How to clean cupronickel spoons yourself at home. Cupronickel: cleaning at home

Cupronickel silver cutlery was popular in the last century, and is still preserved among many housewives among the dishes. But every woman knows that over time they darken unsightly, so the question arises of how to clean cupronickel at home quickly and effectively in order to restore their original shine and beauty. There are many tools and methods that will help with this.

Cupronickel is similar to silver, but due to improper storage and rare use, this material turns black and loses its attractiveness. High air humidity in the kitchen causes stains and streaks to appear on appliances. Cleaning cupronickel at home should be competent and regular, then this darkening can be avoided. Moreover, there are quite a lot of products that effectively deal with contamination of devices.

Cupronickel spoon before and after cleaning

Store-bought cleaning products

Modern chemical industry offers a lot of gels and powders that can quickly return nickel silver devices to their original cleanliness and shine. Best to use liquid products or special wipes soaked in a cleaning composition, since the powder can damage the surface of the products. The most popular among them are “Metal Cleaner” from the Israeli company Baghi and Sanita “Ultra Shine”. As a rule, their use involves normal dishwashing without the need for additional effort.

Besides, chemical compositions To clean nickel silver, a protective layer of film is left on the devices, which prevents further darkening and damage. Therefore, the use of gels and cleaning products for nickel silver is the best way renew blackened cupronickel. But if you couldn’t buy them, you can use time-tested household cleaning methods

How to clean cupronickel with baking soda

A simple and effective household method that will help restore the purity and shine of cupronickel silverware is to use ordinary baking soda. The only nuance of using this method at home is that soda copes with small and old pollution. It is best to use it as a preventative against darkening of cupronickel. That is, after washing the dishes, forks and spoons need to be rinsed in a solution with soda. To prepare it, you need to dilute 50 g of powder in 1 liter of warm water.

Cupronickel is a mixture of several metals, the main of which is copper. It is due to the oxidation of copper that an unsightly gray-black color appears on the surface of spoons or forks. In addition to copper, cupronickel contains manganese, iron and nickel. These metals do not cause oxidation, but do not prevent it either.

The smaller the area of ​​contamination, the easier it is to remove. To remove plaque use:

• household chemicals (cleaning gels, pastes, powders and liquids);
• improvised means (soap, salt, soda);
• traditional methods (consist of mixing simple products).

Each method works effectively and does not harm the coating. You can use any method you like if you wish and are financially able.

Cleaning with household chemicals

If you have a cleaning paste or gel for cleaning stoves at home, you can use them to wash cupronickel cutlery. Spoons and forks are pre-soaked in hot water with the addition of soap for 10-15 minutes. Then apply a little cleaning agent to a foam sponge or soft cloth and wipe the objects with it. Leave the product on the surface for at least 10 minutes, then wash off big amount water.

A product designed for cleaning jewelry will help remove plaque. It is not cheap (about 200-300 rubles), but it removes blackness well and restores lost shine. It can only be used in accordance with the instructions indicated by the manufacturer on the back of the bottle.

When cleaning dishes with household chemicals, be sure to wear gloves and ventilate the room.

Other means

If you have ammonia at home, you can prepare a cleaning mixture. Dilute 3 tbsp in 3 liters of water. ammonia and soak the devices in it for 30-40 minutes. Then rub the metal with a soft brush, rinse and wipe the spoons and forks dry. Ammonia is a reducing agent and will help restore products to their former beauty.

Baking soda or salt are excellent products that are useful for washing appliances. This method is especially effective if oxidation has just begun and has not had time to properly penetrate the metal, then it is easy to remove. Rub the products with any of the products for 10-15 minutes, then rinse. Has a similar effect lemon acid, it gently acts on plaque and removes it from the surface.

A soap solution will help deal with light stains and dried-on grease, but soap is practically useless against oxidation (only small stains). Dissolve 2-3 tbsp in 3 liters of water. liquid soap and soak the spoons and forks for a few minutes. First, the devices are washed with foam, and then clean water.

A weak solution of vinegar can restore the sparkle of the surface. Prepare a solution: take 2 tbsp per liter of water. 9% vinegar. Soak a tampon in the mixture and rub it over the product several times. Contaminants appear on the tampon. When the entire tampon turns black, take a fresh one and repeat the manipulation until the devices sparkle like new.

Traditional methods

People know one unusual cleaning method, for which you will need foil. Place it on the bottom of the pan, pour 2-3 tbsp on top. baking soda (salt will also work) and pour water almost to the top of the pan. Immerse cupronickel silver cutlery in water and heat the pan until it boils. Boiling should continue for at least 10 minutes. The oxides remain in the water, and the metal has become noticeably cleaner.

If you don’t have any foil at home, it’s okay. Boil chicken eggs hard-boiled, but the water is not poured out from under them. Shells from boiled eggs are placed in it, and then the utensils are lowered. Let the pan heat up for 10 minutes. For best result you can add 1 tbsp. salt.

