water, but more importantly if you miss some, it just smells faintly of orange when heated.

One of the other advantages about Xtreme Clean is that it cannot damage brass or copper – perfect for thurible cleaning.