Cupronickel cutlery does not retain its original shiny appearance for long - this is no secret. And yet they do not lose popularity, because they look no worse than silver ones. Until they get dark, of course. Each housewife has her own secrets for putting these spoons and forks in order. I acquired my own “gentleman’s set” of such skills after I found a set of cupronickel silver cutlery in a beautiful velvet box in my mother’s sideboard. It was beyond my modest strength to resist and not beg. When my purchase lost its “face,” I wondered how to clean cupronickel spoons, it’s good that mom also found a set of tips. And I will share these methods from my mother’s “chest” with you; by the way, all of them have already been tested on myself - they all work without damaging the spoons.
In this article:
Tooth powder, toothpaste and baking soda: three - don't be lazy
Let's start with the simplest thing - you can clean nickel silver devices with tooth powder or regular toothpaste. Apply toothpaste or powder to a cotton pad; if you take the powder, it’s better to wet the cotton pad, then it won’t crumble, and selflessly rub it until it shines. musical accompaniment favorite series.
Another way to train your hands is with a strong solution of baking soda. Pour some water into a small bowl, throw in a few tablespoons of soda, and use this solution to clean the spoons with the hard side of the sponge. Well, of course, let’s not forget about forks and knives.
Methods for lazy people
When I finally got tired of scrubbing, and the nickel silver appliances in my kitchen again looked as if they had been buried in the ground for a hundred years, my mother shared the rest of her “baggage”, after first calling me a lazy person. As if it was impossible to tell everything at once, and not giggle into a rag while I leave shreds of nerves and manicure on the spoons. So, as it turns out, there are ways to clean cupronickel silver cutlery without any effort at all.
First way
Pour a liter of water into a saucepan, add one tablespoon of table salt and ground shells of two raw eggs. After the water boils, put cupronickel in a saucepan and boil for a minute or two. Everything shines, no worse than silver. While your spoons are boiling, you can safely do other things.
Second way
Another “tiring” way to clean cupronickel: cover the bottom of the pan with foil, put all your spoons and forks on it so that the water covers them completely. Add two tablespoons of soda to the water and put on fire. When the water boils, you will see everything for yourself - your cutlery will begin to brighten right before your eyes. Boil this for about ten to fifteen minutes, and then rinse with cool water.
That’s the whole secret, this way you can clean cupronickel silver cutlery without straining at all. Instead of water and soda, you can pour potato broth onto the foil with spoons. It may take a little longer to simmer, about half an hour, but the result will be just as great.
I hope some of the above is useful to you. The main thing is not to share secrets with your husband, then a cup of coffee and cake, drunk after work with a friend, can always be covered with the phrase: “I’ve been scrubbing spoons and forks all evening, I’m tired - it’s terrible!”
Cutlery made of cupronickel, as well as silver, is found in almost every home. So I, while cleaning out my parents’ closets, came across a small box with teaspoons made of cupronickel with gold plating. But after lying unnecessarily for thirty years, they acquired a very deplorable appearance.
In search of information on how to clean cupronickel spoons, I looked through a lot of different sites and found quite a few simple ways eliminating this terrible coating on spoons. In practice, I decided to try several cleaning options using simple home remedies as an experiment.
To begin with, I tried to simply wash the spoons using my usual dishwashing detergent, but this, of course, had no effect on the plaque.
So we'll experiment.
1 way. Cover the bottom of a stainless (or enamel) container with foil and place spoons. Pour in 60 g of soda ash and 40 g of salt.
Fill in hot water so that the objects are completely covered with it. Place the container on the stove and boil for 15 minutes over low heat (so that the signs of boiling are barely noticeable). The spoons begin to lighten right before our eyes.
Rinse them clean water, in order to remove traces of soda and salt, and wipe dry with a soft cloth. There was no trace left of the black spots.
Method 2. Apply a little toothpaste to a cotton pad (you can also use powder) and rub the nickel silver spoon, of course, with a little effort. And the spoons sparkled again with their original shine. What an effect!
3 way. Pour a liter of water into a saucepan, put it on fire, throw in the crushed shells of two eggs (raw) and 30 g of salt.
