NATA KARLIN

Copper is one of the most ancient metals, the qualities of which were discovered by man. That only since then people have not made this metal - arrows for spears, dishes, candelabra, statues, coins and jewelry. Today copper is also used in many products. Including for the creation of lines of high-voltage wires. It is considered a lucky sign if a copper weather vane is installed over the house. A copper wedding is celebrated under the number of luck - seven. This metal is very similar in quality characteristics and appearance to gold. However, there is a big disadvantage - over time, copper darkens, turns green, and the products lose their original shine and attractiveness.

How and with what to clean copper products at home?

As already mentioned, copper things have an unpleasant feature - they darken and turn green. From the point of view of chemistry, everything is explained simply - the oxidation process takes place. But from the philistine side, it does not look very aesthetically pleasing. Especially when it comes to antique copper jewelry, coins from the collection of a numismatist or tableware. It is necessary to clean the tech thing so as not to spoil it, not to erase the drawing, and to give it a presentable look. The easiest way to buy copper cleaner is at a household chemicals store, but why pay a significant amount when you can get by with home remedies?

Before starting work, make sure that your product is completely composed of a copper alloy. A thing covered with a thin copper layer can deteriorate under the influence of potent substances. For this category of products, a simple method of cleaning is applicable - a solution of laundry soap and a cloth.

Determining whether your item is 100% copper or not is easy. If you apply a magnet to an item and it clings, then the item is not made of copper. Most likely, the metal base of the item is covered with a copper layer.

It is also worth considering the lacquer coating of the product. Damage to it can lead to rapid oxidation of copper and loss of appearance of the product. If the item was lacquered, please be patient and industrious, and follow the tips below:

  • Remove the varnish completely. This will avoid partial damage to the surface layer, and will make it possible to clean the item evenly. To do this, take 1 tablespoon of baking soda for every liter of water. Pour the solution into a container that will fit completely and immerse the item. Boil the solution and let it boil along with the copper product for half an hour. As the water boils away, add it again. Take a scrubbing sponge and clean the back of the varnish.
  • The lacquered surface of a copper object can be cleaned quickly and easily. To do this, take half a liter of water and 100 g of dishwashing liquid. Apply the product to the item and leave it on for 20 minutes. Rub the item with a sponge and rinse with running water. Dry the item with a soft cloth.

So, there are several ways to clean copper products:

  • Lemon and soda... Wonderfully removes green plaque from the surface of a copper product lemon. Cut the fruit in half, sprinkle some baking soda on it and scrub it like a regular sponge. The acid will chew off the plaque, and the baking soda will clean the depressions of the embossed pattern. If you don't have a lemon on hand, use it. Only in this case, take a damp sponge (cloth), dip it in acid diluted to gruel and clean the product in a circular motion. If the garment has a grooved pattern, you can use an old toothbrush instead of a sponge.
  • Cleaning agent and water... This recipe works well for copper cookware. It is advisable to clean trays, plates, bowls, mugs and glasses carefully so as not to intensify the oxidation process even more. Therefore, any cleaning agent (including soda) diluted in water is great. Put the dishes in the solution for a few hours, the dirt and deposits will be removed, and they can be cleaned off with the back (hard) side of the dish sponge.
  • Running water... If you recently bought a piece of copper, and you see the initial signs of oxidation, you can eliminate them with ordinary running water. Place the product under a stream of hot tap water and gently remove any green deposits.
  • Lemon juice, wheat flour and table salt... Mix all the components in equal proportions, dilute with water until a liquid slurry is obtained. Apply the mixture to a cloth and clean the product. This tool has been used for a long time, and not a single hostess left a negative review about it.

  • Ammonia... To clean a copper piece, take an ammonia solution from a pharmacy, moisten a sponge with it, and wipe the surface of the item. There is only one recommendation in this case - it is advisable to carry out the procedure on the street. Indoors, you can get poisoned by ammonia fumes. With its help, you will remove not only green plaque from the product, but also darkening.
  • Kerosene. This product should only be used with a woolen or cloth cloth. Moisten the product with water, dip a cloth in kerosene and wipe the copper surface. An additional component is ordinary white chalk powder.
  • Ketchup... It sounds strange, but it can be used to quickly and thoroughly clean copper items. Apply the product to the surface in a thin layer, leave for 12 hours. Then gently polish the item with a woolen cloth.

