Cupronickel cleaning at home with foil. How to clean cupronickel cutlery

Every hostess wants to please her guests with the brilliance of cutlery or surprise fine jewelry. It can be products from cupronickel. Due to their low price and the ability to sparkle like silver, they are quite popular. Melchior more durable material, unlike silver, and can be a source of pride for a long time. But it is important to know how to properly care for it.

So that cupronickel products do not fade over time and are not covered with a black coating, you must remember to clean them regularly. It is important to protect them from exposure to strong chemicals and abrasive materials. Wipe dry after washing. For cleaning cupronickel should not be taken toothpaste and powder, in order to avoid scratches, and the use of chlorine-containing products can completely ruin appearance appliances or jewelry.

Twelve rules for caring for cupronickel.

1. Cleaning with soda. For products with a low degree of contamination, it is enough to rinse in a soda solution after washing (50 grams of soda per liter of water). Such rinsing is recommended after each use of cupronickel dishes. You can apply baking soda to a damp sponge and polish. Rinse in cold water and wipe with a towel.

2. Cleaning with alcohol. If the devices are only slightly dimmed, it is enough to wipe them with a rag soaked in vodka or alcohol. Second option: for a short time dip the thing in ammonia, rinse and wipe.

3. Removal of stains from dampness. Damp stains can be removed with warm vinegar (dilute a teaspoon in a glass of water). Soak a woolen cloth in it and wipe the appliances. Rinse with clean water and dry.

4. Polishing with chalk. It is good to polish nickel silver objects darkened over time with a piece of suede. Prepare a mixture of soap and chalk, taken in equal amounts. Dissolve soap in hot water, add chalk and mix well until a thick mass is obtained. Polish the surface with this mass, and then wipe it with a dry cloth.

You can prepare another version of the polishing paste. To do this, add 30 grams of chalk and 60 grams of ammonia. Polish the instruments with the resulting mixture to a shine. 5. Decoction of eggshell. When the cupronickel has already become fairly tarnished, you may need more difficult ways cleaning. And in order to achieve best result, before starting a thorough cleaning, it is necessary to rinse the appliances warm water with normal soapy water.

Among folk remedies a popular method of cleaning with a decoction of eggshells. One liter of water requires two shells raw eggs. Bring the broth to a boil and lower cupronickel products there for a couple of minutes. Then rinse in clean water and wipe dry.

6. Potato broth. Dip items from cupronickel into hot potato broth and hold for 15-20 minutes. Then take out, rinse and dry. This method, as the softest, is preferable for products with blackening or gilding.

7. Decoction of garlic peel. One more folk way- cleansing with garlic husks. Husk, in in large numbers are filled with water. When the broth boils, lower cupronickel and boil until it shines. The dirtier the appliances, the longer it takes.

8. Foil. Most effective method to remove a dark coating from cupronickel products - this is boiling in an aluminum pan with soda and foil. Put a sheet of foil on the bottom of the pan, and cutlery on it. Pour hot water, pour 2 tablespoons of soda there and boil.

There is a second option. Take any basin, you can even plastic, if only it could withstand boiling water. Line the bottom of the bowl with foil. Place the cutlery on the foil and cover with soda, about 1.5 tablespoons. Then pour boiling water, the devices should be completely in the water. Then rinse in clean water, rub especially dirty places with a sponge.

9. Sodium thiosulfate solution. For heavily darkened surfaces, the following recommendation is suitable. Prepare a solution of sodium thiosulfate (sold in a pharmacy), 1 ml per 3 ml of water. First, wash the appliances in warm, this is important, soapy water. Then, while they are still warm, wipe with a swab with a solution, rinse with water and wipe.

10. Electrolysis. There is also a galvanic cleaning method. Difficult but effective. To implement this method, a power source is required. Take glassware, pour water, lower cupronickel device and any other metal object(for example, a spoon or a nail). A “minus” is connected to the item being cleaned, and a “plus” is connected to an additional one. The cleaning time will depend on the magnitude of the voltage. With a voltage of 24V, the spoon will become clean in one second. When working with electric shock always keep safety in mind.

