How to Clean Silver Cutlery
- Fantastic Team
- Published: December 21, 2020
- 6min read
- Views: 57
Silver cutlery is a nice touch to any dinner table, which is why it’s sad when it eventually becomes tarnished. Although there’s nothing you can do to stop it, there are plenty of ways to clean it. So, if
Then read along, as it is time you learned how to clean your tarnished silver cutlery.
Even if you hardly ever use your silver utensils, you will still notice how they lose their shine and become darker over time. The reason is a chemical reaction between the silver and sulphur in the air. When it comes to jewellery, manufacturers try to combat the chemical reaction by putting a thin layer of rhodium over the items. It still wears off eventually, though, but at least it slows down the reaction.
The market is full of all kinds of commercial cleaning products. However, you can clean your silver cutlery just as well with these eco-friendly means:
This method is really good when you have a lot of silver items to clean. Mind you, cleaning tarnished silverware with baking soda and aluminium foil does not smell good, so consider doing it in a well-ventilated room.
Your silver cutlery should now look shiny and the tarnished spots should have disappeared. If not, or not entirely, redo the whole process.As a last resort, make a paste by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with two tablespoons of water. After applying it to your silver cutlery, rinse and dry.
White distilled vinegar can clean lightly tarnished silver utensils.
If distilled vinegar alone isn’t enough to give the shine back to your utensils, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to the mix and wait 2 to 3 hours.
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Who would have thought toothpaste can also be used on silver spoons and forks? Use this ingredient when you have a small number of items to clean. Otherwise, you might spend hours scrubbing.
Yes, even ketchup can help clean your silverware and here is how:
If you only want to give your silver cutlery a quick polish, instead of major cleaning, every time you get them out of the cupboard, then you must learn how to store them properly.
Items must not touch each other – silver is a soft metal, it bends and scratches easily. That’s why you shouldn’t stack the items one on top of the other. For this purpose, a flatware chest would prove to be a worthwhile investment.
Silverware must be away from heat and humidity – these two factories can seriously tarnish your silverware, for that reason, basements or attics are entirely out of the question. The best place for storage is in a drawer or a china cabinet. Besides, your utensils would be much easier to reach that way.
Silver utensils must not be individually wrapped in the following materials:
So, what kind of materials can you use for silver objects? Flannel cloth. This kind of cloth has been treated with silver nitrate, which slows down the process of tarnishing. Bags or boxes lined with this material will be perfect for your silver items.
If you find this or any other cleaning task a burden and instead spend your time on something else, then consider hiring professionals. Fantastic Services works with cleaners in London, who are very experienced and always bring their own equipment. Your silver utensils will be cleaned in no time.
Find a professional to take care of all your cutlery and dishware.
Image Source: Shutterstock / Seksun Guntanid
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Is your silver cutlery tarnished? What method did you use to give it back its shine? Let us know by leaving a comment!
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