How to clean copper coins at home?

Professional numismatists do not ask such questions. They have recipes, proven over the years, with which they clean copper and other coins.

Special mixtures and compositions available on the market will not damage the rare item, make it shiny and attractive.

However, many of them use mixtures that they prepare themselves, using the simplest ingredients for this. If you have antique copper coins in your home and need to be cleaned, follow the instructions below:

  • Yellow bloom... This problem occurs in products in which the alloy contains a large amount of lead. You can fix the problem with vinegar (9%). For starters, coins are added to a solution of water and laundry soap for 3 hours. Then remove the coins one at a time and scrub with an old toothbrush. Rinse each coin with warm running water and dry. Apply vinegar to a cloth, and wipe the items on each side until the desired shine.
  • Green bloom... In this case, food grade citric acid is used. It is necessary to thoroughly rinse the coins with regular tap water and a soft cloth. Dilute citric acid at the rate of 1 teaspoon to half a glass of water. Dip a cotton pad in the solution and scrub the coins on each side. At the end of the process, rinse with water and wipe dry. You can replace citric acid with oxalic acid. This agent is several times more aggressive than citric acid. Therefore, its portion should be half as much. In this case, it is necessary to work with gloves.

  • Red bloom... In this case, there are two ways out. The first is to leave everything as it is, than to make the appearance of the product even more attractive, close to the effect of antiquity. The second is to brush to a shine. Removing it is not difficult. You need to stock up on a 5% ammonia solution. Dip into the liquid one at a time, rinse with cool tap water and wipe dry. You can replace ammonia with ammonium carbonate, only you need to work with it with gloves.

For those who like a reddish patina on copper coins, you can create it yourself. To do this, take the following components:

  • Distilled water - 1 L;
  • Potassium permanganate (manganese) - 5 g;
  • Copper sulfate - 50 g.

Combine all ingredients in an enamel bowl and heat over low heat. It is impossible to bring the solution to a boil. Turn off the gas and place the copper coins in the facility. Monitor your reaction by removing and flipping coins periodically.

After you have achieved the desired effect, you need to remove the coins from the solution and apply a composition of benzene and denatured alcohol to the surface. Mix the ingredients in equal proportions.

January 14, 2014 10:51 am

In the arsenal of a modern housewife, there are many different ways to keep copper products in an attractive condition. The most effective and common methods are:

  1. Take a metal container that will hold the copper piece. Fill it with water, add a little of any detergent or cleaning agent. Using a soft cloth or sponge, remove light dirt from the metal surface. Then immerse the product in clean water to rinse off the remaining detergent.
  2. Freshly squeezed lemon juice works well even for stubborn dirt. Cut the lemon in half, rub it on a piece of copper, leave for a few minutes, and then rinse under running water.
  3. Tomato paste or ketchup are also good options. how to clean copper at home... To carry out this procedure, squeeze the required amount of ketchup or paste into a container and lower the product into it. A copper object in this product should be left for 10 minutes and rinsed with warm water. After such processing, the metal will look like new.
  4. If your favorite copper piece has dark spots, try removing them with a vinegar solution. Fill a saucepan with water, dilute the vinegar and salt in it. For 1 liter of water, you will need 3 tbsp. l. vinegar and the same amount of salt. In the prepared solution, lower the dish that you are going to clean, put the pan on the fire and bring the water to a boil, boil for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.
  5. Copes well with dirt and paste based on chalk and ammonia. To prepare this cleaning agent, you need to prepare a 25% ammonia solution, ground chalk and water. Mix these three components in a ratio of 5: 2: 10. Treat contaminated copper objects with the prepared paste and leave them for 10-15 minutes. Then scrub the entire surface of the metal thoroughly with a medium-hard bristle brush. Rinse the product under running water and wipe it dry with a soft cloth.

Cleaning copper utensils

For safe cleaning of products, all these methods can be used only after a preliminary test of the reaction of the metal to the cleaning agent. Testing is carried out in a small area, if no changes have occurred, the entire product can be cleaned.