A mixture made from chalk and ammonia has a miraculous effect. Take:

• 2 tbsp. ammonia;
• ½ glass of water;
• 1 tbsp. crumbled chalk.

Use the resulting solution to wipe the devices with a napkin, lightly rubbing into the metal. Gray plaque will leave immediately, even with hard to reach places, and the blackness will become less noticeable, but after 3-4 times of cleaning it will completely disappear.

Attention!

A sodium thiosulfate solution will help get rid of black spots on cutlery. It is sold in pharmacies, is safe to use and does not require dilution.

Some housewives advise using a decoction of garlic peels. Add the peels of 3-4 garlic cloves to the water, pour the contents into a saucepan and immerse the cutlery. Boil for 10-15 minutes, then wash with water and dry.

Regular soda is also used for cleansing. Fill spoons and forks with soda and leave for half an hour. Then rinse and polish the products with a microfiber cloth.

In most cases, the methods work, but if failure occurs, do not despair - you need to try another method. It is especially difficult to remove oxides that are already several years old. To avoid such difficulties, you need to use the following tips.

On festive table I want beauty and gloss. And here cutlery made of cupronickel comes to the rescue, pleasing the eye with a soft shine. However, housewives often have to tinker with them, since this metal quickly oxidizes and turns black. Therefore, it is important to learn a few simple rules for caring for nickel silver products.

Pros and cons of cupronickel

Cupronickel is an alloy of copper and nickel, sometimes mixed with other components, such as iron and manganese. In color it is similar to the third most important noble metal - silver. For this feature, it received another name - “the silver of the poor.”

It is believed that an alloy similar to silver first appeared in China long before new era. The alloy was called pakfong and was used for minting coins, creating jewelry and other things. Then pakfong came to Europe, where it gained extraordinary popularity. It got ridiculous: products made from pakfong were more expensive than silver ones. After all, the Europeans did not know that the light, beautiful metal was similar to silver only in appearance, and did not contain a grain of silver in its composition. precious metal- only copper and nickel, with minor admixtures of other metals.

The European birth of the alloy occurred in Germany, where it was dubbed nickel silver - “new silver”. But then the war with Napoleon happened, during which all the documentation on the promising alloy ended up in France. After some time, two Frenchmen took up the alloy of copper and nickel - Mayo and Chaurier. Without the slightest doubt, they called the successful metal a new name, in which they combined parts of their surnames - Mayshor.

But the Germans reared up, protesting against such impudence. Unable to return the name they had given to the metal, they changed the French one: instead of maishor, the metal began to be called cupronickel. By Christian tradition, Melchior was the name of one of the wise wise men who brought gifts to the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem.

Since German terminology has always dominated in metallurgy, pakfong-maishor became cupronickel.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Alloy advantages:

Disadvantages of cupronickel cutlery:

• quickly lose their original shine and are susceptible to the formation of black spots;
• require constant care.

Where do the black spots on nickel silver come from?

Cupronickel consists of 50% copper - an easily oxidized metal. Despite the fact that the alloy also contains nickel, manganese and iron, the oxidation process remains unchanged, since these components have practically no effect on it. As a result of oxidation, brownish spots appear on the devices, which darken over time and acquire a bluish-black color.

Darkening most often occurs due to non-compliance with storage conditions or improper care. It is not recommended to wash copper-nickel alloy devices in dishwasher. The metal does not tolerate contact with chlorine or abrasive cleaning agents. Cleaning products with chlorine cause an oxidation reaction and abrasives will scratch the finish.

How to clean cupronickel products

For regular care of cutlery made from this alloy, use:

• soda;
• ammonia;
• egg shells;
• foil;
• toothpaste.

Cleaning cupronickel with soda or ammonia

For the most simple way cleaning you will need:

• 50 g of soda or 50 ml of ammonia;
• 1 liter of warm water.

Operating procedure:

1. Dissolve baking soda in warm water.

   A solution of baking soda perfectly removes stains from nickel silver products

2. Wash the utensils in a soda solution.

   Baking soda is diluted warm water and wash cutlery in the solution

3. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.

   After cleaning with baking soda, rinse the cutlery with cold water.

4. Wipe clean utensils dry.

Instead of soda, you can also use ammonia. Both of these products are good at cleaning minor stains from spoons, forks and knives. Dull nickel silver washed in this way will acquire a soft shine.

Egg shell decoction for heavily darkened products

The method is effective even for the oldest stains. You will need:

• the shell of two chicken eggs;
• 1 tbsp. l. table salt;
• 1 liter of boiled water.

Cleaning procedure:

How to get rid of dark spots using food foil

For this cleaning method you will need:

• food foil;
• 3 tbsp. l. table salt;
• approximately 1 liter of water.