11. Household chemicals. For cleaning cupronickel products, household chemicals are also used. These are Polymet paste, Amethyst emulsion, Sif-gel and others. In jewelry stores, you can buy special wipes for wiping cupronickel products. After cleaning chemicals cutlery, they must be washed thoroughly with water. But it is better not to wash the jewelry, as jewelry pastes are left on their surface. protective film which will help keep the shine longer.

12. Storage methods. It is better to store cupronickel products tightly wrapped in cling film or foil, this will protect them from the aggressive effects of oxygen. And then, both cutlery and favorite jewelry made of cupronickel will retain their radiance longer.

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In the attic of my grandmother's house, I found a set of cupronickel cutlery. For those who are not in the know, cupronickel is an alloy of copper, silver, nickel and zinc.

It is durable and has been very popular in Soviet time because each table set from it was a real work of art.

It was only when I opened the box that I saw the forks and knives darkened from time to time. So, today we will figure out how to clean cupronickel spoons and forks.

Why is it getting dark

To correct the consequences, you need to know the cause. Why does cupronickel darken? The following points can be highlighted:

• improper care, lack of proper cleaning;

• excess moisture, from which cupronickel becomes covered with dark spots and stains.

Clean to shine

You can, of course, run to the household chemicals department and buy special cleaning products there, but now I know how to clean cupronickel spoons at home.

• You need to take 50 grams of regular baking soda and dissolve it in a liter of warm water. Rinse cutlery with this solution and rinse in cold water.

And now attention! Never leave cupronickel dishes to dry when wet. From this spots and stains will appear again. Wipe the spoons and forks with a soft, moisture-absorbing towel, only then they can be removed.

• Ammonia copes well with dark spots and stains. It is necessary to dilute a small amount of this agent in warm water and wash the instruments with a solution. After that, rinse in running water and dry with a towel.

• Not everyone knows how to clean cupronickel spoons with eggshell decoction. This method was used by my grandmother. She took the shell from two eggs, crushed it, poured a liter of water and put it on fire. After the water began to boil, the grandmother lowered cupronickel cutlery to the bottom and boiled for a couple of minutes. Then rinsed with water and wiped dry.

• For small dirt, take ordinary chalk, grind it and wipe the cutlery with it using a suede cloth.

For those who need to pump up their biceps, I offer a simple way to clean cupronickel. We take tooth powder or paste, apply it on a damp cotton pad and rub it until it shines.

• This method is also for strong hands(by the way, you can attract your husband by referring to a fresh manicure). A few tablespoons of baking soda should be poured into a small bowl of warm water. Now with the rough side of the sponge, three cutlery.

• You can boil cutlery with garlic husks. Remember: the longer it boils, the more intense the cleaning will be.

How to clean cupronickel spoons with foil, I already learned from my mother.

Cover the bottom of an aluminum pan with ordinary light foil, put all the cutlery on it and fill it with water so that it completely covers them. Now add two tablespoons of soda and put on fire. Boil for 10-15 minutes and rinse cold water. Your instruments will sparkle again!

And if you have a very chic gold-plated cutlery set, then you just need to know how to clean cupronickel gold-plated spoons.

Sweep the dust from the gilding and wipe it with a piece of cotton wool soaked in wine vinegar or turpentine. You can also rub cupronickel gilded appliances with egg white applied to a flannel cloth.

Results

So, what can and cannot be done with cupronickel cutlery:

• Water with soda can be replaced with potato broth, which is poured onto foil with spoons.
• Wipe stains on appliances with a cloth soaked in warm vinegar beforehand, and then rinse under water.
• To simply freshen up your utensils, wash them in soapy water. To do this, take 50 grams of soap per liter of water.
• Cupronickel devices are stored in cling film without air access. So they keep their appearance longer.
• If the pollution is insignificant, it will be enough to wipe the cupronickel devices with a rag soaked in alcohol or vodka.
• Do not wash these items in the dishwasher.
• Do not use substances containing chlorine when cleaning.
• Can be used special means for cleaning jewelry.
• Remember, cupronickel appliances should be wiped dry.

Cupronickel dishes have always been distinguished by their beauty and grace, any hostess, on whose table such cutlery flaunted, was proud of her. It was especially popular in Soviet times, each set was a luxurious work of art.

Why is cupronickel so valued?