Copper utensils often have deposits of various origins. There are several options, how to clean copper at home to remove the build-up of plaque. They are presented in the table below.

Plaque color The agent used Cleaning method
Yellow (formed by contact of copper with lead) Acetic acid 9% Place the product completely in acetic acid, after 15 minutes, rinse with running warm water and wipe dry with a soft cloth
Red color 5% ammonia solution The item is placed in the solution for 10 minutes, after which it is rinsed with water.
Black bloom Ammonia Moisten a soft cloth in ammonia and treat the entire surface of the metal. After cleaning the metal, wipe it with a clean cloth
White bloom Sulfamic acid With a sponge, carefully apply sulfamic acid to the entire surface of the product, and after 10 minutes it must be washed off with water. Always wear rubber gloves when coming into contact with this corrosive chemical.
Green bloom Oxalic acid, ethyl alcohol, turpentine

Lemon acid

 All components must be taken in equal proportions, mixed and thoroughly treated with a sponge on the metal surface. At the end of the procedure, rinse the product under water.

Bright green plaque can be removed with citric acid. It is necessary to dilute it with water 1: 2, process the product, and rinse off after 10 minutes.

If contamination forms on a metal such as copper, mechanical cleaning can also be carried out. Usually this method is used when it is necessary to remove dirt from coins and other objects with small parts.

For mechanical cleaning, you will need the following tools:

  • incisors;
  • needle;
  • brush.

The use of these tools allows you to remove dirt even in the most inaccessible places. Mechanical cleaning is carried out as follows:

  1. Copper products are placed in distilled water for an hour. Such actions are necessary to remove the upper whitish plaque.
  2. At this stage of cleaning the object, it should be treated with a synthetic resin in order to exclude the occurrence of mechanical damage to the surface during the procedure.
  3. When using any of the above tools, dirt is removed.

Brushed copper products

If the copper product is of great value, do not rush, this work can take a lot of time and effort.

Mechanical cleaning can also be carried out using abrasive agents - salt and soda. When choosing this method, you need to apply a small amount of salt or soda to a sponge or cloth, and gently clean the places of contamination.

Previously, coins were made from copper. Today they are considered rare items, therefore they are of particular value to collectors. This metal tends to form patina and various oxides, as a result of which its attractive appearance is lost and the cost is reduced. Several effective methods are known to remove contaminants from this metal.

Cleaning coins in soapy water

This is a fairly simple and very common method. To return the coins to a new look, you will need:

  • soda - 5 tablespoons;
  • water - 500 g;
  • pot;
  • old toothbrush.

Prepare a soda solution

Cleansing process:

  1. Prepare a solution - pour water into a saucepan, add baking soda and stir.
  2. Dip coins into the prepared solution. They should be covered with water on top of at least 2 cm, so you should not immediately process a large number of copper products.
  3. Place the saucepan on the fire and cook for half an hour.
  4. Take out the coins, let them cool down a bit and start brushing the surface with a toothbrush. Pay special attention to problem areas.

Trilon-B

You can do without self-preparation of means for cleaning copper from contamination. Trilon-B - a special chemical composition designed for cleaning this metal, copes well with any contamination.

Trilon-B does not have a destructive effect on the metal, like some alkalis and acids. You can buy this substance at a jewelry store. It is sold in a jar; you do not need to remove it from the container to carry out the procedure for cleaning coins.

You will need non-metallic tweezers to care for your coins. Using this tool, the products are lowered into the jar where Trilon-B is located, and after 10-15 minutes they are removed, washed with running water and dried. Several treatments may be required to remove a thick layer of oxides.

This fermented milk product contains acids that can gently remove oxides and dirt from copper without damaging the patina. The cleansing process looks like this:

  1. Coins are placed in a plastic or glass container.
  2. From above, all products are poured with kefir.
  3. The coins are kept in kefir for at least an hour, taken out, washed and dried.

You can clean coins with kefir

When choosing this method of cleaning copper, you will need:

  • oil - sunflower or olive;
  • detergent;
  • pot;
  • non-metallic tweezers.

