- Features of copper
- Methods for cleaning copper from oxides
- How to clean copper coins?
- Shine recovery for copper objects
Often there are situations where you just need to know how to clean copper at home. Alloy copper is used in many industries: in the manufacture of kitchenware, coinage, production of electronic parts, the manufacture of elegant jewelry and other useful items. Considering all the variety of products and items from this alloy that surround us every day, it is necessary to puzzle a similar problem from time to time. And in this article we will tell you how to solve it.
to content ↑Features of copper
Copper has excellent properties, and therefore finds so wide application:
- Kitchenware made of copper is characterized by excellent thermal conductivity, allows you to heat and prepare food very quickly.
- Some jewelry manufacturers recommend making jewelry from this metal for diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Thus, the products are not only beautiful, but also beneficial to human health.
In the process of operating kitchen appliances or other items from this alloy, when exposed to oxygen or heat, a green coating on copper forms. To my great regret, it is impossible to prevent the appearance of a raid. But there are proven means, than to clean copper at home. In this article you will find effective methods that will help restore brilliance and pristine purity to objects. They will not take much time and "do not fly in a pretty penny."
to the contents ↑Methods for cleaning copper from oxides
There are many ways how to return a beautiful appearance to copper products. The following are the most effective and easy to use. To clean copper from oxide at home, you do not need special tools or solutions. Practically all the ingredients for preparing an effective remedy you will find at home.
Important! Regardless of which cleaning method you choose, read the instructions for use and test the product on a barely visible area of the object surface.
Soap solution
The most common means for cleaning copper in most forums and among experienced housewives is a soapy solution. With its help, simple dirt can be easily removed from the surface. To do this:
- In a small container, pour warm water, add detergent into it.
- Take a dishwashing sponge or clean tissue flap, moisten in solution and wipe the contaminated areas.
- Soap rinses with clean running water.
Important! If you clean oversized things from copper, they can be placed in a soapy solution for a while. So you will less than your own hands rub the contaminated surface, spending your strength and time, and the result will be no less qualitative.
Lemon juice
Many do not know how to clean a copper basin, precisely because of its size. After all, it is very problematic to find a container that exceeds the size of the pelvis, and allows you to completely place the container in a cleaner. In this case, it is necessary to know the way in which raw materials are applied directly to problem areas. To do this, you can use lemon juice or just a slice of lemon.
How to use:
- In a small bowl squeeze out the juice of lemon.
- Cotton swab or gauze with freshly squeezed juice.
- Rub a copper basin until the dirt disappears from the surface.
- Wash off any remaining material under running water.
Important! If there is no desire to squeeze out the juice from the lemon, just enough lobed lemon to treat the contaminated surface.
Ketchup
Do not be surprised, it is with the help of ketchup at home that you can clean copper objects. Thanks to the components that make up the ketchup, your products will acquire a mirror shine and crystal clearness.
How to apply:
- Choose the container based on the dimensions of the copper object.
- In it, pour the necessary amount of ketchup.
- Put the product in a liquid and leave it for a while.
- Wash the remnants of ketchup with warm water.
Important! Use this method is better for cleaning small objects, for example, jewelry.
Vinegar
Looking for an effective way to clean copper from oxide at home? A proven means by which defects of a similar nature are easily eliminated is table vinegar. If suddenly it was not found in your kitchen, then it would not be difficult to buy liquid at the grocery store.
Important! This method is suitable for cleaning out-of-gauge copper products.
How to use:
- In a small container, prepare a weak vinegar-aqueous solution, taking into account the proportions of 1: 1.
- Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the resulting liquid and mix thoroughly so that all grains dissolve.
- Put the solution on a fire and bring to a boil.
- In a boiling medium, lower the contaminated object.
- Boil for 10-15 minutes.
Important! Depending on the degree of contamination, the boiling time can be increased.
- Remove the cleaned product and allow it to cool.
- Rinse the object in cold water, dry with a soft towel.
How to clean copper coins?
Perhaps each of us at home can find old, unattractive, brown-coated coins. Such products can simply be thrown into the garbage can, but quite differently to the situation look collectors. If the coins are darkened from years of storage, try the following simple ways how to clean copper to shine. Without much effort on your part, you will restore the crystal clearness to expensive coins.
Acetic acid
Often a yellow coating appears on the coins. Such defects are typical for products that are stored in the wrong conditions or near objects made of lead. Clear copper coins from the yellow coating on the surface, you can, cooking at home light acetic acid:
- In a small container, prepare the acetic acid. To do this, mix the vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:10.
- Drop the yellowed copper coins into the resulting liquid and leave it for a while.
- Once the dirt has cleared, rinse the coins in warm water.
- Dry products with a kitchen towel.
Ammonia alcohol
Clear to shine copper from which coins are made, ammonia will help you. You can buy it at any pharmacy in the absence of a drug in your home medicine cabinet. This tool will help to get rid of a touch of red shade, which appears on the products due to long storage.
How to use:
- In a shallow container, prepare a solution of ammonia. To do this, mix it with water in a 1: 5 ratio.
- Put the coins in the mixture, leave for a while.
- Once the liquid has a reddish tinge, you can get the copper products.
- Remainder residue rinse with clean water and wipe the coins dry.
Citric acid
A green coating on copper is formed when the coins are stored for a long time in a box or other packaging in which air is not properly supplied. In this situation, it is best to use citric acid. Under its influence, a raid right in front of your eyes will disappear from the surface of the coins:
- Depending on the number of coins, prepare the necessary capacity.
- Stir in the water at room temperature with citric acid, maintaining the proportions of 1:10.
- Put copper coins in the resulting mixture, leave for a few minutes.
- After the liquid has a greenish tinge, remove the coins.
- Wash objects with cold running water.
- Wipe the coins dry and slightly polish to give shine.
Important! Before you clean any old coins yourself, try to find out their value. If the product is valuable, you can not remove the natural patina of platinum, which appears on this alloy after a certain period of time, and it just shows the origin and conditions of storage of a numismatic jewel.
to content ↑Shine recovery to copper objects
In the process of using copper objects, they lose their crystal shine and begin to look dull, sad. How to clean a copper basin and other items made from this alloy, you already know. And to restore the original sparkle to decorations and pans will help the following ways.
Method # 1:
- Prepare the preparation by mixing the flour, salt and vinegar in equal proportions.
- Stir the product thoroughly.
- Scrub with a mixture of products that need to give shine.
- In the end, rinse objects with cold water, wipe them dry.
Method number 2:
- Take an ordinary newspaper and remember it well so that the paper becomes soft.
- In a circular motion, polish the surface of copper objects with a newspaper.
If timely not to clean copper products, the metal will cover with a dark coating, lose its luster, the result - the surface will cloud. Now you know what to clean the copper basin at home, restore the sparkling look to the coins and return the ornaments from the copper with a beautiful look. All methods are not labor-consuming and not costly, and the effectiveness of methods allows them to be applied to both housewives and highly qualified specialists in factories.