Cupronickel is an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel, sometimes a little silver is added to the alloy, they can cover the surface with it, then outwardly the products are very similar to silver ones, only they cost an order of magnitude cheaper. Cutlery made of this material can be used both at home in everyday life and at festive events and feasts.

Advantages of cupronickel dishes:

• durable material;
• retains a beautiful appearance for a long time;
• care is simple but regular;
• outwardly almost indistinguishable from silver;
• not afraid of temperature changes;
• does not beat;
• not covered by corrosion;
• when darkened, it easily returns its luster using various methods;
• retains the hygienic properties of silver.

Devices made of this material are passed down from generation to generation and are considered an excellent gift for any celebration. Such dishes can steal any table, give it more luxury.

However, over time, the material darkens. Appear on it dark spots and divorces. It's connected with improper care behind him, the lack of cleaning, the presence of strong humidity in the room. Patina is formed by the natural oxidation of metal in air.

But you can give it shine again with the help of simple ways cleaning. How to clean cupronickel at home? There are many ways to clean cupronickel, they are all simple, not requiring special skills and knowledge. You can buy special substances in the store, or you can clean the dishes with home remedies.

How to clean cupronickel cutlery, basic care rules

It is important to know that you cannot leave these cutlery to dry when wet, as stains and stains will reappear. They should be washed only by hand and without the use of a sponge. It is better to wipe with a soft towel that absorbs moisture well.

Do not clean spoons and forks with products that contain chlorine, it will oxidize them. Scouring powders will not work either, they will only spoil the polishing of the dishes, it will darken even faster. It is best to clean with warm water with the addition of a small amount detergent.

It is necessary to store the dishes in a dense polyethylene film (food wrap) or in a closed container, they protect the products from air penetration, so they will not quickly darken. And if you use forks and spoons every day, then you need to keep them in a special case or boxes, wrapped in a soft cloth. You should not keep them together with chemicals or perfumes, because the vapors emanating from alcohols only speed up the process of oxidizing the material.

How to effectively and quickly clean cupronickel, home cleaning methods

1. Baking soda . Take 50 g of soda, pour into a liter of warm water, stir, place appliances there, clean with your hands, then rinse in cold water;
2. Ammonia. Alcohol can quickly remove stains and streaks. It is diluted in warm water, after the dishes are rinsed with cold water and wiped dry;
3. Egg shell decoction. Grind egg shells (2 pieces), add a liter of water, put on fire and bring to a boil. After lowering the spoons and forks for a few minutes, then rinse with water and wipe dry;
4. A piece of chalk . Grind the chalk, wipe the appliances with it using a suede cloth;
5. Dentifrice . Apply tooth powder to the sponge and rub the surface to a shine, but it can leave scratches. Soda is often used instead of powder. You need to pour it into a bowl of warm water and rub the spoons with the rough side of the sponge;
6. garlic husk. Peel the garlic, throw the husk into the water along with the appliances and boil;
7. Foil. Line the bottom of an aluminum pan with foil, put spoons and forks on it, add water to cover them. Pour two tablespoons of soda and put on the stove. Boil for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water. With the help of foil, you can give the dishes their former shine, restore beauty and luxury to it;
8. Vinegar . If the set on top has gold plating, then you just need to know how to clean cupronickel with gilding. Dust must be removed from the surface, wiped with cotton wool soaked in wine vinegar or turpentine. And you can rub the spoons with a flannel cloth with egg white applied to it;
9. Milk . You can get rid of stains with curdled milk. Dip the products in milk, remove, dry and polish with a flannel cloth;
10. Jewelry cleaners. Purchased at jewelry stores. It could be special paste, wet wipes, cleaning liquid.

Large plates and other utensils should be cleaned with citric acid. To do this, a bag of funds is diluted in a liter of water, a piece is also placed there. copper wire. The dishes are left for 2 hours, then cleaned a simple means for washing. Warm vinegar removes damp stains.

How to clean cupronickel made with silver, shine return

To restore the products to their former shine, you can wipe them with a cloth or woolen cloth. Another way is to boil a couple of eggs and hold the spoons in this water, then wipe it dry. Foil, soda and boiling water quickly clean both silver and cupronickel, only spoons should be without gilding and blackening. From darkening, a simple toothpaste will help. You just need to rub the devices with it and rinse. Stains are removed with warm vinegar (a teaspoon per 200 ml of water), a woolen cloth is needed for rubbing and adding shine.