Pour in sunflower or olive oil and bring to a boil

The procedure consists of the following actions:

  1. Pour oil into a saucepan about 2-3 cm.
  2. Put the container on fire and bring the oil to a boil.
  3. When it boils, gently dip the coins using tweezers.
  4. Coins are kept on low heat in low boiling oil for 10-15 minutes, then they are carefully removed and traces of fat are removed with a detergent.
  5. Dry clean coins with a dry cloth.

Over time, especially during operation, copper products fade and lose their luster. You can return it using simple, cheap and affordable tools at hand:

  1. Flour, salt, vinegar. To give copper a dazzling shine and shine, you need flour, table salt, vinegar essence. The components are mixed in equal proportions and the resulting mixture is rubbed onto the copper surface. After 15 minutes, the product is washed off with water and the items are wiped dry.
  2. Newspaper. You can make copper products shine like new with regular black and white newspaper. It needs to be rolled into a small lump and the tarnished metal should be polished.
  3. Hydrochloric acid. You can also add sparkle to copper with hydrochloric acid. For such processing of metal, it is necessary to moisten a small piece of cloth in this product and wipe the product. This procedure must be carried out with rubber gloves and in a well-ventilated area.
  4. Kerosene and chalk. The tarnished metal is moistened with kerosene, and rubbed on top with crushed chalk using a clean cloth.

You can polish the copper with a piece of regular newspaper.

Restoration of patina

In the process of removing contaminants from the copper surface, damage to the patina can occur. Do not be upset, because there is a way to create an artificial layer of patina, which will give the products an old noble look.

For such a procedure you will need:

  • 1 liter of distilled water;
  • 5 g potassium permanganate;
  • 50 g of copper sulfate.

The process of creating a decorative patina looks like this:

  1. All ingredients are mixed and placed in a saucepan.
  2. The container is put on fire, without bringing to a boil, copper objects are placed in the solution.
  3. Products periodically need to be turned over, and when the desired effect appears, they are removed from the container and dried naturally.

All methods for purifying copper should be used as the metal becomes dirty. It is not worth rubbing too much on the product, such actions will damage the noble patina.

To clean products made of copper and its alloys (brass and bronze), it is not at all necessary to purchase special cleaning agents.

In everyday life, we are surrounded by many different objects made of copper and its alloys - brass (an alloy of copper with zinc) and bronze (an alloy of copper with tin). Copper basins, coffee makers, mortars, candlesticks, doorknobs, plumbing fixtures and a range of decorative items. They are incredibly beautiful, comfortable and practical. But they have one common misfortune - they are not spared by time, and gradually a copper coffee pot, a bronze figurine or a brass doorknob begin to become covered with a "noble patina" - not a very aesthetic bloom of an incomprehensible nature. Of course, for antique dealers, collectors and other aesthetes, this is a good sign, testifying to the longevity of products. But not for us - people who think rationally, who want to get rid of this very patina and other layers, but as soon as possible.

The reason for this behavior of copper and its alloys lies in the aggressive manifestations of the environment. Air is a heterogeneous substance. This is a heterogeneous mixture of gases containing, in addition to oxygen, a wide range of other inclusions: carbon dioxide, water and acid vapors, hydrogen sulfide. It is they, together with oxygen, that are responsible for the appearance of oxide and salt deposits on the surface of our favorite products. But you shouldn't be upset. There are many known ways to combat this unpleasant phenomenon.

The easiest way to clean

A small amount of ordinary dish detergent in combination with tooth powder or paste is dissolved in hot water. The resulting composition is used for cleaning products made of copper and its alloys. The method is good, but not always effective enough, especially in cases where a more radical approach is needed.

Table salt and whey

A good way to clean copper, bronze and brass is to treat the item with a solution of whey and salt. A spoonful of salt dissolves in 200 ml of serum. Then a soft rag is impregnated with this composition and the product is processed, after which the item is rinsed abundantly with running water, wiped dry and thus acquires a new life.

Lemon juice and table salt

The method with the use of salt and lemon juice gives a very good result. The lemon is cut in two. Each of the halves is sprinkled with salt and used as a kind of tampon for treating problem areas of the product's surface. At the end of the operation, the item is thoroughly rinsed in running water, wiped dry and polished with a soft dry cloth.

