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From: reid@glacier.ARPA (Brian Reid)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: clean copper pans with ketchup!
Message-ID: <4083@glacier.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 11-Feb-86 02:36:52 EST
Article-I.D.: glacier.4083
Posted: Tue Feb 11 02:36:52 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 21:08:18 EST
References: <3996@glacier.ARPA> <1365@gitpyr.UUCP>
Reply-To: reid@glacier.UUCP (Brian Reid)
Distribution: net
Organization: Stanford University, Computer Systems Lab
Lines: 71

In article <1365@gitpyr.UUCP> cmpbsdb@gitpyr.UUCP (Don Barry) writes:

>The cleaning action is due to the acetic acid in the ketchup.  It will be
>cheaper and easier to simply use a vinegar-moistened cloth to remove 
>overt tarnish.  Various cleaners containing thiourea will work even better,
>removing tarnish in an instant.

Cleaners seem to be exempt from ingredient labeling requirements, so I don't
know which commercial cleansers have thiourea and which ones don't. I have
just performed three experiments with ketchup, vinegar, Wenol brand copper
cleaner, and Twinkle brand copper cleaner. Summary: ketchup is the clear
winner.

Experiment 1:
I took the lid from my copper frypan and covered half of it with Heinz
ketchup (about 2 tablespoons thereof), and wiped half of it with Heinz
distilled vinegar. Because the ketchup is a paste and the vinegar is a
liquid, it was pretty difficult to keep the vinegar still for very long, but
I brushed a fresh batch of vinegar on with a paper towel about every 30
seconds. Because of the runoff, this consumed about 8 tablespoons of vinegar
over the 5-minute test period.

After 5 minutes of this I rinsed the lid in the sink. The side on which I
used the vinegar was essentially untouched--virtually all of its tarnish was
still there. The side on which I wiped the ketchup was completely clean,
save for a few swirl marks where the ketchup had not been thick enough.

Experiment 2:
I took the bottom of the same pan and made three wide stripes on it. The
first stripe I covered with Wenol, the second with Twinkle, and the third
with Heinz ketchup. I waited 5 minutes. The ketchup and the Twinkle both
produced good results; the Wenol was better than the vinegar had been, but
not much better. Certainly not worth using.

Twinkle does have a fine abrasive powder in it, so as a final test I tried
making a mixture of Comet cleanser and ketchup. Yes, folks, I'm not making
this up. I stood there at my own kitchen countertop and measured 1/4 cup of
ketchup into a bowl, and then shook about 3 tablespoons of Comet into the
ketchup (bletch!). I stirred the mixture well, and then did the following
experiment.

Experiment 3:
I pulled another copper pan from my cupboard. Half of it I scrubbed with
Twinkle, rubbing well, using the abrasive powders in the Twinkle to rub away
at the hard stains. The other half I scrubbed with this revolting mixture of
ketchup and Comet cleanser, using a Scotch-brite pad as the applicator. I
waited 5 minutes. The ketchup/Comet side was substantially and more
uniformly cleaner and shinier than the Twinkle side.

Now, about cost-effectiveness. Here are the retail prices (in my local
grocery, which is not a discount store).
	Ketchup $1.53/12 oz	2 tablespoons=  6 cents per cleaning
 	Vinegar	$0.95/quart	8 tablespoons= 12 cents per "cleaning"
	Twinkle $1.74/4 oz	about 1/10 jar=17 cents per cleaning
	Wenol	$1.66/2 oz	1/4 oz =       20 cents per cleaning

Conclusion:
Ketchup is the most cost-effective way of these four to clean copper.
Vinegar doesn't work at all, Wenol costs a fortune and doesn't work as well
as ketchup, and Twinkle costs about 3 times as much for the same cleaning
power.

My conclusion from this is that ketchup is not only the best way to clean
copper pans, it is also the most cost-effective. If you find that you are
unable to bring yourself to do something so wretched as mix ketchup and
Comet in a bowl, you can get a similar effect by squirting ketchup on the
pan, then shaking Comet on top of it, and stirring it around with a Chore
Boy.
-- 
	Brian Reid	decwrl!glacier!reid
	Stanford	reid@SU-Glacier.ARPA