Silverware: types, benefits and harm

Silverware is known since ancient times. Today, it has a special status, not everyone can afford to have such a set on the table due to its high cost. But is silver so useful, and does it not harm if you serve food in it?

Silver was of great value and aesthetic appeal in many ancient cultures, where it was used to make jewelry, dishes, figurines, ritual objects. Silver mines were discovered in countries such as Greece, Spain, and Italy. Often they became the cause of the warrior.

The use of silver as a dish was most common between 1840 and 1940. During this time, the production and trade of silver products has expanded significantly, so traders could meet growing demand.

In the Victorian era, silver was an indispensable part of a fine dining table. It was always used when serving during the official meal in the USA and Europe. Silverware collections were highly valued and often made to order. In one such set, there were sometimes up to 100 instruments.

Formal dinners in the late 1800s and early 1900s were long, sometimes they included 10 or more dishes, each of which was served in its own silverware. There was nothing unusual in using forks, spoons and knives of precious metal.

Large forks, cake knives, chopping knives, soup spoons, and gravy dippers were made from silver. In addition to the pleasant aesthetic properties, the low weight and unique composition of silver made the metal an ideal solution during the festive table setting. Often the items were decorated with hand carvings and ivory inserts.

Silverware has unique beneficial properties for humans.

• Lack of bacteria. Silver is able to adversely affect the bacteria, during the wars they disinfected water. That is why it is advised to give food and drinks from such dishes to children. Moreover, it is easier to care for such cutlery.
• Increases immunity. It is said that when hot or warm food is served on the metal, its molecules are converted into products. Silver, having an antibacterial effect, helps improve immunity.
• Non-toxic metal. Silver is non-toxic, so there should be no fear when eating food from such dishes.
• Preserves and restores the freshness of water and liquids. It is not for nothing that it is known from history that water and wine retained their taste and did not spoil if they were stored in silver containers.
• Cools the body. Silver can cool the body, so the water in it seems cooler. In addition, most leg bracelets for edema are made of this metal.

Doctors advise the use of silver jewelry to those who have problems with the cardiovascular system. Also, they will not be superfluous in the detection of eye diseases, often recurring headaches, depressive state, excessive sweating. In contact with the human body, the metal gives it positive ions, which give an imperceptible impulse to the cells.

With the advent of science, most of the myths about the benefits of silver for the human body have been dispelled in general, including the fact that it is capable of keeping water clean for a long time.It all started from the time when poison was the main weapon against the enemy. Then the alchemists began to produce sulphide poisonous substances that could be detected by contact with silver.

Even if a person was poisoned slowly, poison accumulated in his body, jewelry made of precious metal began to darken in this case, which is why she decided to use silver as the base metal for the production of dishes. Today, however, scientists have proven that metal ions, together with medicines, enhance their positive effect on the human body.

Like any heavy metal, silver can accumulate in the body, which can cause poisoning.

This also applies to the uncontrolled use of "silver water", which leads to an overdose, and subsequently to:

• metabolic disorders;
• depression;
• nausea and headaches.

Metal is in some products that people already eat. Among them:

• dill;
• cucumbers;
• pumpkin;
• cabbage;
• meat.

In the selection process, the buyer should immediately determine what purpose he gets a set of silver utensils. If you intend to use it for serving dishes, then you need to look for the necessary product not in a jewelry store, but in a dishware shop.

Those that are on shelves in stores with decorations, are only suitable as a gift or a decorative piece of furniture. Often, when identifying the composition of the alloy, it turns out that heavy metals are present in it, respectively, such a cutlery can not be in contact with food, otherwise you can be poisoned.

Even when buying silverware you will need to ask the seller quality certificate where the composition of the used alloy should be indicated. There can be no impurities or additional metals - they are harmful.

The higher the sample of purchased silver, the better. Pay special attention to the coating, which can only be gilded. If it is lacquer, rhodium or blacking with enamel, then the product in question can only be used as a souvenir or interior decoration.

Cleaning table silver by hand takes the same amount of time as washing other kitchen utensils. First, fill the sink with warm water, add soap for washing dishes. Particular attention should be paid to the water temperature, especially if there are plastic handles on a large pot.

Silverware is placed in the sink with soapy water and allowed to lie a little. Then wash off the dirt with a soft sponge. If there are sticking products, the instruments should lie in the water for about ten minutes. You can not use an iron brush, a sponge, because silver is a soft metal, which from its rough impact will lose its appeal. After cleaning the dishes rinse under the tap and wipe with a soft towel. Silver-plated dishes are also cleaned.

It is allowed to wash the silverware in the dishwasher, but first it is necessary to remove the remnants of food from the plates. Do not use detergents with acids in the composition. If there is a drying function, then the cutlery can be dried inside the dishwasher.

Often we have to deal with the problem of the appearance of stains and streaks on silver plates and forks. They may be caused by mineral deposits or appear when silver is stored wet.

A good way to return an attractive look and clean blackness at home is to dip a rag or dish towel in olive oil and rub it with the surface of the dish.

You can use vinegar instead of oil. The rag should not be wet, just well moistened in vinegar, which is not necessary to be diluted with water. After utensil can be rinsed with plain water and soap.

Another effective way to remove stains is to use soda, which is actually a versatile and cheap cleaning agent. She can replace vinegar, only need a slightly diluted powder with water.

It is necessary to bring some more expert advice on how to care for silverware.

• First of all, you can not wrap metal products in plastic film. Silver care professionals say that although this method slows down the tarnishing, plastic that sticks tight can damage the finish, resulting in black spots that are then almost impossible to remove.
• You can not use the gum to secure the wrapper on the silver. Rubber can corrode metal, even if it is separated from it by several layers of paper or fabric.
• With constant use on such devices will appear patina - a distinctive feature of antiques.
• After use, the dish should be immediately washed, wiped and cleaned.
• In some sets, silver knives have stainless steel blades. Care must be taken when cleaning such products, as the contact of these two metals causes an electrolytic reaction.

See the following video for the benefits and harms of silverware.