This method can be improved somewhat. The lemon is squeezed into a small container, and salt is added there in the amount necessary to obtain a mushy substance. The product is cleaned with the resulting mixture by means of a soft rag, then rinsed, wiped and polished with cloth or flannel.

Ketchup technology

The method is quite extravagant, but it works. Ketchup excellently removes oxide deposits from the surface of copper alloys. To do this, apply a small amount of ketchup to the product and wait a few minutes. Then the item is wiped with a sponge, napkin or cloth, rinsed under running water and wiped dry, after which it acquires its original appearance and shine.

Someone may think that this method is wasteful. Not at all, any, even the cheapest ketchup is suitable for cleaning, moreover, you need very little of it.

Salt, vinegar, flour

A tablespoon of salt is stirred in a glass of vinegar. Flour is added to the prepared solution until it acquires a mushy consistency. The mixture is applied to a copper, bronze or brass product and in this form it is left for 20-40 minutes. Next, the paste is washed off the object. The product is wiped dry and polished.

The effectiveness of this method can be increased by adding a little sawdust to the resulting "dough" and wiping the product well with the paste itself before rinsing.

Digestion in vinegar-saline solution

This composition can be applied without heat treatment, using it for mechanical manual cleaning. But in problem cases, boiling is indispensable. To do this, add a glass of vinegar and a spoonful of salt to a pot of water. Next, place the product and boil until the result of cleaning is visually noticeable. When the item has cooled, it should be washed well with soap and warm running water.

Chalk and ammonia based paste

To prepare the paste, you will need a 25% ammonia solution, ground chalk and water. The ingredients are mixed in a ratio of 5: 2: 10. The product is lubricated with the resulting composition and left for 10-15 minutes. Then the item is carefully wiped with a stiff bristled brush, rinsed well and wiped dry with a clean soft cloth.

Laundry soap

A good effect when cleaning products made of copper, bronze and brass is given by the use of ordinary unbleached laundry soap. Soap 72% is rubbed on a coarse grater and stirred in warm water. The product is immersed in the resulting solution and left in it for a period from a day to three, after which it is well brushed, washed and wiped. Such a procedure, in cases not started, is capable of returning our products to their original appearance.

Oxalic acid, turpentine, ethyl alcohol

An excellent composition for cleaning and it is easy to prepare: 1 ml of oxalic acid is mixed with 4 ml of turpentine, 5 ml of ethyl alcohol and 1 ml of plain water. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and applied to the object with a soft rag swab. Turpentine and alcohol remove the fatty film from the metal, and oxalic acid neutralizes plaque, the remains of which are easily washed off with soap from the surface of the product.

Kerosene and chalk

This method is especially good for products with a smooth, polished surface. The object is moistened with kerosene and rubbed with chalk using a woolen or cotton rag. Thus, it is possible not only to remove plaque, but also to restore the previous shine of the surface.

Cleaning copper coins

Old coins, like some Soviet ones, which are gaining more and more popularity among collectors, often need cleaning. It is quite possible to restore their original appearance. Bright green plaque is removed with a swab dipped in 10% citric acid solution. Reddish plaque is removed by immersing the coin in 5% ammonia solution, and yellowish plaque is removed with 9% vinegar solution.

How to freshen up jewelry made from copper and its alloys

To restore their former shine to jewelry or small products made of copper and its alloys, they need to be immersed for half an hour in a boiling solution of soda ash at the rate of 40 g per liter of water. You can polish brass, bronze and copper surfaces with a special mixture consisting of 15 g of tooth powder, 30 g of 10% ammonia solution and 50 g of water. For these purposes, a piece of cloth or flannel is used.

Copper products are not only coins that are collected by numismatists, but also a variety of decorative items that have beauty and elegance. But over time, the metal becomes covered with oxides. Copper oxide is a brown or black coating that appears on copper products when exposed to moisture. This plaque gives coins and jewelry an unattractive appearance. For this reason, each owner of such products asks the question of how to clean copper with their own hands at home.

Peeling copper with lemon

What shouldn't be done?