As soon as the water boils, we place cupronickel spoons in it, boil for literally two minutes, and... all efforts were in vain. The spoons have not changed at all.
Method 4 is intended specifically for nickel silver with gilding. Wet a ball of cotton wool apple cider vinegar(you can also use egg white, turpentine or wine vinegar) and thoroughly rub the spoon with it. Alas! Nothing again positive result. I even tried to soak the spoon in a pure vinegar solution for several minutes, but to no avail.
5 way. Grate the peeled potato tuber on a fine grater and dip cupronickel spoons into the pulp.
Perhaps this cleaning method is the safest, since there is no need to rub or boil, much less use chemicals. Only natural ingredients. True, there is no sense in it either. All the blackness remained in place.
Here are 5 ways I've tried to clean cupronickel silver cutlery. What I liked most was the option using toothpaste. It was with this that I cleaned all the spoons that took part (to no avail) in other experiments. The paste instantly removes all the blackness.
But this is not all the ways to clean cupronickel items. I’ll just mention the rest in passing, in case they come in handy for someone.
To clean cupronickel spoons with minor stains in the form of streaks and darkening, you can also use these available means, How:
ammonia, if you dilute it in warm water and simply wash the equipment with this solution, then rinse in clean water and wipe dry;
chalk, if you crush it to flour and sprinkle it on a suede cloth, wipe objects with it;
vodka or alcohol if you rub cupronickel silverware with a soft cloth moistened with it;
water remaining after boiling eggs or potatoes - you just need to wash the items with it or soak it overnight;
special means, used for cleaning jewelry.
Now about what you should never do when trying to clean nickel silver objects. So, you cannot use any products containing chlorine - this has a bad effect on cupronickel;
Use abrasive substances and rub nickel silver products with rough, hard sponges - this will damage the integrity of the coating;
These items should be washed in the dishwasher.
And in conclusion, a few words about how to properly “maintain” and store items made of cupronickel, so that later you do not have to make efforts to restore their former sparkling appearance. To do this, you just need to follow a few rules:
it is advisable to store cupronickel cutlery separately from all others in a box;
After using the devices, you must immediately detergent wash them, then dip them in a soda solution;
any method of washing or cleaning cupronickel items should be completed by wiping them dry with a soft cloth;
After finishing the washing procedure, ideally dry forks, spoons, knives made of nickel silver must first be wrapped in paper (the wrapper will absorb excess moisture), then wrapped in cling film (to prevent air penetration), and for added security, also packed in foil.
If you handle cupronickel items correctly, you will not need to make any effort to bring them into proper shape. All in our hands.
Buy cupronickel cutlery good quality at the best prices from a trusted seller
New products made from cupronickel can hardly be distinguished from silver ones. Cupronickel is an alloy of silver, copper, nickel and zinc. Cupronickel silver cutlery is very popular, less common Jewelry and dishes made of cupronickel. Like silver, cupronickel items darken over time. Returning them to their original radiance is a troublesome and painstaking task.
From high humidity Both silver and cupronickel darken. Products must be cleaned regularly. Experts recommend cleaning cupronickel after each use. To do this, you can use a solution of baking soda in the following ratio: 50 g of baking soda per 1 liter of warm water. But if they are used daily, it is not always possible to carefully care for them.
Cleaning products made from cupronickel can also be done at home. It is more correct to use special products: solutions, pastes, wipes or polishes. As a rule, these products are sold in jewelry stores. But since we are talking about cutlery, there is a high risk of exposure to harmful chemical substances into the human body when eating.
Cleaning cupronickel at home can also be done the old fashioned way - using a piece of suede, crushed chalk, alcohol or vodka. All these products help to thoroughly clean darkened cupronickel. Cleaning in this case turns into endless rubbing of objects to their original shine.
It is widely believed that toothpaste or cleans darkened cupronickel. Cleaning, however, may be unsafe, since mechanical stress can leave microcracks on the surface of the product. In this case, cupronickel will darken even faster.
Experienced housewives return the shine to cupronickel products using ammonia. They pour it into a container, and nickel silver products are lowered into it one by one. After this, the products are thoroughly washed under water and wiped dry. This method of cleaning cupronickel is good, except that ammonia has a pungent odor, which can cause a headache and make you feel worse.
