Cleaning silver?

[Mom]

As the title says how do you clean silver?

Now, I own and clean a Silver Cornet, and keep it looking great with a simple cloth and gentle rubbing but...

I have inherited some lovely old silverware. Emphasis on old and sentimentally valuable, though I am sure some of it may well hold a bit of real value one day. It is not clean, mostly tarnished black, but a set of salt and pepper shakers on the salt there is green corrosion on the shaker part (probably not silver). I am familiar with elbow grease, I spent may years as a child polishing some of this stuff :pinch: and I am happy to do the same again, but I seem to remember there is a simple way of reducing tarnish by soaking in a sink of water lined with tinfoil????

Who of you have a fool proof, old wives tale, aunty enid tried and true method of cleaning silverware? My hands thank you in anticipation :D

[Laava]

Steal some new stuff from the black sticks?

[Mom]

Steal some new stuff from the black sticks?

Choice bro...

Best you come and visit the caravan over summertime. We have gold cutlery there now :killingme

[fliplid]

*
Heard of this before, the silver and tin foil stuff, from way back in the misty annals of time...
"Find a container large enough to immerse the item to be cleaned. Put a piece of aluminium foil into the container and add hot water and salt. Dip the silverware into the solution and after a few seconds it will become white and shining."

Explanation, apparently; "Cleaning silver with aluminium foil - the reason this works is Aluminium is very active metal and silver is quite inert so aluminium reacts with the (tarnished silver) and frees up the silver metal and removes the rest in a chemical reaction. Silver is fairly inert but will react with any sulphur compounds in the air which is why Silver slowly tarnishes."

[ducatilover]

I use "silvo"
http://www.homesolutionsnews.us/silvopolish/
Not that I polish silver ware, being a male and all..... :innocent:

[vindy500]

Shined up some really ratty looking candle stick holders with silvo, come out looking stunning

[Mom]

*
Heard of this before, the silver and tin foil stuff, from way back in the misty annals of time...
"Find a container large enough to immerse the item to be cleaned. Put a piece of aluminium foil into the container and add hot water and salt. Dip the silverware into the solution and after a few seconds it will become white and shining."

Explanation, apparently; "Cleaning silver with aluminium foil - the reason this works is Aluminium is very active metal and silver is quite inert so aluminium reacts with the (tarnished silver) and frees up the silver metal and removes the rest in a chemical reaction. Silver is fairly inert but will react with any sulphur compounds in the air which is why Silver slowly tarnishes."

Bless you, if I can knock some of the corrosion off the cheats way then the finishing touches wont be too hard. What do you reckon to doing it in a SS sink? Should I use a plastic bucket? I am not up to scratch with electric mice, but understand what they can achieve if given an opportunity :D

[Genie]

and for the big three....Silvo is the one.

Found on most supermarkets shelves, awesome stuff it's what Great Granny used and most likely her Great Granny before her....

[slofox]

I use Silvo to polish up all those silver cups lilfox and I win in the world of dance...:whistle:

[Wannabiker]

There is a foaming silver cleaner available. It goes on with a sponge, and is less abrasive. We use it when restoring medals. I think it is made by Goddards.

Whatever you do, DO NOT USE BRASSO!!! it is way too coarse and will give silverware a gorgeous satin finish.....:facepalm:

[MIXONE]

If you leave it soaking in a solution of baking soda and water it brings silver up a treat.Then just finish it off with Silvo.

[Laava]

Choice bro...

Best you come and visit the caravan over summertime. We have gold cutlery there now :killingme

Only if you have some type of water cannon available for the assailing of the tubby ginger one!

[Laava]

I use "silvo"
http://www.homesolutionsnews.us/silvopolish/
Not that I polish silver ware, being a male and all..... :innocent:

You polish..........? Something helmety?

[JMemonic]

If you have corrosion then its most likely the item is silver plated, there are some very good cleaners available from you local jewellers and at good prices.

It might be wise to go to a manufacturing jeweller in your area and get them to check everything out to be sure the plating will not just drop off.

[Swoop]

+1 for Silvo.

There are also mittens. Put them on and then gently rub the surface.
Unfortunately no use if there is filigree work...:angry: (back to the silvo and toothbrush)

[Mom]

Only if you have some type of water cannon available for the assailing of the tubby ginger one!

Not only water cannon my friend, but a couple of kids that will do anything for a dollar :shit: The gun I am thinking of dispatches a jet of water that abouts knocks you off your feet at close range :killingme

[yungatart]

I remember polishing my mum's silver with Silvo and newspaper.
I don't remember how I got the black stuff off my hands afterwards though!

[Forest]

Be careful about polishing engraved silver.

Silver is very soft, so you'll end up smoothing out the engraved pattern if you polish it vigorously. After a few years of regular polishing you will loose the pattern entirely.

[rustyrobot]

Mom, this web page... http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/Silver.html has great info on cleaning silver. I followed the advice to clean some rings and was amazed at how easy it was and how fantastic they looked.

Using aluminium foil and baking soda, you can clean the silver effortlessly and save the elbow grease for your bike.

"When silver tarnishes, it combines with sulfur and forms silver sulfide. Silver sulfide is black. When a thin coating of silver sulfide forms on the surface of silver, it darkens the silver. The silver can be returned to its former luster by removing the silver sulfide coating from the surface. There are two ways to remove the coating of silver sulfide. One way is to remove the silver sulfide from the surface. The other is to reverse the chemical reaction and turn silver sulfide back into silver."

[Mom]

Mom, this web page... http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/Silver.html has great info on cleaning silver. I followed the advice to clean some rings and was amazed at how easy it was and how fantastic they looked.

Using aluminium foil and baking soda, you can clean the silver effortlessly and save the elbow grease for your bike.

"When silver tarnishes, it combines with sulfur and forms silver sulfide. Silver sulfide is black. When a thin coating of silver sulfide forms on the surface of silver, it darkens the silver. The silver can be returned to its former luster by removing the silver sulfide coating from the surface. There are two ways to remove the coating of silver sulfide. One way is to remove the silver sulfide from the surface. The other is to reverse the chemical reaction and turn silver sulfide back into silver."

Thank you so much. I knew there was a way to do it without the elbow grease. I will do some reading and get cleaning.

Have to wait till after the weekend, apparently I have itchy feet and am heading out on my bike for an unplanned weekend away. First place I rang looking for a room for the night, the woman said to me...

"You do know it is Labour Weekend eh?" Well :doh: of course we do...

:laugh:

[Okey Dokey]

Hi Mom, sorry a bit late replying. I used Silvo on some silver that was horrendously black and tarnished about a year ago. It didn't take all that much effort, and since then I have only had to use a soft cloth with no polish to keep it looking brand new. So, no short cut, but even if you have to resort to silver polish, it may be just a one off. Good luck, and enjoy your labour weekend :sunny: