Decorative tins are usually custom-made tin cans for different projects and products. Sometimes they are cookie tins and sometimes tea tins etc. Most people love their tins and would like to keep them after the product inside is finished. This is very good for the brand owners as well because this way they can deliver a long-term continuous brand exposure to the consumer. However, tins can rust and what can we do to prevent that?
I will start by explaining why tins can rust. Tins are made out of tinplate and tinplate is made out of steel with a very thin layer of tin coating to prevent rust. Usually, tins have printing and overprint varnish on the outside and food-safe lacquer on the inside. If these varnishes and lacquers are scratched and the tinplate is exposed to air, and the oxygen and the humidity in the air can start corrosion.
So the first thing that needs to be done is for tins to be handled with care. This is obviously easier said than done. During regular use of your tins, they will get minor scratches. In my opinion, those scratches add beauty to its looks but still, less scratching means less opportunity for corrosion. You don’t need to wear gloves to hold your tins however you can just pay as much attention as you do to items made out of glass.
Now that you minimized the scratching, you should just avoid contact with water. Don’t place your tins on a wet counter and don’t wash them in water or place them in the dishwasher (although even my mom does that sometimes :) ). If you want to clean your tins, just wipe them with a damp cloth and dry them with a soft dry towel right away. If somehow your tins get wet, you need dry them with a towel as soon as possible too.
The last thing you want to pay attention to is high humidity. You might not get your tins wet but humid areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms aren’t the best places to store your tins. If you have tins like detergent tins that have to stay in a humid room, then at least try to air out the room after use to decrease the humidity.
It is really not that easy to make tins rust. It is hard to give an exact date but usually, it will take years for them to rust. If you just pay a little attention, they will continue looking as good as new for a very long time. In fact, most tins are collector's items and they turn into antiques after a while and are handed down from one generation to the next. Let’s make yours one.
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