There is an opinion that boiling nickel silver products in garlic peels also restores their shine. But in this case, it is quite difficult to determine the concentration of the garlic peel decoction, on which the success of cleaning cupronickel depends.
If you have large enough products made of cupronickel, they can be cleaned in a water bath using First of all, you need to find a container in which the cupronickel product will fit. Next, pour water into it and fall asleep citric acid at the rate of 100 g of acid per 1 liter. water and add a small piece copper wire. When the water boils, you can lower cupronickel items into it one by one for 15-20 minutes, depending on the degree of contamination.
But there is another well-known and time-tested way to clean cupronickel. Cleaning with baking soda. Many housewives like to use soda as a cleaning agent, citing its safety for health. Baking soda removes any dirt well and is easily washed off from surfaces.
So, to clean cupronickel products you will need a pan, foil and baking soda. The bottom of the pan should be lined with foil. Pour water and add baking soda at the rate of 4 tablespoons of soda per 1 liter of water. Boil water and, without turning off the heat, lower cupronickel items into the pan for 15-20 minutes. At the end, cupronickel products must be flattened under water and wiped dry.
If cupronickel cutlery is not used every day, then it should be stored wrapped in foil. This will help avoid darkening.
No matter how troublesome it may be to maintain the cleanliness and shine of cupronickel products, you must always find time to put them in order. Setting the table with darkened cupronickel priors is considered bad form. And it’s much more pleasant to use shining devices yourself.
How to clean cupronickel and how to do it without much effort. These questions arise before every owner of a blackened table set. Initially, it is necessary to jointly find out what this metal is, what products are produced from it, and then answer the questions posed. After all, only knowing the history of origin and chemical composition, you can imagine what is allowed to be done with this alloy, and what actions are strictly prohibited.
Cupronickel as a mistake of the creator
Cupronickel turned out to be a foundry mistake when created. IN Ancient China The court foundry maker Li Lian Ying made a mistake while melting. The result of this mistake was an alloy of bronze (copper with tin), nickel and zinc. For inaccuracy in work and damaged material, the foundry worker was stripped of his title and expelled from the monastery of the emperors. But this alloy turned out to be suitable for making jewelry and minting money. The material in China was called pakfong, and it was also called white copper.
This metal appeared in Europe late, only in the 13th century. Foundry workers and alchemists raced to uncover the secret composition due to the popularity of products made from this alloy. Only in the 18th century were these attempts crowned with success by the Germans, who made a change - bronze was replaced with copper. During times Napoleonic campaigns The French improved the metal by removing zinc from it. However, the main producers of the modified pakfong in Europe were the Germans, and they made it in large quantities. The alloy was very similar to silver and was valued only slightly less than the precious metal.
Because of high degree Due to the concentration of production of this metal in the German lands, the alloy received the name “German silver” from other peoples. The Germans themselves called it only cupronickel. According to legend, the alloy is named after Melchior, a sorcerer from the east who came to worship the newly born Jesus. According to other sources, the metal received its name in honor of French inventors. In Russia under the tsars, the metal was in demand among the middle strata, but the high society considered it a counterfeit of silver.
Blackened products
Many families have nickel silver cutlery and other items at home. More often these are dishes that were inherited from grandmothers and are almost always covered with a blackened coating. Some owners of such products are sure that since they are antique, they must be blackened. But this is a mistaken opinion. At proper care With such products they will delight hosts and guests with their sowing under bright lighting. Eating with such utensils is much more pleasant than with stainless steel spoons and forks, which are now especially common in everyday life.
The time has come to answer the question: Why do such products, which you constantly admire while they are new, turn black? The alloy produced by modern industry contains nickel, iron, manganese, and silver. The main metal contained in these products is copper, which oxidizes when exposed to oxygen. For this reason, and even if stored improperly, spoons and forks begin to turn black over time. After washing and rinsing in soda solution, when putting devices away for storage, you need to thoroughly wipe each unit with a napkin or towel, wrap it in paper, and then wrap it on top in foil. This is done to protect against excess moisture in the air.
