How and how to properly clean cupronickel spoons

Cupronickel is an alloy of copper and nickel, which is very often used in the manufacture of cutlery. It is not only practical (dishes serve for many years), but also beautiful (outwardly, this alloy is very similar to silver). However, every housewife, who is the happy owner of cupronickel spoons, periodically encounters a problem: the devices begin to blacken and lose their luster. But dealing with this is not difficult at all. There are many interesting ways in which you can clean cupronickel spoons at home.

Features of cleaning cupronickel

Cupronickel not only looks like silver. It is likewise capable of oxidizing if the storage conditions are violated. In this case, the spots on the cupronickel dishes become brown at first and only after a while turn black. The oxidation process occurs due to the copper in the alloy, which is very susceptible to the negative effects of environmental factors.

In addition, sometimes water stains remain on cupronickel devices (if you neglect wiping the spoons with a dry towel after washing). Greyish spots are often formed - traces of ingrained dirt and grease.

You can clean the devices with products from the store. These are special creams, pastes or wipes. They carefully and efficiently clean the spoons from all dirt, even old ones. However, you need to carefully read the information on the packaging and choose products intended for cupronickel.

But in order for the spoons to please the eye with cleanliness and shine again, it is not at all necessary to run to the store. There are many ways to clean these utensils with the products on hand. Cupronickel is not difficult to wash, especially if the stains are not old.

Experienced housewives know that before cleaning, such devices need not only be washed, but done correctly. For example, it is especially helpful to soak spoons in warm soapy water for 20-30 minutes. After that, the dishes need to be properly dried (with a soft towel, you can use a paper towel) and only then start cleaning.

Important! To "soak" cupronickel spoons, you need to use laundry or baby soap without fragrances and dyes. It can be grated on a coarse grater and dissolved in water.

How to clean cupronickel at home

Every housewife has her own proven way to keep spoons and forks clean. Among the most affordable and effective means are:

1. Soda or fine salt. You can prepare a saline or soda solution (for this, 50 g of any of these agents is diluted in water). The spoons should be left to “soak” in the solution for half an hour. If the dirt is heavy, it is recommended to prepare a cleaning paste. To do this, soda or salt is mixed with water to a mushy state. It is important that the mixture is homogeneous, without lumps and individual granules, which can leave unpleasant scratches on the surface of cupronickel. The gruel is applied to the spoons with a soft toothbrush or sponge. In places of pollution, you can make special efforts and rub a little more thoroughly, but without fanaticism.
2. Toothpaste. You should choose a paste without granules and dyes. It is applied to a sponge, brush or cotton pad and each spoon is carefully processed. You can leave the devices in this state for 15–20 minutes, and then rinse off the paste under running water. This method is not always effective against old darkening, but it is absolutely safe for human health.
3. Water left over from boiling eggs. To clean the spoons in this way, add salt and crushed shells to the water. Then the spoons and forks are dipped into the solution, put the container on low heat and kept there for 10-15 minutes. The liquid should boil, but not much.
4. Garlic huskwhich can be added to water instead of shells and salt. The cleaning principle is the same: cutlery is placed in a container, put it on a slow fire. The duration of the procedure is from 10 to 20 minutes.
5. With alcohol. To remove old darkening from spoons, they are wiped with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol. In order to simply return the shine to the devices, it is enough to soak them in an alcohol solution for 15 minutes. If alcohol is not at hand, vodka will do the job perfectly.
6. When it is necessary to remove very old darkening, heavy artillery can be used. For example, ammonia or table vinegar. So, in order to remove neglected stains, they are treated with pure ammonia. The vinegar can be diluted with water and placed in the solution for 20 minutes. Important: you need to work exclusively with gloves and in a room with good ventilation.
7. Glycerin and vinegar. Thanks to this method, cupronickel can be cleaned as quickly as possible. The technology is as follows: the spoons are covered with glycerin (each separately), the vinegar is heated, and then each device is treated with it. To enhance the effect, vinegar can be diluted with ammonia (1: 1 ratio).
8. Potato broth. It is important that it is unsalted. Spoons are placed in the liquid after cooking the potatoes so that they completely cover them. In this form, the devices are left to "soak" for an hour. After the procedure, the spoons should be rinsed and dried with a soft towel.

Important! Cupronickel is "contraindicated" to interact with chlorine-containing substances, therefore, it is strictly forbidden to clean them with whiteness. In addition, they are not dishwasher safe.

Storage tips for cupronickel

Darkening will appear much less often if cupronickel devices are stored correctly. It is important to take into account the characteristics of this alloy. For example, cupronickel "does not like" high humidity. Therefore, to store such spoons, you need to find the driest cabinet and do not put them in a tray or box damp.

To make the spoons shine for a long time, it is recommended to wrap them in foil or plastic wrap for storage. Thanks to this, the oxidation process practically stops, and darkening will not happen very soon.

So, it's easy to clean cupronickel spoons at home. You can choose any of the methods presented to make the cutlery shine again. However, it is important to follow the general safety rules when working with substances such as ammonia and ethyl alcohol, vinegar.