How to clean cupronickel: simple effective methods and products

Cupronickel is an alloy based on nickel and copper that looks like silver. It is believed to have been invented in China before the Common Era and was used to mint coins and create jewelry. Most of us are familiar with it from cutlery - cupronickel spoons and forks look noble and solid, and they can be especially often found in the kitchens of older people.

Cupronickel silver cutlery looks like silverware; they also quickly oxidize and darken

Cupronickel silver is similar to silver not only in appearance, but also in its tendency to oxidize. Over time, especially in a humid environment, products made from this alloy become covered with brown spots, which then turn black. Oxidation is the “merit” of copper, which is part of cupronickel.

How to clean nickel silver spoons and forks to restore their shine and attractive appearance? To do this quickly and efficiently, you need to know a few secrets, which we will tell you about in our article.

To find out whether your spoons are made of silver or cupronickel, you need to show them to a master in a jewelry workshop

What is cupronickel, its pros and cons

Cupronickel is an alloy based on three components: nickel, copper and zinc. Sometimes it also includes some other components, for example, manganese or iron. Cupronickel can be distinguished by its characteristic appearance, reminiscent of silver. It owes this feature to its second popular name - “silver of the poor.”

Just in case! We wrote about how and how to clean silver in this article.

Products made from this material have many advantages:

• Low cost;
• Presentable appearance;
• Strength;
• Long service life;
• Rust resistance;
• Low thermal conductivity.

But there are two big disadvantages:

• Regular care;
• Rapid loss of shine and appearance of blackness.

Now, let's look at how to clean nickel silver so that it regains its former shine.

Lemon acid

Cupronickel is an alloy of copper and nickel with the addition of other chemical elements (iron, manganese, silver). This material has the following properties:

• beautiful silver color;
• plastic;
• safety;
• high resistance to corrosion;
• strength.

Thanks to these properties, cupronickel has become widely used. Dishes, coins, jewelry and art items, as well as medical instruments - this is not the entire list of items made from a durable alloy.

How to clean cupronickel: NUR.KZ

The disadvantage of cupronickel is its tendency to oxidize when exposed to air. In this case, black marks appear on the surface of the products.

Cleaning with citric acid will help cope with this problem. What do we have to do? Follow the step by step guide:

1. Make a solution: add 4-5 tbsp to 1 liter of warm water. l. citric acid. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the acid. Instead of powder, you can use the juice of one lemon.
2. Dip the products into the acidified liquid and leave for 2-3 hours.
3. Remove the devices from the solution and rinse in water.
4. Use a piece of natural fabric or a towel to dry the items.

Using this method, you can clean spoons and other objects from dark stains that appear due to oxidation.

Ammonia or soda

This is the easiest cleaning method.

You will need:

• Warm water – 1 liter;
• Soda – 50 g or ammonia – 50 ml.

Cleaning cupronickel at home:

1. Dissolve baking soda in warm water in any deep bowl;
2. Wash cutlery in soda solution;
3. Next, rinse thoroughly in cold water and wipe dry.

Ammonia is a good substitute for soda. These well-known products perfectly clean small stains from knives, forks, and spoons. Dull cupronickel items treated in this way will receive a soft shine.

Rules for caring for cupronickel

Cupronickel products will not darken if they are properly cared for. Adviсe:

1. Do not wash cupronickel in the dishwasher, otherwise it will react with other metals and oxidize.
2. Do not use products containing chlorine, alkali or acids when cleaning. Cleaning with hard brushes and sandpaper is prohibited.
3. Special products for cleaning cupronickel must be used strictly according to the instructions. It is important not to over-expose the composition, otherwise the coating may be damaged. After cleaning, rinse items thoroughly with running water.
4. Wipe the appliances dry after washing. If you don't like washing dishes and the kitchen needs cleaning, order maintenance cleaning.
5. Wrap utensils in foil or film to limit oxygen access and reduce the likelihood of oxidation. You can also store items in a box with a small amount of chalk, or in a ziplock bag.

Egg shell decoction for darkened products

This effective method can remove even very old stains and clean cupronickel forks, knives, and spoons without any problems or effort.

Need to use:

• Boiled water – 1 liter;
• Table salt - a tablespoon;
• The shell of two chicken eggs.

How to clean cupronickel cutlery from eggshells:

1. Grind the shells to a powdery state;
2. Pour water into a shallow flat container and place it on the flame;
3. After the water boils, add shells and salt to it;
4. Place the utensils in hot water and boil for 2 minutes;
5. Then we take them out, rinse them under running water and wipe them with a soft cloth.

Removing dark spots with food foil

You will need:

• Liter of water;
• Food foil;
• Table salt – 3 large spoons.

