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How to Clean Silverware

editor — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:00:02 +0000

For thousands of years silver has been used to make utensils , ornaments, to carry out trade and even as the base for monetary systems. The value of silver as a precious metal has always been considered second only to gold. The chemical symbol of silver is Ag which is derived from the Latin word for silver, ‘argentum’ where arg means white or shining. Silver has been used and known for thousands of years. It even finds a mention in the book of Genesis which indicates that silver was separated from lead from as early as 4th BCE using crude forms of surface mining. This metal has been attractive for ages thanks to its beauty and elegance. Unfortunately though silver is pretty fragile and quickly stains or develops scratches. Cleaning silver can be scary as nobody wants to ruin their precious possessions. In this article we will see how to easily clean silver to keep it shining forever without having to visit a silversmith.

Cleaning:

Always clean your silver immediately after use. Silver that is rarely used usually gets tarnished. So wash your unused silver often with warm water (do not use hot water) with a mild detergent (make sure its phosphate free).

Do not wash silver with your other utensils as other metal utensils can scratch your silverware. Also never use rubber gloves when washing silver as rubber will cause silver to corrode. Make use of a soft cloth and gently clean the silver, and then dry immediately with a clean soft towel.

Polishing:

Polish your silverware regularly. If and when silver develops tarnish simply hand washing might not be sufficient to remove it. The safest bet is to use specially created silver polishes to polish your silver, especially if your silver is an antique piece or has beautiful intricate designs carved on it. Follow the instructions on the polish religiously.

Take a bit of soft silver polishing sponge or cloth which is included in the silver polish packaging and apply a bit of polish on it. Rub it gently over the silver. Always rub in a straight line in and back and forth motion. Do not scrub or clean in circles, let the silver polish do its job.

Once done, rinse under tap water. Always rinse under running water. Now take another bit of soft clean cloth and wipe the silver dry.

Bathing:

You can also give your silverware a bath to keep it clean. There are silver dips available which dissolve stains without having to rub the silver. Dips are usually harsh and dangerous chemicals and hence professionals hardly ever actually soak silverware in these, and when they do its not for long. When using a commercially available dip always follow the instructions carefully so as not to harm your silverware or yourself. However you can also make gentle silver baths at home which can get rid of tarnish and or stains by electrochemical reactions. Although such baths or dips can clean your silver well its not recommended to use it with oxidized silver or silver with French gray finish.

Heat up some water and dissolve huge amounts of salt into it. Dissolve salt till the water can take in no more. Alternatively you can use washing soda. Use aluminum foil to line up a vessel and pour the water into this vessel. Place silver within this bath (clean the silver with soap first) for about 10-15 minutes. This should dissolve the tarnish away. If the stains are stubborn, remove the siver from the bath, clean it with soap and a soft damp cloth and re immerse it in the bath.

Storage:

Lastly but most importantly store your silver correctly. Storing silver well is the best way to preserve silver. Always make sure each piece of your silverware is completely dry before you but it away. Wrap each piece of your silverware in an acid free tissue or anti tarnish tissue/paper. Keep a canister of silica gel in your storage place to keep moisture and humidity away. Do not store silver in places where it can come in contact with stainless steel or rubber or any sort of paint.

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How to Clean Silver

editor — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:33:54 +0000

Cleaning:

Polishing:

Once done, rinse under tap water. Always rinse under running water. Now take another bit of soft clean cloth and wipe the silver dry.

Bathing:

Storage:

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