Over time, even the highest quality service can lose its original shine and become covered with an unpleasant dark coating. Many housewives mistakenly believe that the reason lies in poor washing or poor quality material. In fact, the darkening process is a natural chemical reaction that is provoked by quite ordinary things.
Air chemistry and contact with sulfur
The main reason for the appearance of dark film is oxidation. If your appliances contain even a small proportion of silver or cupronickel, they will inevitably react with the environment. The main enemy of metal is hydrogen sulfidewhich is contained in the air. When it reacts with metal ions, it forms a thin film of sulfide, which appears black. The higher the humidity in the room, the faster this process occurs.
Treacherous foods
Sometimes the appliances go dark literally after one lunch. This occurs due to contact with foods rich in gray. If you often eat eggs, onions, mayonnaise or mustard with silver or cupronickel spoons, they will darken much faster. An acidic environment also accelerates corrosion, so fruit desserts or marinades can leave dull spots on the metal.
Mistakes when washing in the dishwasher
Modern technologies do not always benefit classic cookware. Wash in dishwasher – one of the most common causes of damage to the appearance of devices.
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Aggressive detergents contain chlorine and alkalis, which corrode the top layer of polish.
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High temperature water accelerates chemical oxidation reactions.
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Contact with other metals (for example, stainless steel with silver) in one basket creates a galvanic couple, which leads to the instant appearance of stains.
Improper storage
The way your forks and spoons are stored in the drawer directly affects their safety. If the devices are stored wet or mixed with objects made of different metals, the oxidation process occurs continuously. Tight contact of surfaces without air access (for example, in polyethylene) in some cases can slow down the process, but if a drop of water remains inside, the effect will be the opposite – the metal will “bloom” with dark stains.
To maintain shine, it is enough to eliminate provoking factors and keep the metal dry.
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