Tips on Cleaning Silver
In movies of old, a common sight for wealthy households was that of the servants polishing and cleaning silver. At one time, many years ago, a sign of affluence was the amount of silverware, silver candlesticks, silver tea services and silver platters that the home contained. The drawback to owning items made from this lovely, shiny precious metal is that it tends to tarnish, or corrode, easily. Continuous cleaning and polishing was needed to keep the items from oxidizing.
In modern day, we use the term “silverware” in a generic manner, as most of the flatware owned by the typical household is not pure silver. Even so, because of the beauty of the metal, it is common for many people to have a true silver object in their home; perhaps a piece of hollowware or silver coins. To retain the lovely appearance of the items, it is important to impede the process of tarnishing on them.
There are several types of silver. Jewelry and true silverware is commonly made of sterling silver, which is a combination of pure silver and copper in specific amounts. The amounts differ across the world, but standards in the United States require that at least 92.7% fine silver be included in the combination for the item to be categorized as silver. The advantage of sterling silver over pure silver is its durability, as sterling is much stronger that the soft precious metal in pure form. A higher amount of pure silver is used in Britannia silver, containing 95.8%. Another type is Argentium sterling silver, which includes the addition of a metalloid, germanium.
Cleaning silver is an inevitable task to retain its beautiful luster. When exposed to the air, silver begins to corrode. Tarnish, or corrosion, is caused by a common element that is present in the air we breathe as well as in several food items: sulphur. While it is not harmful to us, it does serve to create a chemical reaction on the surface of items containing silver. Many people work to protect their silver pieces from tarnish by keeping them packed away, or by rubbing on a polish which acts as a protection for the silver.
Tarnishing from the air is not the only issue to guard against with silver. For hollowware such as might be used at the table for service, any contact with products containing eggs, mayonnaise, salt, vinegars and fruit juice can also create the telltale signs on the silver pieces.
How much effort you place in cleaning the silver pieces you own may depend on how much value you place on those items. The appearance of most silver pieces is enhanced by natural aging, a term called patina that is developed on the pieces after being hand rubbed. Using specific products that are designed to polish and clean the items can restore the dulling appearance and protect them from further oxidation.
Not all silver should be treated the same, however. In some intricate patterns that are embossed onto silverware or hollowware, a black substance can be noted within the scrolls and grooves. Many people may think they should diligently scrub these areas when cleaning silver to remove the blackened material, but in actuality, the dark coloration is intentional; meant to enhance the fancy pattern placed upon the item. Often, an oxide or finish is applied to these areas to bring out the lovely intricacies.
There are some tips on caring for your silver pieces that may alleviate a tedious task of polishing and cleaning by staying one step ahead of tarnish.
●As soon as you are finishing using the silver piece, wash it in hot, soapy water. Rinse the item well and dry/buff the piece with a soft cloth. Air drying should never be allowed for any silverware or hollowware, as the air itself will cause spots of oxidation to form. Likewise, silver should not be cleaned in the dishwasher as a film will build up over time.
●Never wrap silver pieces in plastic wrap, newspaper or enclose in cardboard containers to store. Acceptable methods of storing them are by using bags or liners specifically made for the storage of silver that are made of flannel. An exception would be that silver can be stored in zippered plastic bags commonly used in kitchens.
●When the time arrives for the silver pieces to be polished, use only those products which have a strong reputation for polish performance. Purchasing store brand polishes may prove to be damaging to your items in the long run.
●It is exhilarating to find an antique piece of silver at a garage sale or estate sale. Typically, the owners did not know what they had, and never bothered to clean the item, so it may be heavily tarnished. Items such as these should always be put into the hands of professional silver smiths or jewelry shops for the most effective and safe cleaning.
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