Owning Silver items means you need to care for them often to restore and maintain their natural finish. Oxidation can cause tarnish and foods such as coffee can cause stains so what is the best way to care for your silverware and other household items?
Here we will cover a few different products that can make your job easier.
The first thing you should do is use a mild detergent to remove all food and dirt that may cause scratching during the polishing process. If you had a grain of salt that got stuck in your polish cloth you could do some serious damage to your items.
You should also use clean sponges and cloths to polish. Wash them first if you need to and after to remove the black oxidation silver will leave behind.
Using Gloves
It is probably a good idea to use a pair of cloth gloves while you polish. This will help keep your hands clean and reduce fingerprints on your freshly cleaned silver.
Types of Polish
Silver polish comes in a variety of different forms: Liquids, Pastes and Creams with a number of methods to apply and clean your silver products.
Pastesare usually distributed in a can or plastic container. The difference between a paste and a cream is its thickness. Past polishes should be applied with a soft cotton applicator. Follow the directions which may recommend a single on and off application or applying the paste until it hazes over then removing it with a clean cloth.
Cream Polishescome in bottles and are about the same consistency as tooth paste. They are applied much like a paste but tend to be quicker to spread and use. If you are working on a large object like a silver bowl or tray you may want to use a cream liquid polish. Creams should not be confused with light liquids which are the next form of cleaner polishes we will cover.
Liquid Polishesare really more of a cleaner then a polish however they do work quite well and are great when restoring intricate details. The most basic forms of a liquid polish for silver would be lemon juice. Yes that’s right you can often get pretty good results with ordinary lemon juice or vinegar. Some people also say sour milk but hopefully you don’t have any of that around. If you don’t have these natural liquid cleaners you can purchase a liquid cleaner.
To use it you use a glass dish or bowl and fill it with the cleaner. Place the object in the bath and allow it to sit for as long as needed. It is important to immerse the whole item so you have even results. This method is a favorite of coin collectors but is also great for silverware.
If you have a party and use your silver you might have some lemons left over that you can rub on your items to give them a quick brightening before you store them.
You should never use caustic acids even in a diluted form to. Nitric, Sulfuric and other acids will eat through the metal removing much more then is needed for cleaning and polishing. This is a sure way to trash your plated or clad jewelry.
Hydrosonic Cleaners
These high frequency liquid polish baths are great for small items but they can cause damage loosening jewel settings. If you don’t know the condition of a setting you should not use these devices. However they can perform a quick cleaning.
Jewlery Polishing
When you are taking care of silver jewelry you need to understand that plated items will erode over time if polished frequently.. this is called rubbing where the plating is mechanically removed over many years of use. A jeweler may be able to re-plate the item for you if this happens.
Storing Silver Items
Depending on the item and its worth it may be best for you to contact a professional about storage of your Silver Coins and other items but for general storage you want to place the silver in a dry place out of direct sunlight. For silver sets you can probably pickup a nice wooden cloth lined box that will store your items safely. For Coins you may want to invest in jewel cases specifically sized for your coin. Do not store the items loosely because bumping will place tiny dents in the soft silver metal.
Restoration Don’ts
If you are working on antique pieces that have a general overall patina showing their age it is probably not a good idea to clean the items if you are planing to sell them. Most collectors of silver coins and other items want to see that aging process. However if you have coins that have been damaged due to chemical or other contact it may be worth cleaning the whole item to remove the badly stained area.
You may then want to remove the polish with a soap to allow natural oxidation to reoccur.
The YouRepair Store has a number of products
to help you restore and protect your Silver.