The most common things in the house made of cupronickel are cutlery and kitchenware. The release of such products was carried out back in Soviet times, and they were made according to models that were used to form silver objects. Therefore, if you clean cupronickel from a dark coating, it is very difficult to distinguish such products from silver ones. To maintain the appearance of cupronickel items at a decent level, they should be cleaned regularly. It is possible to clean cupronickel at home not only with the help of specialized tools, but also with compositions prepared from improvised ingredients.

Show all

There are many ways to clean cupronickel at home, but only some of them are highly effective in removing dark plaque.

The most effective of them are:

• soda;
• foil;
• table vinegar;
• dentifrice;
• ammonia;
• milk;
• garlic peel;
• eggs;
• potato broth.

Before proceeding with cleaning, the item must be washed in warm soapy water. Immediately after that, you can proceed to the use of any chosen tool.

table vinegar

Darkening on cupronickel can be eliminated with table vinegar. To do this, 1 teaspoon of vinegar must be diluted in a glass of water. The resulting solution is required to wipe all the darkening, and then the item is rinsed running water and wipe dry.



If some stains are not washed off, a more concentrated solution can be used. But it should be used pointwise with a cotton swab.



Baking soda

Cupronickel products should be cleaned with soda only with slight contamination or darkening of the metal. In order to give the dishes an attractive shine, each item must be rinsed in a soda solution after washing. To prepare it in 1 liter of water, you need to dissolve 50 grams of soda. If it was not possible to wash some places, they should be rubbed with dry soda with a sponge. Then the items are rinsed under cold water and wiped dry.



The use of soda can help the hostess maintain an attractive sheen of cupronickel for a long time. To do this, after each washing of dishes, it should be rinsed in a soda solution.

There is another method of getting rid of blackness on cupronickel using soda and foil. It allows you to deal with heavy pollution, since it is based on boiling.

Purification should be carried out according to the instructions:

1. 1. For cleaning, you will need to take aluminum pan, cover its bottom with foil.
2. 2. Devices are immersed in a container and filled with water.
3. 3. 50 grams of soda is poured into the liquid, everything is slightly mixed and brought to a boil.

The interaction of aluminum and baking soda with foil activates chemical reaction, during which the foil layer begins to darken, and cupronickel brightens. If the first time it was not possible to get rid of blackness, the procedure should be repeated. It is impossible to use such a recipe for cleaning gilded or silver-plated cupronickel.





Dentifrice

Tooth powder will help to effectively cope with darkening. To process the product, the product should be applied to a cotton pad, and then rub the dishes with it. Processing should be continued until an attractive shine appears.

During such polishing, you must be careful, as tooth powder can leave scratches on the product. Therefore, before using such a tool, it is necessary to make sure that it is safe for cupronickel by checking the aggressiveness of the particles in an inconspicuous place.

Alcohol

If cupronickel products have faded, they should be wiped with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol. Vodka can also be used for these purposes. It must be applied in the same way.

If cupronickel is covered with dark spots, the item must be soaked in ammonia for 10 minutes. Then the product is removed, rinsed and wiped dry.

Milk

Spoiled milk should not be disposed of immediately. If there are darkened cupronickel objects in the house, it will help to quickly return them to their original luster. Cleaning should be carried out according to the instructions:

1. 1. Curdled milk is poured into a saucepan.
2. 2. A darkened object is immersed in it for 20 minutes.
3. 3. After this time, the product is removed from the milk, left to dry.
4. 4. Then the object is polished with a flannel cloth, rinsed and wiped dry.

If the contamination is only partially removed, the procedure must be repeated.



a piece of chalk

To polish cupronickel cutlery, you need to prepare a soap-chalk mass. To do this, 50 grams of chalk is dissolved in 50 grams of soap. 1 liter of water is added to the mixture, everything is mixed until smooth. A soft cloth is impregnated with the resulting product, and then all cutlery is thoroughly wiped with it. After polishing, all items should be rinsed and wiped dry.

