Copper samovar

This ancient samovar gives tea a special charm. It's stylish, it's fashionable. True connoisseurs of tea are ready to give huge money to such a miracle to decorate their table. Ancient samovars get into modern apartments in many ways - from grandmother's attics, antique shops, and even with garbage. Undoubtedly, a copper samovar, like its gilded or aluminum colleague, must be put in order. How can I clean the samovar from the brass outside? How to take care of such dishes from this and other materials, you will learn by reading the article.

to the contents ↑

What are samovars?

It just seems that they are all made from one material, but in reality samovars are all different. Therefore, before cleaning an antique samovar at home, try to determine what it's made of. It can be a subject:

• copper;
• brass;
• gold-plated;
• aluminum;
• nickel plated;
• made of stainless steel.

How to distinguish between them?- Not so difficult:

• in color and gloss;
• by description, if you bought an item in an antique store;
• on the passport, if you have a modern electrical appliance, bought at the electrical store.

All materials made from samovars differ in color:

1. If the surface is reddish, an object made of copper is made.
2. Brass products are yellow.
3. Stainless steel has a greyish-silver hue and shines.
4. Aluminum - gray and matt.
5. The gilded teapot is yellow, but not as bright as brass.
6. As for nickel-plated products - they are similar to stainless steel items, and they are cleaned almost the same way. In addition, nickel-plated samovars are usually electric, they began to be done relatively recently.

Important! Most often copper and brass samovars are found - once they were the most popular. In merchant and middle-class, and even in peasant houses it was possible to see them. Gold-plated samovars were made most often under the order, they cost very much, that is why now they meet with collectors. Aluminum is also rarely found, but for another reason - this material is extremely soft and not particularly beautiful, so the dishes for the tea ceremony were not appreciated from it.

to the contents ↑

Where to start?

It is better to start any work with preparation, then the process itself will go much faster. With the material, you have already decided. Now prepare detergents and other items, without which there is not a single cleaning. Everything you need for sure is there or what you need, you can find it in the most ordinary shops and pharmacies.

You will need:

• descaler;
• coarse salt;
• calcined soda;
• baking soda;
• flour;
• liquid ammonia;
• 9% vinegar;
• citric acid;
• tooth powder;
• brush;
• piece of flannel;
• piece of linen or cotton fabric;
• paper towels or newspaper;
• sponge;
• rubber glove.

It is more convenient to first clean the inside - remove the scum, which can be very much, and then already nadrait samovar from the outside. In ancient times, when people did not know the special means for washing utensils and abrasive pastes, samovars were scrubbed with river sand and grated brick. Time required a lot, any raid disappeared, but on the surface of the samovar there were scratches. Now there is an opportunity to do without such extreme ways. From abrasive pastes it is better to refuse whenever possible - at least when washing the outer part of the samovar.

Important! All removable parts of the samovar must be removed and treated separately before washing. This is a crane, stand, crown and pens.

to the contents ↑

How can I clean a copper samovar at home?

A copper samovar can simultaneously clean both the outer and inner parts, as well as removable parts. For this you need:

• tank, in which you can completely place the samovar:
• calcined soda;
• water.

The tank is better to take enamel or stainless steel, and proceed as follows:

1. Fill the tank with water.
2. Dissolve soda ash at a rate of 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water.
3. Bring water to a boil.
4. Lower the samovar and all the removable parts into the solution.
5. Boil for about 30 minutes.
6. Wait for the water to cool down a little.
7. Remove all the elements and wipe it with flannel.

So you immediately put a gloss on the outside and get rid of the scum inside.

Important! If there is no such tank and you clean the samovar in another way, small parts can be boiled in a solution of soda ash in a small saucepan.

to the contents ↑

How do I clean a copper samovar from scaling?

Descaling methods are the same for all samovars. The easiest way how to clean the samovar from scale is to buy a special remover in the hardware store.

Important! But you need to look closely at the labels, because the means for removing the scale from washing machines or dishwashers are very different in composition from those that are designed for kettles and other utensils. You need a remedy for dummies.

