- Twelve rules for the care of nickel silver
- Storage of nickel silver
- Why does the metal start to darken?
In every house there will certainly be at least one item made of nickel silver. And those who have such devices know how hard it is to clean them from darkening. But, unfortunately, not everyone has an idea of how to clean the cupronickel cutlery at home, in order to spend a minimum of time on it. In this article, we will try to describe as thoroughly as possible how this can be done.
to the table of contents ↑Twelve rules for the care of the cupronickel
To ensure that the cupronickel spoons always shine with purity, it is not necessary to buy expensive special products and spend a lot of time. All this can be done with the help of improvised universal means, which are always in every house.
Cleaning of soda
Products made of nickel silver, which have a low degree of contamination, will be enough after washing just rinse in a solution of soda. It is prepared in the proportion of 50 grams of soda per 1 liter of water.
Important! This rinse is recommended after each use of products made of nickel silver. Then you do not have to look for an answer to the question, than to clean the cupronickel cutlery at home, when they are thoroughly blackened.
You can also apply soda to a sponge for washing dishes, which must first be moistened. Next:
- Polish the objects with this tool.
- Rinse in cool water.
- Wipe dry with a towel.
Cleaning with alcohol
If your appliances are only slightly dull, it will be enough to wipe them with a piece of cloth, previously soaked in alcohol or vodka.
Remove stains from dampness
Dark stains from dampness must be removed with warm vinegar:
- Dilute one teaspoon in one glass of water.
- Dampen a woolen cloth in it and wipe the instruments.
- After this, rinse with clean water, dry.
Polishing with chalk
You can clean the cupro-nickel at home from the black with chalk. To do this, take chalk and soap in equal proportions:
- Soap is dissolved in hot water, add chalk.
- Stir thoroughly until a uniform, thick paste is obtained.
- With the resulting mass, polish the surface, and then wipe it with a dry cloth.
Important! It is also possible to prepare another version of the polishing thick paste. To make it, do the following: in half a cup of water, add 30 g of chalk, 60 g of ammonia( ammonia).With the resulting mixture, polish the cupronickel fixtures to a gloss.
Decoction of the eggshell
At the time when the cupronickel has already managed to tarnish properly, a heavier method of cleaning may be needed. In order to achieve the best possible effect:
- Before starting a thorough cleaning, rinse the appliances with warm water using a normal soap solution.
- Prepare a decoction from the eggshell. To do this you will need: 1 liter of water, a shell of two raw eggs.
- Bring the broth to a boil, and then lower there the Melchior spoons for a few minutes.
- Rinse them after cleaning under running water, wipe them dry.
Potato broth
Put the spoons from the cupronickel into a warm potato broth and hold them there for 15-20 minutes. Then remove, wash and dry wipe.
Important! This method is the most mild, and is often used for products with gilding or with blackening.
Decoction of garlic husks
Another popular way, which is exactly right for you, if you are in search of a tool, than clean the cupronickel cutlery at home. In this case, we use garlic husks:
- Pour large amount of husk into the water.
- When the broth is already boiling, lower the instruments into it and boil until the shine appears.
Important! The time of boiling depends on the degree of darkening of the nickel silver - the more black the plaque, the more time it will take.
Foil
This is the most effective method for removing dark plaque from Melchior devices. This method involves boiling in a saucepan made of aluminum with foil and soda. It is done this way:
- Put a sheet of foil on the bottom of the pan, and the instruments on it.
- Fill with hot water in a volume of 1 liter.
- Pour the soda in the amount of 2 tablespoons and boil.
There is another option:
- Take any pelvis, you can use even a plastic one. The main requirement is that he can withstand boiling water.
- The bottom of the basin is covered with foil.
- Place the items on foil and cover with soda, about 1.5 tablespoons.
- Fill with boiling water - the appliances must be completely in water.
- After cleaning, rinse with clean water, clean sponges with very dirty areas.
Solution of sodium thiosulfate
For very strongly darkened products, the following recommendations are suitable: Prepare a solution of sodium thiosulfate - it is sold in a pharmacy.
- 10 ml of sodium thiosulfate, dilute in 30 ml of water.
- First clean the appliance in warm water with soap, this is extremely important.
- Then, while they are still warm, wipe with a swab with a solution, rinse with water and wipe.
Electrolysis
There is also a galvanic cleaning method. It is very complex, but at the same time, extremely effective. A current source is required to use this method.
Follow these instructions and you will easily cope with the task of how to clean the cupronickel at home from blackness:
- Take the glassware, pour water into it, lower the cupronickel appliances and another metal object such as a nail or a spoon.
- To the object that you are cleaning, connect the minus, and to the additional object - plus.
- The cleaning time depends on the voltage value. For example, if the voltage is 24V, the spoon will become clean in just 1 second.
Important! Do not forget about safety when working with a current. If you are not sure that you will cope - better choose another method.
Household chemicals
For the cleaning of cupronickel devices, household chemicals are also used. For example:
- paste "Polymet";
- emulsion "Amethyst";
- "Sif-gel".
You can also buy special wipes in jewelry stores, designed specifically for wiping products from nickel silver.
Important! Be sure to thoroughly rinse the appliances with water after you have finished cleaning the products with household chemicals.
to content ↑Storage of nickel silver
Store the nickel products, tightly wrapping them in foil or in food film - this will help to protect them from the rather aggressive effects of oxygen. If you do this, cutlery and your favorite ornaments from nickel silver will retain their unique brilliance for a long time.
to the contents ↑Why does the metal start to darken?
There are several reasons why the products of their nickel silver begin to darken. You need to know about them to make it easier to organize the care of such things and do not have to spend a lot of time cleaning them.
These reasons include:
- improper care of products;
- storage under improper conditions;
- high humidity level.
For example:
- if the cupronickel devices are stored in a condition of high humidity, they will quickly cover with unwanted dark divorces, while losing their appeal;
- if you simply add all the devices from different metals into one pile, then you can not avoid their interaction;
- If you clean nickel with abrasive or too aggressive chemicals, the products will not only permanently blacken, but will also become unusable;
- constant exposure to direct sunlight also does not bode well for this alloy, so at the very least, hide after applying the product from the melchior to the table box.
After applying our tips in practice, all your spoons from nickel silver or any other objects will again shine with brilliance and beauty. And if you love everything original and you have not only the silver-silver instruments, but silver ones, you can safely use all of the above methods and tools and to clean them from the dark raid.