Stages of work:

1. We cover the bottom of the saucepan with food foil and place all the cupronickel cutlery on it;
2. We fill the container with water so that our products are completely covered, then add salt;
3. Place the pan on the fire and bring the liquid to a boil, simmer for 3 minutes.

During the boiling process, a chemical reaction occurs, which results in darkening of the foil. And cutlery, on the contrary, becomes lighter. If you cannot remove blackness from cupronickel items due to difficult stains the first time, the procedure must be repeated.

Why do cupronickel spoons darken?

In order for cupronickel tableware to please its owners for a long time and always look as if it had just been purchased, you need to know some of the features of caring for copper-nickel alloy.

Causes of darkening:

• Humidity causes small brown spots to appear on the top layer of devices. After washing, it is necessary to wipe the nickel silver dry with a dry cloth and store it in a closed cabinet, away from moisture.
• Insufficiently thorough washing of dishes from food residues. Tiny particles can remain in scratched areas and leave unsightly dark marks on appliances.
• When in contact with chlorine, detergents, abrasive substances, and household cleaning powders, copper, one of the components of the alloy, begins to oxidize and turn black. Moreover, it is not necessary from direct contact with the product; sometimes the smell of chlorine is enough for table nickel silver to begin to become covered with brown spots.
• Alloy items may darken due to dishwasher use.
• Cupronickel objects often turn black when in contact with devices made from other materials. To slow down the oxidation reaction, items should be stored separately from other items.

Chalk polishing

The most common chalk can be used to polish cutlery items to a shine and remove minor dirt from them.

Polishing procedure:

1. Grind the chalk into powder;
2. Add a little water until you get a viscous slurry;
3. We take a soft cloth (without lint) and apply the mixture on it, with which we polish the products.

If you don’t have chalk, then a non-abrasive toothpaste with silicon oxide in its composition is great for these purposes. It is applied to a damp cotton pad and can be used to clean nickel silver spoons, forks and knives.

How to clean?

Mixtures from the store should not contain chlorine among the active ingredients.
Cleaning nickel silver devices involves delicate surface treatment and restoration of the original shine. To do this, you can purchase a special product in the store. But it is necessary that the label indicate that the composition is suitable for products made of nickel silver. First of all, you should pay attention to the composition; there should not be chlorine on the list.

It is safe to clean cupronickel with folk remedies using a soft cloth.

Using ammonia

Regular ammonia is used, which can be purchased at any pharmacy at an affordable price. If used in its pure form, you need to apply the product to a napkin and wipe each device for 40 seconds. To safely and effectively clean cupronickel spoons, you should follow a proven scheme:

1. Mix alcohol with cold water in a ratio of 10:1.
2. Lower the products for 20 minutes.
3. Remove and place on a towel.
4. Without waiting for it to dry, wipe thoroughly with a waffle towel.

Clean with foil

This method will not take a lot of your time and effort.
This cleaning method requires no effort. To remove complex stains, proceed as follows:

• Take a pan and cover the bottom with food foil. The volume of the dishes depends on the number of cupronickel cutlery.
• Place spoons, forks and knives on the foil, so that each item lies separately.
• Dilute 1 tbsp. l. salt in a liter of water.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• To remove old stains, repeat the procedure again.

Using chalk

To clean large items that are difficult to fit into other dishes, various methods are used. For example, you can clean a cupronickel cup holder as follows:

1. Rub the chalk to form a powder.
2. Lightly moisten the darkened surface.
3. Add powder and leave for a minute.
4. Use a dry sponge to thoroughly wipe the cupronickel surface until the stains disappear.

Fresh potatoes

There are vegetables in every home, so the cleansing method can be considered economical. There are 2 ways to clean nickel silver products to a shine using potatoes:

The root vegetable will return shine and value to products without much expense.

• Make a pulp from the vegetable and soak the utensils in it. Leave for 15 minutes. Starch absorbs oxidation products. As a result, the potatoes become dark, and the spoons and forks become light. After the procedure, the equipment must be rinsed and dried.
• Prepare potato broth and place the darkened products in it for 10 minutes. Then rinse as usual.

Using garlic

For this method, only the husk is needed. Collect about 1 liter, then clean according to the following scheme:

1. Pour water over the husks and bring to a boil.
2. Throw the devices into the colored solution and boil for 40 minutes.
3. Remove, rinse and wipe.

Clean with vinegar

The product is quite aggressive, so it is used with great caution. Add a large spoonful of table vinegar to a glass of warm water. It should not be hot, approximately 20 degrees Celsius. Then wet the waffle towel and clean the cutlery, moving in one direction. After vinegar, rinse in running water.

Vinegar works well on fresh stains that appear as a result of exposure to dampness.

