Cleaning German silver cutlery: the pros and cons, why darken as bring back the shine, care recommendations

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Mighty forged nickel silver serving sets are valued on a par with silver. Ductile metal is easy to work, because it create real works of art. Exquisite pattern over time, grows black, alloy fades, loses its former glory. In a review of collection of the best ways to help clean cupronickel spoons, forks in the home. Return the pot to help former appearance means that there will be in every kitchen or medicine cabinet. Folk remedies tried over the years, they can be trusted.

Cutlery - an important detail perfect serving.

Content

  • 1 Pros and cons of cutlery made of nickel silver
  • 2 Why cutlery made of nickel silver darken
  • 3 How to Clean a cupro-nickel cutlery
    • 3.1 Soda
    • 3.2 Alcohol
    • 3.3 Husks from garlic
    • 3.4 Eggshell
    • 3.5 Ammonia and vinegar
    • 3.6 potato broth
    • 3.7 Lemon acid
    • 3.8 special funds
  • 4 How to return the luster German silver cutlery
    • 4.1 a piece of chalk
    • 4.2 Pasta
    • 4.3 Foil
    • 4.4 Toothpaste or powder
  • 5 Helpful hints for the care of German silver cutlery
  • 6 VIDEO: How to clean cupronickel spoons.

Pros and cons of cutlery made of nickel silver

The color of the alloy similar to the silver from it began to create cutlery, kitchen utensils.

Masters immediately appreciated the dignity of the metal:

  • durability, dishes inherited, used for centuries;
  • aesthetics, cutlery in luxury box - a wonderful gift to the newlyweds, they will decorate the holiday table;
  • products are not destroyed by cupronickel potozhirovyh Fat retain integrity when in contact with food acids and alkalis;
  • have low thermal conductivity metal, cutlery cool to the touch, they are pleased to take over.

Sparkling glitter forks, spoons and knives stimulate appetite and elevate mood.

Disadvantages:

  • dishes are not suitable for everyday use, it must not be mixed hot dishes;
  • metal requires careful maintenance, special detergents, abrasive detergents from powders, hard steel wool scratch left thereon;
  • during prolonged storage cutlery covered with dark patina;
  • oxidized copper allows easy metallic taste, the oxide layer must constantly scrape.

It is important to know how to clean cupronickel spoons at home, forks and other utensils and appliances.

Nickel silver alloy - it's copper, alloyed with nickel. The food vintage Melchior from 5 to 30% nickel, have iron, manganese. The metal is environmentally safe. Alloy created in the XIX century, French engineers were looking for durable easily processed metal for the manufacture of gears. Melchior is named after the Maillot and Chorier creators.

The cleaning both preventive and forced need all products made of nickel silver, regardless of the care, the period of use, the manufacturer, and other factors.

Despite the cons, tableware made of nickel silver is still functional decoration of the festive table, an element of prestige, a sign of status.

Why cutlery made of nickel silver darken

Cutlery with chic pattern darken over time. Reasons for suffering appearance of German silver items:

  • excess moisture, after washing the metal immediately wiped dry;
  • by contact with hot food acids and bases (cupronickel not used for cooking);
  • washing result using hard abrasive powders, metal sponges -mnogochislennye scratches in which mikrochastichki accumulate food, oil, they adhere to the oxide layer (to get rid of dirt will help people facilities).

To achieve the desired effect you get when you follow the recommendations.

The longer the dishes are, the darker patina. Black specks left chlorine, alas, they are not removed.

How to Clean a cupro-nickel cutlery

There are specific techniques based on chemical properties of the components of nickel silver.

Dark coating is difficult to remove:

  • in the picture on the handles serving cutlery:
  • in the space between the teeth at the forks.

Dark plaque - the main problem of cupro-nickel products.

Apply boiling, soaking. If you know how to clean the cupro-nickel cutlery at home, dishes will please many years.

Soda

To clean the utensils, baking soda is used in several different ways:

  • slurry is applied to the nonwoven cloth, wipe darkened space;
  • do warm solution at the rate of 3 tablespoons powder per liter of water, immersed table cupronickel for 2 hours disappear stuffy contamination upgraded relief pattern;
  • a boiling solution was added 1 tbsp. liters per liter of water, then immersed in boiling water for 10-15 minutes devices.

Dark stains and plaque on the devices as a result of careless operation for a long time, you can try to clean and use baking soda.

Alcohol

Using the alcohol is removed on a smooth surface browning. Good soaking a cotton pad, briefly detained on metal, then grind the dishes to shine.

The alcohol may be any of: Ethanol, formic, camphor.

Husks from garlic

In ancient times, the hostess used the materials at hand. At home, boiled utensils made of nickel silver in garlic husks. It will take a lot - it must completely cover the bottom of a broad tank.

Instead husk fit pipes left over after harvesting the garlic from the garden.

The vegetable material is fed into a large container, placed on top of serving items in a row. Pour water to all the metal has been closed. Put the container on the fire, bring to the boil, leave to cool down completely. Thereafter cupronickel sponge with detergent or dry mustard.

Eggshell

Main popular method used by a merchant houses cleaning housewares of silver, nickel silver, and copper. Shell boiled with salt for 20 minutes (at 1 liter. add 2 tablespoons of water. l.). In the boiling liquid for 2-3 minutes dipped objects. After that, rinsing the dishes, wipe dry with a flannel or wool.

