Cleaning a copper pan with citric acid

Рет қаралды 14,916

11 ай бұрын

Copper tarnishes over time if it doesn’t have a protective coating, and ends up looking dull and dark. This is because when copper is exposed to air it develops a layer of copper oxide which dulls the surface. Some people like this patina of age, but if you prefer your copper pans bright and shiny, there’s an easy way to restore them to brightness without resorting to toxic chemicals.
Our top eco-friendly method is to use food grade citric acid to clean the copper, as this provides both the mild acid (the same as in lemon juice) and the necessary abrasive element at the same time. This method works really quickly and doesn't require much elbow grease. Plus you don’t end up wasting loads of lemons!
Before you start you need to wash your copper pan (or other copper item) in warm soapy water to remove any grease or dust. Then:
Mix up a paste consisting of citric acid, a drop of washing up liquid (to make the paste more sticky) and a little water. Mix the ingredients together well to form a soft spreadable paste.
Spread the paste in a thin but even layer over the base of your pan. You may find this easier to do in the kitchen sink as you will need to wash the paste off afterwards. The citric acid will start getting to work immediately, but if you leave the paste in place for five minutes or so, the results will be even better.
After around five minutes, wipe off the paste with a damp cloth. (The paste may have gone crusty depending on how thick you made it but that’s OK). You should now have a copper pan with a clean and shiny bottom, for minimal effort. If any tarnish remains, rub it with a little of the paste on a soft cloth.
Now work on the sides of the pan, by rubbing the remaining paste into the copper with a soft cloth. There's no need to scrub hard, the acid in the paste does most of the work. If there's a badly discoloured area, try applying a layer of paste again and leaving it to get to work for another five minutes.
When all the tarnish has disappeared, give the pan a good rinse to remove any last traces of the citric acid paste, then buff to a golden, shiny finish.
You should now have a bright and shiny copper pan, without using any toxic chemicals.
For more suggestions for cleaning copper without using toxic chemicals, see our blog post 'Cleaning Copper the Non-Toxic Way':
www.planetfriendlyliving.co.u...
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[Music credit for video: Music: Dear Autumn; Musician: @iksonmusic]

Пікірлер: 10

@lucyr2894 25 күн бұрын

Looks fantastic

@thextrmntr 6 ай бұрын

good job removing the protective oxide layer

@Linguae_Music 6 ай бұрын

Copper oxide is quite literally toxic... You're looking at the following effects: 1. The generation of reactive oxygen species, and the oxidative stress that comes with them. (Like genetic damage) 2. inflammation 3. cytotoxicity 4. genotoxicity (i know i already mentioned this in the first point) 5. immunotoxicity I wish you well, truly. Please be safe. And please, if you are keeping the "protective layer" Please stop... especially if you are cooking for your family with them :0 Stainless steel is non-stick once you get it hot enough ^~^ That's what we used when i was a cook, you just have to season them by rubbing them with salt, and they never stick... and it won't poison you.

@SingingCrowie Ай бұрын

I think it's only toxic if it turns blue/green. But the brown tarnish is certainly not protective.

@SingingCrowie Ай бұрын

You dont need to use so much citric acid. Fill a bigger pot with hot water (best boiling or close) and put a teaspoon in. Dip your copper pot in the water and leave for a few minutes. It will clwan up without rubbing or soap. Hot water speeds up the reaction. Also can clean your kettle this way, throw a teaspoon of citric acid in and boil it. You can then use the same hot acidic water to clean other stuff, like this pot.

@MsCheesemonster13 2 ай бұрын

I squeeze tomato ketchup onto the bottom of my copper pans, rub salt into them and leave them for about 5 minutes (if necessary). They come up like new, so its very satisfying.