Since ancient times, nickel silver dishes have been a special decoration item at any holiday. The name "melchior" comes from France, since this alloy was invented by two French academicians Mayo and Charrier. In appearance, it is similar to silver products, but the price of such dishes is several times lower. Cupronickel dishes contain a copper-nickel alloy. This composition made it durable, beautiful and easy to clean. Very often people ask questions about how exactly to clean such products? Can cupronickel products be washed in a dishwasher? What products should be used to wash them? To answer them, let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of cupronickel dishes.
Advantages and disadvantages of cupronickel dishes
Cupronickel dishes have the following advantages:
- Due to its composition, it is beneficial to human health. Nickel, affecting the pancreas, can lower blood sugar levels. Copper has an antibacterial effect. It was also found that if you settle water with cupronickel cutlery, then such a liquid is useful for washing.
- It is distinguished by wear resistance. Due to the metal connections, the products have significant weight, which means they are difficult to damage or break.
- Items made of cupronickel heat up rather slowly, so they are convenient in everyday life.
- Durability. Due to the combination of metals, this material can remain like new for several decades.
- Aesthetic side. Products made from cupronickel have always been used on special occasions, as they look very expensive and beautiful.
However, dishes made from such material have a number of disadvantages:
- When eating food from such utensils, there may be a slight metallic taste. To avoid this, the products are treated with an additional tin solution.
- A very important aspect is that cupronickel items cannot be heated, so they are not recommended for use in ovens or on the stove. Studies have shown that this alloy can release harmful substances during heat treatment.
- Dark spots may appear on the products over time. This indicates improper care of the dishes. That is, products made from this material are quite capricious to use. Many people ask this question, so let’s take a closer look at the reasons and methods for resolving this problem.
Mechanical cleaning of cupronickel
It is worth noting that today, due to the lack of free time, many people prefer dishwashers. As a rule, cleaning agents used in dishwashers (tablets) have a very aggressive chemical composition. Such products adversely affect the valuable coating of cupronickel dishes.
In some cases, the reaction between the chemistry and the alloy can be harmful to human health. Also, this cleaning method can damage the external properties of the product.
The metal will become covered with dark spots, and the ornament on the product will be erased.Thus, we can conclude that nickel silver dishes cannot be washed in the dishwasher. That is, when washing cupronickel dishes, you must adhere to three main rules:
- do not use products with strong chemical composition;
- do not use sponges with a hard, scratchy metal coating;
- Do not use dishwasher, only hand clean by soaking.
Dark spots on cupronickel tableware: reasons
The main prerequisite for the appearance of black marks on dishes is strong humidity in the place where they are stored. In such cases, you can use table salt as an absorbent of excess moisture.
It is important to note that cupronickel dishes must be immediately cleaned of food residues, as they also contribute to the oxidation of the metal. To keep the product looking like new longer, it should be stored in a dark place, covered or wrapped in cloth or foil. Also, there should not be any substances containing chlorine near cupronickel (household chemicals, cleaning products, powders). All this contributes to the appearance of dark streaks and stains on nickel silver products. However, even if dark spots do form on the dishes, they can be eliminated using simple methods at home.
How to clean cupronickel dishes
In the fight for the cleanliness of cupronickel dishes, the first place is occupied by a solution of water and soda. You need to add three tablespoons of soda to one liter of water. After the product has been in soda, it must be rinsed in cold water and wiped so that no moisture remains.
The same inexpensive method of washing cupronickel also includes chalk. Chalk powder must be poured onto a cloth and thoroughly rub the dishes.It should be noted that chalk will not spoil the coating of the product, but will only remove accumulated dirt. An analogue of chalk in this case can be powder available at home for cleaning teeth.
Ammonia is also an effective method for removing stains. It needs to be diluted with water in the same proportion as in the first method with soda. Next, rinse the items in clean water and wipe dry. You can replace ammonia with vinegar.
Eggshells can also help remove stains. It must be boiled in water, and then the nickel silver products should be transferred there. To enhance the shine of your dishes, you can rub them with raw potatoes.
A more complex, but no less effective way is to use foil. It is necessary to cover the bottom of the pan with foil and place the dishes there, then fill everything with a solution of water and soda. Boil cupronickel for about ten minutes, then rinse in cold water and dry.
In this case, methods of manual cleaning of cupronickel tableware were considered.
It should be noted that cupronickel silverware is most often used on special occasions - at celebrations and holidays, so there is no need to observe all the nuances every day. Utensils made of steel and other metals are not so difficult to care for. However, cupronickel tableware, due to its beauty, has been generally recognized throughout the world for many years.