Darkening disappear, on the handles of the relief will be clean.

Ammonia and vinegar

Ammonia - long known cleaner. Vinegar - hot solvent. Both of these liquid is used for cleaning nickel silver. Added to water for washing or wiped with moistened cotton pad.

The method is suitable for cutlery with silver and gold plated.

potato broth

If before peeling root vegetables are well washed, cleaning can be used for domestic purposes. Broth is used for cleaning utensils German silver, spoon fork will be like new. Peel boiled for 20 minutes, then immersed in boiling water serving items.

After 2 hours they enough to rinse and dry.

Lemon acid

If the product is stored for a long time, they are covered by a dark layer of oxides. Alloy well cleaned citric acid or lemon slice.

Reserve concentration like vinegar - 9%.

Important! The solution must be cold. With hot food acids metal reacts.

special funds

Important! Choosing household chemicals, it is necessary to study the chemical composition. Melchior irreversibly ruin compound with chlorine. By means of chlorine should be abandoned, even if it is written that they are intended for cleaning cutlery.

Melchior conveniently cleaned gels and cream pastes, they linger on the surface, do not drain. If the label is an indication that the agent for nickel silver, use it can be safely.

Household chemicals for cleaning silver also suitable.

Popular compositions:

  • Gel "Seth";
  • Emulsion "Amethyst";
  • "Polimet" paste.

Scouring powder is best put aside. To maintain the appearance of dishes can be special means for decoration, they are purchased in specialized shops for jewelers.

Means for cleaning articles made of cupronickel selected specialized.

How to return the luster German silver cutlery

Even when stored in a dry place of nickel silver tableware is covered with an oxide film, the alloy becomes dull, unattractive. Former beauty a serving subjects help traditional methods. Some of them - raw potatoes. Root is cut, wipe halves cutlery. Thereafter, the metal is rinsed, wiped.

If potatoes are not helped, glistening nickel silver spoons, knives and forks return in other ways.

a piece of chalk

Soft natural mineral is used as a polishing agent. The powder is applied:

  • wool;
  • fleece;
  • flannel;
  • suede

Wipe the dishes to shine. Fabric have to be fibrous, friable.

Darkened will chalk and nickel silver shine.

Important! It should be ready to use powder or pre-sift pounded chalk through a fine sieve to flour. A good substitute for chalk powder becomes a powder.

Pasta

Excellent treatment principle for the lazy: a cook serving Melchior together with any pasta. Keep the pan on the fire will have 20-25 minutes. Salt can not add, seethe pasta will still have to be discarded. Dishes is enough to rinse and wipe dry.

From broth fade dark patina in the figure, cutlery look like new.

Foil

Aluminum helps to restore its former luster German silver ware. The method is applicable only for sets of pure alloy without silver or gold coating. The bottom of the container in which boiled cutlery, lining layer of foil. It is spread spoons, forks, knives, serving blade cocottes forceps - all that is in the case, is filled with warm water, added salt or soda at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. per liter of water.

Boil all this for 10-15 minutes, then left for 12 hours or a day.

The foil will be dark, it will settle on copper oxides. Serving items will be cleared again will look neat.

They can easily serve a festive table.

Note! If heavily darkened dishes remain ugly divorces, the procedure should be repeated. aluminum ions are able to remove this old dirt. They can not cope alone with spots of chlorine components.

Toothpaste or powder

When asked at hand or chalk powder, nickel silver can be cleaned dentifrices.

The technology is the same as when cleaning the chalk: loose fabric plus patience.

Helpful hints for the care of German silver cutlery

After purchasing the dishes carefully purified in hot water with detergent or mustard powder.

Cleaning condiment sets of dishes produced on the eve of the celebration.

When stored in a case cupronickel contact with air, metal tarnish lose their attraction.

With continued use utensils are stored separately from the rest of spoons, forks, knives. Best of all in a package with Clip buckle, it put sachets of silica gel, to avoid excessive humidity.

Appliances and dishes for special occasions are advised to regularly polish and save in a special case, apart from the sets for daily use.

With occasional use of washed appointments:

  • wipe dry;
  • wrapped in paper towels;
  • add up all in a package as possible is removed from it air.

Note! If the dishes are stored in a case, before laying the dishes in places each item wrapped with cling film. Before serving the metal will be sufficiently wiped with a cloth soaked in vinegar. It can not rinse, it will erode their own.

To simplify your task, the owners of German silver and utensils should make it a rule to look after them, even when the apparent perfection, follow the recommendations in regard to storage.

A few basic "no":

  • leave the dishes moist, it instantly darken;
  • use chlorine-based cleaners to clean, will remain dark spots, they are no use to wash;
  • Abrasive powders used for cleaning, the metal will remain on the plastic scratches;
  • Stir hot broth, vegetable soups, main dishes during cooking appliances will be difficult to bring back the shine, they will have to polish the GOI paste jewelery.

Important! In the dishwasher the dishes are put in order to gentle. It is better to wash your items by hand using a new sponge, on which there is no trace of fat.

Melchior - a good alternative to silver, at a budget cost of products made of nickel silver look noble.

With proper care cutlery maintain the aesthetic appearance. Store utensils you need in a dry place, away from the water. Better adapted to this cardboard box or a sealable container.

VIDEO: How to clean cupronickel spoons.