How to clean
Now we can only consider main question. Skillful housewives know many cleaning methods that emerged from personal experience many other owners of such metal. This means that these methods are folk. First of all, you need to know what you should not use to clean cupronickel items. Here is a list of such funds:
- abrasives, including files, sandpaper, and slab and sink cleaners;
- graters, washcloths, coarse fabrics;
- chlorine-containing products;
- any acids;
- tooth whitening paste.
Instead of helping, these products will only cause harm - they will leave abrasions and scratches on the metal.
Our grandmothers used not only technical but also culinary means for cleaning. Here are some of them:
- The product that is most commonly used is baking soda. But you need to know that it can only be used in the form of a solution. In powder form, it will scratch the metal, as it has a large structure. Place at the bottom of a metal container aluminum foil. Place cutlery on top and sprinkle soda at the rate of five tablespoons per liter of water. Fill with water and put on fire. After boiling, boil for 10 - 15 minutes. After the time has passed, turn off the heat and leave in the container until it cools. Now the products must be thoroughly wiped with a towel. In addition to soda, you can add two tablespoons of salt per liter of water. Cutlery will become clean faster, but you will additionally need to rinse each item in running water.
- The most famous, oldest remedy is tooth powder, which is applied to a damp cloth. Each item is rubbed until the blackening disappears. When rubbing, you need to be careful not to overdo it. Rinse, wipe.
- Ammonia. Add one part ammonia to ten parts water. Place cutlery in the solution and leave to clean. After 15 - 20 minutes, remove. Rinsing under running water, dry and wipe with a napkin. You can also use the pure product without diluting it with water. In this case, the cleaning time will be no more than a minute.
- Chalk. The method is effective for mild blackening or clouding. Sprinkle the product with powdered chalk and rub with a cloth until clean. Rinse with clean water, then dry.
Foods and vegetables, for example, the following, were suitable for combating blackening:
- Pasta broth. Dip spoons and forks into the water with the boiling pasta. Cleaning will be completed as soon as the pasta is cooked, which will have to be thrown away. Cupronickel products rinse and dry.
- A decoction of garlic peels. The amount of husk depends on the degree of blackening of the cutlery. The higher the degree, the more husks, the maximum volume is liter jar. Place the utensils into the boiled broth and boil until they turn light. Approximate boiling time is 45 minutes. Remove, rinse and dry.
- Eggshell. Let the water boil and add crushed shells from two chicken eggs. Add salt at the rate of one spoon per liter of water. Dip into solution table cupronickel. After boiling for five minutes, remove, rinse and dry.
- Coffee grounds will help remove cloudy deposits from cupronickel. Grind the remaining coffee grounds over the surface. After 20 minutes, rinse and dry.
- Potato. This method is called the safest. Grate the potatoes onto a fine grater. Place the utensils into the resulting slurry. After an hour, rinse and wipe dry. You can also clean it with potato broth. To do this, place the items to be cleaned in the broth for 15 minutes. Remove and wipe with a soft cloth.
There is a new, relatively recently invented method of cleaning. It consists of using fizzy drinks containing large quantities of soda. Carbonated drinks “Coca-Cola”, “Fanta”, and preferably colorless “Sprite” are poured into enamel dishes with cutlery wrapped in a napkin or cloth. After 10 - 15 minutes, the removed spoons and forks are washed under cold water. As a result, the design on the handles is not completely cleaned, but if the object is not very blackened, then appearance transforms.
Melchior is credited with a number of magical properties. This is the metal of wisdom, endowing its owner with consistency and curiosity, as well as calmness. Given these qualities, the owner of blackened cutlery will always find a suitable way to clean it.
Connoisseurs of proper tea drinking love to use the appropriate utensils - these are not only high-quality sets of cups and saucers, but also spoons made of expensive metals. From generation to generation, different families pass on their nickel silver products, which literally stand on a par with jewelry. But in order to preserve their attractiveness and practicality for a long time, you need to know how to properly clean nickel silver, because over time it darkens and becomes less attractive. In this article we will tell you all the ways to clean such devices at home using available products.
Why does cupronickel darken?
