I've only just seen this thread, maybe I was too busy cleaning the brass.
I have brass door knobs and window catches, keyholes and hinges on old furniture and pedals on the piano.
I also have lots of brass which my parents collected in Japan just after the war, pots and bowls, dogs and butterflies, mirrors and vases. I clean them all about 3 times a year. My mother gave me all the Japanese stuff when she got old and couldn't be bothered to clean it any longer. One day I'll pass it down to my daughters. Will they want it?