Option 1

On sale, you can find the descaling agents that you need to add when boiling, or those with which the samovar is easy to clean. If boiling is not necessary, then proceed in the following order to clean the samovar inside from the scum:

1. Apply the product to the inside of the samovar with a sponge.
2. Wait as long as indicated in the instruction.
3. Wash off the product and thoroughly rinse all surfaces.

Option 2

If the product is added during boiling, strictly follow the instructions, especially when it comes to concentration.

Important! Insufficient amount of the product will make cleaning less effective, excessive - will not benefit the material from which the samovar is made.

Standard Application Instruction:

1. Fill the samovar with water.
2. Add a de-scaling agent according to the proportion.
3. Bring water to a boil.
4. Boil the water for about 30 minutes.
5. Pour out the water, carefully rinse the samovar and wipe it with a soft cloth.

A small incrustation of

Answering the question how to cleanse the samovar at home, potato peeling, raw potato, ammonia, vinegar or citric acid will help.

Option 1

If the plaque is small, try removing it with conventional raw potatoes:

1. Rub potatoes on the inside of the object.
2. Wait half an hour.
3. Remove any residue.

Important! Murphy can be rubbed and cooked gruel, put it on the walls and left for the night.

Option 2:

1. In a glass of water, dissolve the citric acid pack( 30 g).
2. Dampen with a cloth.
3. Apply the solution to the area where the scale has formed.
4. Wait half an hour.
5. Rinse the acid, wash the samovar and wipe the flannel.

Option 3

If the scale is small, it will be perfectly wiped off with a cloth or a cotton pad moistened with a 9% vinegar solution. But when a lot of scum, it's better to do so:

1. Fill the samovar with hot water.
2. Add vinegar to the water at a rate of 1 glass per liter of water.
3. Leave the samovar for 8-10 hours( for example, at night).
4. Wash the samovar well.

Aged scum

For this traditional method, you need a lot of potato peelings - so much so that you can fill half the samovar:

1. Cleanse thoroughly with running water.
2. Fill the inside of the dishes to half.
3. Fill the cleaning with boiling water.
4. Wait for the water to cool.
5. Repeat the procedure a couple of times - you need to change the cleaning each time.
6. Remove the last portion of the cleaning.
7. Wipe the walls from the inside with soda.
8. Rinse out.
9. Boil water in the samovar, drain it.

After that you can boil tea in the samovar.

You will be rescued by a soda

With a scum the sweet soda, like "Phantos", "Coca-Cola" is excellently spread:

1. Pour the soda into the samovar.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Boil for half an hour.
4. Drain the soda.
5. Remove the debris residues with a brush.

to the contents ↑

Clean the samovar from outside

After cleaning with the scum, clean the outer part. For each material from which the samovar is made, there are their compositions - and their limitations. You can easily make a brass, brass or steel samovar shine, but you can not even try to find the answer to the question of how to clean the samovar to shine, if you have aluminum in front of you, the samovar will remain frosted.

Option 1

In order to clean the copper samovar from the outside, you need:

• large salt:
• flour;
• 9% vinegar;
• sponge;
• flannel;
• newspaper or paper towels.

This cleaning method is both mechanical and chemical. You rub the plaque by hand, but salt, flour and vinegar greatly facilitate your work:

1. Mix large salt, flour and vinegar to get a pretty thick homogeneous paste.
2. Cover the samovar with paste.
3. Apply paste on the outer surface of the samovar.
4. Polish the samovar with a piece of flannel or paper towel.

Option 2

Citric acid perfectly cleans the nasty gray-green coating:

1. Prepare the composition of citric acid and water - 1 pack of citric acid per glass of water.
2. Apply the composition to the outer surface of the samovar.
3. Polish the samovar.

Instead of citric acid, freshly squeezed lemon juice can be used.

Important! If you are dealing with a copper samovar, try to distinguish the green patina from the gray-green plaque. Patina gives any copper product an exquisite look and affects its value, but the raid indicates that the product simply was not groomed.