Operating procedure:

As a result chemical reaction, which occurs during the boiling process, the food foil darkens and the cutlery becomes lighter. If the nickel silver is heavily darkened, repeat the procedure again.

Video - how to clean cupronickel silverware using foil

Chalk polishing

The most common chalk will help you deal with minor stains and polish nickel silver items to a shine:

If you don't have chalk on hand, use a non-abrasive toothpaste that contains silica: apply it to a damp cotton pad and wipe the products.

Gold-plated devices can be cleaned with wine vinegar, turpentine or egg white.

What to do to avoid black deposits on cutlery

Use a few simple rules to ensure that cupronickel cutlery always has an impeccable appearance:

• store products in zip bags: a convenient lock will completely protect the contents from dust and moisture;
• also use tightly sealed containers to store your utensils. wooden boxes with a piece of chalk inside: it will protect devices from oxidation;
• always wipe cupronickel spoons, forks and knives dry;
• Wipe your items regularly with a rough woolen or soft flannel cloth or a special cloth for cleaning silver.

The described methods for cleaning cupronickel are effective and not labor-intensive. Each housewife will be able to choose the most suitable one for herself and always keep her cutlery in perfect condition.

Knowing how to clean cupronickel spoons at home, you won’t have to buy new cutlery for a long time. If kitchen items for a long time were not used or were even found “during excavations” in old things, you should not immediately throw them away.

Knowing how to return cupronickel spoons to their former appearance and shine at home, you don’t have to buy new cutlery

Cupronickel silverware, with proper maintenance and timely cleaning, has enough beautiful view. Its disadvantage is the fact that over time it darkens and loses its shine. At first glance at cupronickel forks and spoons, which are cleaned in a timely manner, one can assume that the kitchen utensils are made of silver.

Proper storage of cutlery

Cupronickel silverware is made from an alloy of nickel, zinc and copper. These metals begin to oxidize and darken with constant use. Cupronickel is especially afraid high humidity. Objects may become covered with a characteristic film and darken. Of course, when kitchen utensils are stored in a special case and used only for special occasions, its attractive appearance lasts for a long period of time. But if the devices are used every day, the metal will quickly darken. Therefore, with constant use, it is better to clean nickel silver spoons and forks more often to prevent heavy pollution. We should not forget that the longer no measures are taken, the more difficult and longer the process of restoring the attractive appearance of the product will be.

Cupronickel silver cutlery is made from an alloy of nickel, zinc and copper. These metals begin to oxidize and darken with constant use.

The cleaning composition is simple to prepare. You need to dissolve baking soda in warm water and rinse the utensils in it, and then rinse the dishes running water. When washing is completed, the items kitchen utensils You will need to wipe dry with a soft towel. If it dries naturally, all the work will be in vain. Remaining drops of water can cause new dark spots to appear.

Old dark spots

Cleaning nickel silver that has not been cared for for a long time will be somewhat more difficult. It may take a little more time and effort, but almost anyone can achieve the original shine of their products. If the cutlery has not been used for a long time, before cleaning the cupronickel, you need to wash it in the usual way.

Place clean spoons, forks and other items in a deep container, for example a saucepan, fill with plain water and put on fire. After boiling, you need to wait 5-10 minutes and turn off the heat. The water is drained and the appliances are left in the dishes. When they have cooled down a little, they should be cleaned with a soft cloth with the previously prepared special solution. It includes:

1. Shells from 4 eggs. It must be ground in a coffee grinder.
2. Liter of water.
3. 1 spoon of salt.

After mixing all the ingredients, place the container on the fire and bring the composition to a boil. After boiling, turn off the fire and wait until the solution is at a pleasant temperature. The final steps are rinsing the dishes under the tap with plain water and drying with a soft towel.

Among the numerous cleaning products, one of the most affordable and effective is tooth powder. If you additionally add ammonia to it, then old stains will disappear fairly quickly. To do this, you need to prepare a cleaning mixture from the 2 above-mentioned components to make a paste. Using a soft cloth, begin the rubbing process kitchen items to shine. Having cleared the last spoon, you can rinse all the dishes under clean water and then dry them. But some recommend adding another intermediate step to the implementation. It is recommended to additionally wipe all cupronickel with heated vinegar. Before storing, after the acid, the cutlery is washed in plain water and then dried with a towel.

It is recommended to polish devices that are in storage once every 2-3 months.

In addition to cleaning agents for stains, owners of cupronickel silverware who do not use it regularly are advised to periodically polish the cutlery and store it in a special case that protects it from harmful environmental influences.

It is recommended to polish devices that are in storage once every 2-3 months. For these purposes, you can purchase a special paste or prepare a cleaning solution yourself. To do this you will need to grind the chalk and mix it with laundry soap, which is pre-rubbed. Cutlery is treated with this product, washed with running water, all remaining moisture is completely removed, and then put away for further storage.