How to clean silver |
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Home -> Cleaning Silver -> How to clean silver
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Jonathan Franks
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Sep 2006
Posts: 190
Location: London
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Posted: 13/09/2006
Post subject: How to clean silver |
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The best method for cleaning silver depends on several factors, most notably whether the item is Solid Silver or Silverplate. This is because some methods of cleaning solid silver are too abrasive for silverplate.
Before following any of the suggestions in this forum, make sure you know whether your item is silver or silverplate. If necessary, refer to our guide How to distinguish between solid silver and silver plate |
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uncle vic
Moderator
Joined: 25 Sep 2006
Posts: 183
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Posted: 28/09/2006
Post subject: re: How to clean silver |
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I've found that one of the most helpful tips for cleaning silver is to start with warm, soapy water. Wash the item well, dry with a soft cloth, then examine it to see what tarnish remains. Remember, tarnish is silver sulfide, a compound of silver and sulfur. Keep your silver away from sulfur, eggs and newsprint are the worst offenders.
After you have washed the item in warm soapy water, if the tarnish is not too bad, I like to use the Hagerty's silver polishing gloves. Just a light rubbing will do the trick. The gloves are also handy for polishing silver in place (stuff you leave out on display) rather than haul the itmes to the kitchen or shop.
For heavy tarnish I use a cream polish such as Hagerty's or Goddard's, applied wet with some fake chamois from the auto parts store. The material is a thin sheet of dense foam, usually tan in color, and can be cut with scissors to a strip that when folded allows easy application of the polish. When the fake chamois gets "black dirty" just rinse out under cold water and squeeze a few times and its good as new.
For intricate chased areas I use a Hagerty's horse hair silver brush to get in the tight areas. Finish with another wash with warm soapy water.
Uncle Vic |
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ArGent
Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 17
Location: East Coast
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Posted: 18/01/2007
Post subject: re: How to clean silver |
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When reading about cleaning silver on the web, there seems to be some degree of ambiguity as to which methods are safe and which are not. There are so many chemical liquids, pastes, dips, electrochemical devices and solutions on the market. It's a veritable minefield of potential mishap and detriment!
I have one of the cleaning plates which I'm inclined to use initially on newly purchased pieces (especially if they are serving or table pieces), but thereafter, I keep my table silver gleaming simply through daily use. I occasionally clean the flatware with the aluminium plate to remove the tarnish from the tips of the fork tines etc. After the preliminary cleaning, I simply maintain my other pieces with an occasional rub with an impregnated cloth.
Jeffrey Herman doesn't recommend using a plate for cleaning silver as he claims it results in porosity of the silver's surface.
I've read arguments both for and against the use of cleaning plates and washing soda as a means of removing tarnish. Would a serious collector or someone in the silver retail trade care to comment on the use of cleaning plates?
There also appears to be divided opinions on using "dip" cleaners. Would someone in the trade (who's not pedalling a particular product) also care to comment on the use of dip cleaners.
The Silver Conservation page on the V&A Museum web site warns about over cleaning, but doesn't point a finger at those methods that should be avoided.
The V&A briefly mention cleaning their silver with "solvents on cotton wool swabs". Can anyone suggest what solvents they might be referring to? Are the solvents solely for removing the "colourless lacquer" that they recommend applying every ten years or so, or do they actually clean the tarnish off? Can anyone support the use of lacquering clean silver and recommend a product and/or the means of application (brush vs. spray?)?
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Regards, ArGent. |
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Charley
Joined: 16 Jun 2007
Posts: 1
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Posted: 16/06/2007
Post subject: re: How to clean silver |
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This site seems to be quite a useful forum. I've just joined and cleaning silver is a subject of immediate interest. I've always used Wright's Anti-Tarnish polish for the final polish, but some time in the recent past they changed their formula. It now seems rather suspiciously like Weiman polish. Weiman has apparently bought Wright's. I would guess that now they use the same polish under two names. Well, I've always liked Wright's because it rinsed off so easily and completely. Now Wright's, like Weiman, leaves a sort of smeary residue. I can buff it off with a cloth but it seems rather a step backwards. Am I using the polish correctly? I recall the same problem with using Hagerty's, which is well liked by many others. Is there another polish that rinses as well as the old Wright's? |
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Gimme1
Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 10
Location: WV USA
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Posted: 13/07/2008
Post subject: re: How to clean silver |
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I just love this site, so much more friendly then 925-1000.com. I collect vintage sterling jewelry for my collection and for re-sale ( actually I also collect anything with a strange hallmark...lolol ) so polishing is an issue for me. I will NEVER use dips again. While some dips seem very good others have scared some pieces beyond redemption. Here in the states they seem to be changing the brand names often, and never tell you the content of the dip. so dips are over for me, unless of course someone here can reassure me and give me the name of a good quality product. for stubborn tarnish on pieces that can take it, i use Wrights polish on a dremel at not really right speeds. High speeds seem to be able to " burn " the polish right into the metal ( oops ). I really miss Twinkle Silver Polish that seems to be the best... but again everything has its minus side htat that polish left a residue after it dried.....
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