# Caring for Your Brass Mist Spray Bottle
Every part of this bottle — including the mist mechanism itself — is solid, uncoated brass, hand-fabricated by artisans in India. That's a genuinely rare thing to find in a spray bottle, and it means a little care goes a long way in keeping it working beautifully for years.
## Before first use
Rinse the bottle through with clean water and pump a few times to clear anything left over from handmaking.
## What to fill it with
Water only — this bottle is designed for misting plants, not oils or essential oil blends. Oils can gum up the fine, hand-fitted moving parts inside the mechanism, which are precision-made to tight tolerances.
Where possible, use filtered, distilled, or rain water rather than tap water. Ordinary tap water is fine, but in hard-water areas it can leave mineral deposits inside the fine mist nozzle over time, which is the most common reason a mist weakens or turns uneven.
## Cleaning the outside
Because the brass is uncoated, it will naturally darken and develop a patina with use — that's not a fault, it's simply what real, untreated brass does. A little natural care restores the shine whenever you'd like it back:
**Lemon & salt:** Cut a lemon in half, dip the cut side in salt, and rub gently over the surface, then rinse and dry.
**Vinegar & salt:** Mix 1 tablespoon of salt with 2 tablespoons of vinegar, apply with a soft cloth, rub gently, then rinse and dry.
**Soap nuts:** Soak a few soap nuts in warm water for 20–30 minutes until it lathers, then use that liquid with a soft cloth. A fully natural option with no acid involved.
**No soap nuts on hand?** A small amount of plant-based dishwashing liquid on a damp cloth works as an easy substitute.
Whichever method you use, dry the bottle thoroughly afterward — brass left damp will start to tarnish again quickly.
## Keeping the mist mechanism clear
If the spray starts to weaken or spray unevenly, that's almost always mineral build-up rather than a fault with the bottle. Fill the bottle with a diluted vinegar-and-water solution (roughly one part vinegar to three parts water), pump it through a few times, then flush thoroughly with clean water until no vinegar smell remains.
## A gentle touch with the pump
Because the entire mechanism is handmade brass rather than moulded plastic, it deserves a slightly gentler hand than a mass-produced spray bottle. It shouldn't ever need force — if the pump feels stiff or catches, stop and get in touch with us rather than pushing through it, so we can help rather than risk damaging a hand-fitted part.
## Storage
If you won't be using the bottle for an extended period, empty it, dry it thoroughly, and store it somewhere dry. Moisture left sitting in the mechanism is the main thing that can cause tarnish to build up in the tighter, harder-to-reach parts.
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*Questions about caring for your Goodly Gosh brass mist bottle? Reach out any time at dogood@goodlygosh.com.au.*