Little accident with pickle solution?

[Erik]

Hey guys,

I have a small problem here... A few months ago, I tried the vinegar+salt pickle which was working quite fine for my first brass pieces.
For neutralizing the pieces afterwards, I used a small glass bowl with water and baking soda. Here's the problem:

The bowl was standing in the basement a few weeks long, and I searched for it and couldn find it.
It turns out, the water vaporized and my mom, which doesn't know much about jewellery and pickle solutions lol, found it and rinsed it with water and put it in the dish washer.

Since the copper sulfid is quite toxic, I'm now worried that the stuff is toxic which was in the dishwasher... Since this was a few months ago, I guess nothing was wrong because I don't have any problems with my helth and it was only the vaporated bakingsoda solution with (I guess, a few drops of the pickle in from rinsing ONE small chain a few times), the pickle itself is obviously in a labeled container.

I just want to be sure if I have to worry about anything and whats your opinion what to do +o(

Greetings,
Erik

[Dennis]

Well stop worrying. So far no one was hurt, and the quantities were tiny, but start on a stricter protocol.
Keep all your chemical solutions clearly labelled and everything pertaining to jewellery making in a separate area.
If children are around, make sure they can't touch. They would be tempted to try out tools and especially torches. Dennis.

[Erik]

Yeah, it was the first time using. I labelled everything now and all the solutions are standing in my workshop area. I just can't get this thought out of my head...

[Sheen]

I think you'll be fine. The dish washer would have rinsed almost all, if not all of it away, you haven't had either a constant long term exposure or a giant dose in one exposure. Those are the ones to worry about, I would think.

[misspond]

Try not to worry too much, the amount you're talking about is tiny and like you say, you're still standing. Thankfully no-one thought it looked like a delicious beverage and downed it.

[Erik]

Guess I should stop worrying that much. Since it was only the bakingsoda, and as Sheen said, the diswasher should have rinsed everything away and it would be such a tiny amount anyways. Thank you guys :)

[Sheen]

No problem, I know what it's like to worry about these things. It's good to get other peoples opinions on something like this.

[Erik]

So, I got a few updates which I think doesn't need a complete new thread:

I got some PH-Down now (in a labelled container :)), which doesn't seem to work well yet. Flux gets removed, but I'm missing that matt grey/silver look after pickling my sterlingsilver pieces.
Maybe I added not enough ph down, or it's just not working cold. Any advice for quantities would be appreciated, if somebody is using that too!

I also would like to know, how you clean your pieces after pickling. I just put it with some wooden pliers into a glass with water and backingsoda to neutralize it, and afterwards give it a quick wash under normal water.
Is this good enough and will remove everything?

I really hate this whole pickling topic and don't want to annoy you guys, but I just want to be 100% sure that nothing can happen since those are toxic chemicals and I want to sell my pieces to other persons in the future too.

Greetings and thanks for your help,
Erik

[china]

Hi Erik, I mix my pickle (Sodium Bisulphate) about 1/2cup to 1.5 litres, your neutralizing and washing procedure is correct, using cold will significantly increase the time it takes using hot is the way to go, pickle is safe you just need to follow basic safe handling
you can use copper tongs, do not use any type of steel

[ps_bond]

I use pH down (sodium bisulphate, exactly the same as standard safety pickle) too. I tend to see a bright white after pickling, even cold - perhaps you need more? Warmed is so much faster though. Agree on the neutralising method.

[Erik]

Thanks for your advice, I'll give it another try with more ph down and look for a crock pot.

So with that cleaning method, I don't have to worry that anything of the pickle/copper sulfate is left on the piece right?
Guess I'm overthinking this waaay too much again, but I feel much better if someones giving his advice who got more experience, instead of getting problems later with customers, which will, I guess, unlikely to happen.

[china]

The sodium bicarbonate ( Baking soda/Bicarb )neutralizes the acid and the water washes the the bicarb off, also you will clean again after polishing, very little chance of any remaining.

[Erik]

Ok, thanks for your help. Then I hope everything will work and I don't get any problems in the future :)