What material are the beautiful switch plates? On the railing I would use Naval Jelly to remove the rust spots, that stuff is awesome. You could try a small dab of the Naval Jelly on the back of the switch plate and see how that works, as long as they aren't plastic. Other members will have more suggestions for you, show us the after......

Thank you Christine! The switch plates are heavy brass or some sort of metal. I had never heard of naval jelly! 😃

erin432, Naval Jelly has been around a long time, you'll only need the small jar, I like it because it's thick and doesn't have any nasty odors and it's only a few $ . Your welcome, keep us posted......

Is that top of the hand rail brass or wood?..if it's brass, it's an easy fix....brasso and a roll of paper towels and lots of rubbing. I believe the reason it's 2 different colors is because it was lacquered and hands wore away the lacquer and allowed it to tarnish.
the switch plates will clean up as well....but it's important to know the metal. a picture of the back side will help. If they are brass a soak in paint remover will remove the lacquer and allow them to "mellow" a bit. I think it would be a huge mistake to get rid of them.....if they are brass and not plastic they are magnificent! And really go with the ornate staircase. You don't have to use them right now....but in the future your tastes may change and you may want to re install them.

The switch plates are actually plaster (like most everything else in the house). But great advice on the railing!!

Now I don't like them so well.....