Copper, silver, and brasses have anti-microbial properties.
Knobs for doors were traditionally brass or copper. This is why push plates on doors are oftentimes brass.
US coins used to have a top layer of copper or silver. From true silver dollars to copper half-pennies, the coins finish protected people from passing germs.
These metals have an ability to kill a wide range of harmful microbes rapidly, many times in under two hours and with a high degree of efficiency.
On copper, Influenza A will be reduced by 75% in an hour. It will be 99.999% reduced after six hours. E. coli microbes are killed after 1–2 hours on copper. On stainless steel surfaces, the microbes can survive for weeks.
Is this why silverware used to be silver plated? Maybe there’s a reason your Moscow mule is in a copper mug.
Those copper pots and silver wares you have are more than just pretty. They serve a multi-functional role too.