There is another recipe for a tool with which you can polish cupronickel spoons and forks at home. To prepare it, you need to mix 0.5 cups of water, 1 dessert spoon of chalk and 2 dessert spoons of ammonia. Polishing should be done in the same way.



Lemon acid

This product is suitable for cleaning large cupronickel plates. To prepare the solution 1 sachet citric acid diluted in 1 liter of water. A piece of copper wire is placed in the resulting liquid, and then the dishes are immersed in the product and left for 2 hours.

The plates are removed, rinsed, processed with a regular dishwashing detergent. After cleaning, the plates should be wiped dry.

Decoctions to remove stubborn dirt

All the means described earlier allow you to remove minor blackening on cupronickel. And if the hostess has not used and cleaned cupronickel dishes for a long time, she should prepare special decoctions:

1. 1. Eggshell remedy. A decoction should be prepared from 1 liter of water and the shells of 2 raw eggs. After the liquid boils, all darkened objects are placed in it. After 2-3 minutes, they are removed, rinsed with cold water and wiped dry.
2. 2. A decoction of potatoes. 1 liter of water is poured into the pan, 2 raw potatoes are thrown, cut into small cubes. The mass is brought to a boil. Contaminated items are immersed in the decoction for 20 minutes, and then removed from it, rinsed and dried.
3. 3. A decoction of garlic peel. 1 liter of water is poured into the container, dry garlic peel, removed from 3 heads, is added to it. All blackened objects are immersed in a boiling broth and kept in it until a shine appears.

Such methods will make it easy to clean not only forks, spoons, but also a cup holder, which has not been used or cleaned by the hostess for a long time. In this case, the procedure time may be increased.




Cupronickel dishes should never be cleaned. household chemicals which contains chlorine. This is due to the fact that cupronickel contains an alloy of copper and nickel, which is oxidized under the influence of chlorine.

To avoid re-darkening of the cleaned cupronickel dishes by any of the presented methods, it should be properly looked after. To do this, it should be stored in a dry place, and after washing, wipe it immediately. If a slight blackness appears, the cutlery should be cleaned immediately by rinsing them in a soda solution.

Cupronickel cutlery does not retain its original shiny appearance for long - this is no secret to anyone. And yet they do not lose popularity, because they look no worse than silver ones. Until it gets dark, of course. Each housewife has her own secrets for bringing such spoons and forks in order. I got my own “gentleman's set” of such skills after I found a cupronickel cutlery set in a beautiful velvet box in my mother's sideboard. To resist and not beg was beyond my modest strength. When my purchase lost its “face”, I thought about how to clean cupronickel spoons, it’s good that my mother also found a set of tips. And I will share with you these methods from my mother’s “chest”, by the way, everything has already been tested on myself - they all work without prejudice to spoons.

In this article:

Tooth powder, paste and baking soda: three - we are not lazy

Let's start with the simplest - you can clean cupronickel appliances with tooth powder or regular toothpaste. We apply toothpaste or powder on a cotton pad, if we take the powder - it is better to wet the cotton pad, then it will not crumble, and selflessly three to a shine to the musical accompaniment of your favorite series.

Another way to train your arms - strong solution baking soda. Pour a little water into a small bowl, throw a few tablespoons of soda into it, and with this solution we clean the spoons with the hard side of the sponge. Well, of course, we don’t forget about forks and knives.

Methods for lazy people

When I finally got tired of rubbing, and cupronickel appliances in my kitchen again took on the appearance that they had lain buried in the ground for a hundred years, my mother shared the rest of her “luggage”, having previously called me a lazybones. 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, there are, as it turned out, ways to clean cupronickel cutlery without any effort.

First way

Pour a liter of water into a saucepan, add one tablespoon to it 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 glitters, no worse than silver. While your spoons are boiling, you can safely do other things.

Second way

Another “tedious” way to clean cupronickel: cover the bottom of the pan with foil, put all our 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 for ten to fifteen minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

That's the whole secret, in this way you can clean cupronickel cutlery without straining at all. Instead of water and soda, potato broth can also be poured onto foil with spoons. Boiling may take a little longer, somewhere around half an hour, but the result will be just as great.

Hope some of the above is helpful to you. The main thing is not to share secrets with your husband, then a cup of coffee with a 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 - horror!".