Clean small parts

To clean small parts, unless you have boiled them with soda ash, you can use ordinary baking soda:

1. Make a solution in the ratio of 1 tbsp.l.soda for 1 liter of water. Soak small items.
2. Wait half an hour.
3. Wash the crown, stand, handles and faucet in running water.
4. Wipe them with flannel.

to the contents ↑

How to clean a brass samovar at home?

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Zinc does not like organic acids, so vinegar and lemon juice should not be used. Of organic acids, oxalic is suitable, and if it is not, ammonia will always help you out.

Option 1:

1. Dampen a piece of flannel in ammonia.
2. Wipe the samovar from the outside.
3. Vent product( do not wash).

Important! Do not press hard when you rub the walls.

Option 2

Ammonium alcohol can also be part of a brass cleaning solution. To prepare a cleaning paste you need:

• 30 grams of ammonia;
• ½ cup of water;
• 2 tbsp.l.tooth powder.

Mix the ingredients to obtain a homogeneous mass. Paste the paste on a sponge and polish your samovar.

Important! Instead of a powder, toothpaste, if there are no dyes, will do. This compound is suitable for processing the inside of the samovar.

Option 3

Brass products cleans oxalic acid well:

1. Prepare a solution at the rate of 1 cup of acid per 10 liters of water.
2. Apply the mixture to the outer surface, wait five to ten minutes, then rinse with cold water.
3. After that, the surface, not wiping, should be rubbed with soda, then wash off and wipe the samovar.

to the table of contents ↑

Gold-plated samovar

Such samovars rarely form plaque, but sometimes they still have to be cleaned. Abrasive pastes are not suitable for this, and most of the substances that are in your cabinets, too. You need:

• 1 raw egg;
• sodium hypochloride 8%.

What to do with this:

1. Separate the protein from the yolk - you do not need yolk.
2. Mix 1 protein with 1 tbsp.l.sodium hypochlorite.
3. Clean the gilding solution - after several minutes of processing, the samovar will shine like new.

to the table of contents ↑

stainless steel samovar How to clean the samovar from stainless steel without?- Vinegar, and only vinegar:

1. Wipe a cloth or cotton pad in a 9% solution of vinegar.
2. Wipe the entire surface of the samovar, even those that seem clean.
3. Polish the walls with a piece of cloth or paper.

to content ↑

Aluminum samovar

Such samovars are relatively rare, but it is better to know in advance how to clean it. You need:

• ammonia;
• drill;
• water.

Mix the ingredients in a ratio of 1 teaspoon of ammonia, 3 teaspoons of borax to 2 cups of water.

Use this tool to wipe the product walls completely - inside and outside.

to the contents ↑

How can I clean the nickelated samovar from the outside?

Nickel is perfectly cleaned, beautifully shiny, and any scurf from it is cleaned in two counts. Modern models, including electric ones, most often nickel.

Option 1

Prepare a solution that contains:

• 5 ml of ammonia;
• 15 g of borax;
• 0.5 liters of water.

Wipe all parts of the product with a solution, then simply wipe it with a soft cloth.

Option 2

For cleaning of nickel-plated surfaces, a paste from tooth powder and ammonia is also suitable. Mix:

• 100 ml of water;
• 60 ml of ammonia;
• 30 g tooth powder.

Wipe this solution with a nickel-plated samovar - it will sparkle like a new one.

to the contents ↑

To have a samovar served for a long time

Regardless of whether you have an antique or modern electric object, you most likely want it to serve as long as possible - and not just served, but also decorated your kitchen.

This is easy to achieve if you follow simple guidelines.

1. Try to use abrasives as little as possible to clean this object. Even large salt leaves scratches.
2. Clean the dishes with a soft sponge and cloth.
3. If you are not sure what material is made from the samovar, try using the cleaning solution on the inner surface first and see if it comes into contact with the metal.
4. The item should be washed after each tea drinking, especially if you use it often.

Important! Hot samovar should not stand without water. But if it costs in winter in a very cold room - the water from it, on the contrary, must be drained.

Now you have full information on how to clean the copper and any other samovar - both inside and outside. Choose a more convenient way and means for you, and do not forget to take care of such colorful dishes in a timely manner. Then you will be comfortable, and the guests will be surprised.