Before you start cleaning copper from dirt and oxides, you should know which cleaning agent cannot be used for this purpose. This is a powder containing abrasive particles that can scratch the metal, after which it will be impossible for it to return to its original appearance. The use of any acids (citric, sulfuric, hydrochloric) can also ruin a copper product, especially when it comes to a coin made of copper. Fragile copper decor items must not be boiled or exposed to hot steam, otherwise they may break.

Funds

You can clean copper at home using the following tools:

  1. Soap solution: This is the easiest to make product and is ideal for the care of copper in the event that the product from it is not significantly dirty. It is enough to soak the copper product in warm soapy water for several hours, rinse and wipe dry.
  2. Soap Paste: If the item needs more thorough cleaning, you can make a soap paste. This is easy to do: take a bar of soap and rub it on a fine grater, then add water so that you get a thick paste. With such a mass, you need to cover a copper product. It is advisable to leave the gruel for a few days - this approach will improve the cleaning result.
  3. Lemon: you can take half of this fruit and rub it thoroughly with the cut side. At the end of the procedure, the item should be gently cleaned with a brush.
  4. Acetic gruel: Cleaning copper with this is very effective. To prepare the gruel, you need to take equal parts of salt and flour, and then combine them with vinegar so that you get a kind of dough. The mass is applied to a copper object and wait for it to dry. As soon as the mass dries on the metal surface, it should be cleaned with a brush, and the product itself should be thoroughly rinsed.
  5. Salmon (ammonium chloride): This remedy is great if the copper piece has a thick patina. The powder must be poured into a deep bowl, and the copper object must be heated. After that, you should touch the ammonia powder with a red-hot product. Thus, you need to process the entire surface of the product.
  6. Ketchup: This food is often used for cleaning copper products. You need to apply a thick layer of ketchup to the thing and leave it for a few minutes. Then the product should be rinsed with water and wiped dry with a cloth.
  7. Kefir: This drink contains acid, which effectively removes dirt from the surface of copper products. It is enough to soak the microfiber or cotton wool with kefir and start cleaning the copper object.
  8. Olive oil: Suitable for cleaning small copper items such as coins. However, the owner of such products must prepare for the fact that cleaning can take a month, but the main advantage of this cleaning method is that the oil cannot harm the metal in any way. How to clean copper: you need to take a deep bowl and pour olive oil into it, then put copper objects in it. After a few days, they are taken out and cleaned with a soft brush, after which they are again immersed in oil. For one to two months, this action is repeated 5-6 times.
  9. Trilon-B: answering the question of how to clean copper, this tool should be mentioned. It is diluted in water in the following proportion - 1 part Trilon-B and 10 parts of water. The object to be cleaned is immersed in the resulting solution and its condition is monitored. As soon as the desired result is achieved, the copper product must be removed and rinsed in running water.

Cleaning copper with ketchup

If the copper decor item has faded, but has not yet had time to get dirty, it can be cleaned with a crumpled newspaper (this is how the windows were cleaned earlier).

Many owners of copper products are wondering not only how to clean copper from contamination, but also how to give it the perfect appearance. To do this, you need to prepare a product consisting of the following components:

  • water - 1 liter;
  • potassium permanganate - 5 grams;
  • copper sulfate - 50 grams.

A solution is prepared from these components and heated over low heat to 80 degrees. After that, a copper object is immersed in it for several hours. Cleaning is completed by rinsing the product with clean water. After drying, you can cover the metal with a layer of a mixture of alcohol and benzene taken in equal parts.

If a copper product has a high value, from the point of view of history and culture, then it is recommended to entrust the care of it to a professional, since improper cleaning can lead to damage to the valuable item.

How to clean copper? The relevance of this issue is explained by the fact that products from this metal have been used by mankind for many centuries. For a long time, the value of this metal was so high that it was equated to gold. The development of technologies has led to the fact that it has been possible to significantly reduce the cost of copper production. This made it possible to make not only jewelry from this metal, but also dishes and interior items. The high popularity of this metal and alloys based on it is explained not only by its decorative effect, but also by its unique characteristics - high plasticity, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, etc.