Cleaning gold plated appliances

For luxury gold-plated items, there are several simple methods for removing stains. Let's look at how to clean nickel silver in this case:

• We soak a piece of cotton wool in turpentine or wine vinegar (or a napkin in alcohol) and wipe the gilding with it. But you cannot rub too hard - such products do not tolerate mechanical impact, because the gilding can quickly wear off;
• Rub the alloy with a flannel cloth with egg white applied to it.

Just in case! We wrote in this article how and with what to purify gold.

Decoctions for cleansing

You can also prepare special cleansing infusions. This is another wonderful folk remedy that will help you cope with even the most severe stains.

Suitable for preparing the decoction:

1. Garlic peel;
2. Potato.

Potato broth is considered less effective, but the most gentle. It does not harm the surface of products, so you can safely use it for items with gold or silver inserts.

A decoction of garlic peels is prepared as simply as possible. The husk needs to be boiled, and the more of it, the better the broth will cope with darkened spots.

Thus, you can restore the former sparkling appearance of cupronickel accessories in different ways, without spending money on additional cleaning products. The main thing is to take care of such items in a timely manner , to prevent water from getting into the places where they are stored, then they will always be in excellent condition.

What to do to prevent a black coating from appearing on cupronickel cutlery

How to care for cupronickel to ensure your products have an excellent appearance:

• We always wipe knives, forks and spoons made of cupronickel dry;
• We store the products in zip bags with a convenient lock that will perfectly protect the contents from moisture and dust;
• Tableware should be regularly wiped with a soft flannel cloth, coarse woolen cloth, or use a special napkin for cleaning silver;
• A wooden box that closes tightly is also good for storing equipment. You need to put a piece of chalk inside it, which will protect the products from oxidation.

These methods are very effective and not at all labor-intensive.

Recommendations

When using recipes for cleaning cupronickel, you should consider the following points:

1. Do not use aggressive household chemicals for cleaning, as they can damage the material.
2. Using highly abrasive tools for cleaning (for example, a metal brush, sandpaper) can lead to damage to the products.
3. Any cleaning product should not remain on nickel silver indefinitely. After the exposure time has expired (according to the instructions), the product should be removed from the product, and the surface should be washed and dried.
4. Despite the strength and guaranteed long service life, products made from cupronickel need regular cleaning, as they are prone to darkening.

How to clean nickel silver jewelry with stones

Corals, pearls and turquoise are considered the most delicate and capricious in matters of care. They do not tolerate foam, hot and soapy water, alcohol at all, and vinegar can completely dissolve pearls. For such products, only one product is ideal - salt.

1. Let's make a strong saline solution without heating the water.
2. Place your nickel silver jewelry in well-salted water and take it out after 2 hours, rinse thoroughly and wipe dry.
3. And if after such a procedure you cover the turquoise with a thin brush with a small layer of animal fat, then it will perfectly retain its original appearance.

Amber, moonstone, opal, and malachite do not like humidity, but they wash well in soapy water to which an ammonia alcohol solution has been added. Then they are quickly rinsed and wiped with an absorbent and soft cloth. Ammonia will not harm a cupronickel alloy either.

Can silver spoons be washed in the dishwasher?

Silverware should not be washed in the dishwasher. Features of automatic washing (long-term presence of metal in water, mechanical impact, air drying) significantly reduce the service life of cutlery made from noble material. In addition, most dishwasher detergents have a harsh composition containing alkalis, chlorine and other components that will contribute to the rapid oxidation process of silver. If you want to keep the products in their original form for a long time, then you need to wash them only by hand.

Silverware should not be washed in the dishwasher.

Remember that proper use, storage and cleaning of silver cutlery helps maintain the appearance of the items. You can clean metal not only with expensive means, but also with time-tested methods using vinegar, soda or toothpaste

After cleaning, it is important to use the devices correctly to avoid darkening again.

Special products for cleaning cupronickel items

To care for such products, you can buy household chemicals at any hardware store.

• Be sure to read the instructions and ingredients when purchasing. The most dangerous substances for delicate coatings are abrasive particles and chlorine;
• The most popular chemicals are Amethyst emulsion, Polymet paste, and Sif gel. You can use Fairy gel, which gives a good effect in caring for products consisting of precious metals;
• In terms of external features, the coating of cupronickel devices is almost the same as that of expensive products. At specialized outlets you can buy a product for jewelry, which will also help maintain the beauty of serving items.

For preventive purposes, serving items are washed in the following solution: add a small spoonful of shampoo, peroxide and ammonia to a glass of warm water. This will make the tableware shine and shine. If you put them away for storage, be sure to wrap them in paper.

Modern means

If the products have darkened, they can be quickly refreshed. For this purpose, special care products for cupronickel items are produced. They come in the form of liquid, gel or wipes soaked in a special solution. It is enough to follow the instructions indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Some of the substances can protect objects from moisture by covering them with a thin protective layer.

Regular kitchen powders and creams are also suitable for cleaning. But they should not contain aggressive components.