Cupronickel is a precious alloy containing: silver, red copper, zinc, and nickel. Depending on humidity conditions, such spoons will begin to darken sooner or later.
At this moment it’s time for you to think about what and how to clean cupronickel spoons and forks. The further possibility of using them for lunch with friends or a tea ceremony depends on how quickly and correctly you do it.
How to clean cupronickel?
Several products are suitable for cleaning cupronickel cutlery, which you will probably find at home:
- salt;
- soda;
- ammonia;
- eggshell;
- garlic peel;
- toothpaste;
- potato.
Important! Forcleaning cupronickel spoons and forksThey also use special jewelry pastes for silver. If you have such a product in stock or are ready to purchase it, follow the instructions on the package.
In addition to this, you will need:
- soft cloth for polishing;
- pot;
- deep bowl;
- foil;
- water;
- sponge without a hard surface.
How can you not clean cupronickel?
To upper layer the silver plating has not been erased, and unsightly scratches have not formed on the surface, do not under any circumstances use to clean the following devices:
- graters;
- powdered chemicals;
- washcloths with a hard surface.
Depending on how dark the cupronickel has become and what products you have on hand, choose a cleaning method that is convenient for you and get to work. If you follow everything strictly according to the instructions, this procedure will not take much of your effort and time.
Method 1
- Take a pan, fill it with water.
- Place on fire and boil water.
- Add the pasta and cook it.
- Stir the pasta with cupronickel cutlery.
- Dip into the broth for a while along with the pasta as soon as it is cooked.
- Leave for 10-20 minutes.
- Remove spoons and forks from the broth.
- Place on a cotton towel until dry.
- Polish the surface.
Important! Please note that if your cutlery is made with blackening, you should not use this cleaning method.
Method 2
- Take a pan of the appropriate size.
- Place a layer of foil on the bottom.
- Pour 2 tbsp into it. soda and salt.
- Place the devices on the bottom.
- Fill with water so that it covers all devices.
- Place on the fire and heat for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Make sure the powders are completely dissolved.
- Remove the nickel silver spoons and forks from the solution.
- Rinse under running cold water.
- Wipe dry and polish gently with a soft cloth.
Important! With this method, your metal alloy items will quickly return to their original shade and shine.
Method 3
If you have ammonia on hand, proceed as follows:
- Pour ammonia into a bowl.
- Dip the device in alcohol for 2-5 minutes.
- Remove and rinse under running water.
- Dry and polish with a soft piece of suitable cloth.
Method 4
- Take the shell of 2 raw eggs.
- Fill them with 1 liter of water.
- Boil it.
- Dip all darkened cupronickel silverware into the broth.
- After 2-3 minutes, remove and rinse under cold water.
- Gently wipe the surface and polish until shiny.
Method 5
Garlic peels also effectively whiten nickel silver cutlery. If you have accumulated it sufficient quantity, do the following:
- Place the husks on the bottom of the pan.
- Fill with water and boil.
- Place all the necessary utensils into the pan with the broth without removing the husks.
- Simmer over low heat until they lighten in color.
- Remove and rinse with cool water.
- Dry and polish the surface.
Important! The amount of peeling depends on how dark your nickel silver cutlery is. The dirtier they are, the large quantity take it.
Method 6
- Take toothpaste and a soft small brush.
- Wet the utensils slightly.
- Rub a small amount of paste onto spoons or forks.
- Rinse with water and dry.
Important! Please note that toothpaste is a rather aggressive product. Therefore, act very carefully and carefully so as not to remove the surface silvering.
Method 7
Another vegetable that can easily cope with plaque and darkening on various metals is potatoes. To use it, proceed as follows:
- Boil the potatoes.
- Drain the broth into a separate pan.
- Place all cupronickel cutlery in it for 30 minutes.
- Remove as soon as the spoons turn pale and rinse under regular cool water.
- Dry and wipe with a dry cloth to remove all traces of drips.
Important! If you don’t have time to boil potatoes, you can make a paste from grated raw vegetable and put the instruments in it. The remaining steps are similar to the described method with a decoction.
To prevent frequent darkening of nickel silver, store such devices correctly, and you will not have to spend a lot of time cleaning them.