Why copper products need to be cleaned regularly

Regular cleaning of copper dishes and other items made of this metal is necessary because during operation they darken quickly enough or become covered with a green coating - an oxide film. The most actively oxidized products are those made of copper and its alloys, which, during operation, are often heated or used in the open air. Cookware made of copper, with active use, rather quickly loses its original shine and tarnishes, its surface can become black.

Copper jewelry behaves somewhat differently: at first, they may fade and lose their luster, and then return to their original appearance. Some people believe that the appearance of a copper jewelry (such as a bracelet) is influenced by the well-being of the person who wears it all the time. However, this is most likely due to the fact that in the external environment with which such a product is constantly in contact, humidity, pressure and temperature are constantly changing. Meanwhile, many adherents of alternative medicine recommend wearing copper bracelets for people experiencing problems with the cardiovascular system.

Copper dishes, which our distant ancestors began to use, are still held in high esteem by many housewives today. This popularity is explained by the fact that in dishes made of copper, which is characterized by high thermal conductivity, all cooking products are heated evenly and in full, and such heating occurs in a short period of time. Meanwhile, with constant use, dishes made of this metal quickly lose their visual appeal: they become coated with oxide, tarnish, darken and lose their original shine.

If you do not clean it, it will emit toxic substances, therefore, it will not be possible to use it for cooking. In the event that it is not possible to clean such dishes with all known means, it is better not to use it for its intended purpose, so as not to harm your health. It should also be borne in mind that dishes with black or green oxide spots on the surface look unpresentable, so they will not decorate your kitchen.

Effective cleaning methods

There are many proven methods that can be used to clean copper products even at home. Let's get acquainted with the most effective of them.

Method # 1

One of the most affordable home remedies for cleaning items made from copper is regular tomato ketchup. In order to clean copper with such a tool, it is simply applied to the surface to be treated and left on it for 1-2 minutes. After this exposure, the ketchup is washed off with a stream of warm water. As a result of this procedure, the copper product will return to its original shine and color brightness.

Method # 2

To clean copper items, if they are not very dirty, at home, you can also use ordinary dishwashing gel. To do this, use a soft sponge to which the detergent is applied. Wash it off under running warm water.

Method # 3

This cleaning method is used when it is necessary to clean a large copper product that cannot be placed in any container. The surface of such an object is wiped with a half of a lemon. To enhance the effect of the lemon juice on the copper, you can brush it with a bristle brush.

Method # 4

A remedy such as "vinegar dough" helps to give copper its former shine. Prepare it as follows. In a special container, wheat flour and vinegar are mixed in equal proportions, bringing the resulting mass to a homogeneous state. Then the dough is applied to a copper object and kept until completely dry. The crust formed after the mixture dries is carefully removed, and the copper surface is polished to a shine with a piece of soft cloth.

Method # 5

There is a radical and effective method of cleaning products made of copper, which is used if their surface is very dirty and it was not possible to clean them with other means.

  • Vinegar is poured into a specially prepared stainless steel container, which is mixed with a small amount of table salt.
  • The object to be cleaned is placed in the resulting solution and the container is placed on the fire.
  • After the cleaning solution has come to a boil, turn off the fire under the container and leave it on the stove until it cools completely.
  • After the solution has cooled down, the item to be cleaned is removed, washed under a stream of warm water, and its surface is wiped dry.
If you clean copper using any of the above methods, strictly adhere to safety rules, carry out all work with protective gloves, and be sure to wear a respirator when working with acetic acid.

Cleaning Copper Coins

Coins made of copper are no longer produced in our time, and many such items in the hands of the population are of antique value. That is why the question of how to effectively and at the same time accurately clean such coins is quite relevant.

There are several ways to restore copper coins to their former attractiveness. The choice of each of them depends on the nature and degree of pollution. So, depending on the color of the plaque formed on the surface of the old copper coin, you can clean it in one of the following ways.

  • If there is a yellowish coating on the surface of the coin (this indicates that it has come into contact with a product made of lead), then it should be cleaned with a 9% solution of vinegar.
  • Plaque of a pronounced green color is cleaned with a 10% citric acid solution.
  • Coins made from copper may also have a reddish coating. Such a coin is cleaned by dipping it in a 5% ammonia solution or in ammonium carbonate.