The silver wasn't in bad shape at all. Probably more dirty than tarnished, but the set does have some patterning that would be hard to get at, and so washing wouldn't be good enough. I needed something that would really polish the pieces.
I knew of two methods immediately. One involved using cloths like these, which I've had on hand for my bassoon keys for many years. I ordered four, and they arrived within a few weeks. I gotta say though, they are tough to use, and take more hand strength than I seem to possess (after going through a few pieces, anyway). The way they work is that the white side is more abrasive, and will remove dirt, grime, and tarnish; the black side is a soft polishing cloth that you use after the white side.
The biggest problem so far is that the cloths have gotten dirty faster than I had expected. I still had well over half the set to go, and I had used 3 of my 4 cloths up.
So, on a recent trip to walmart, I picked this up to try as well -
I used it last night on the remaining butter knives, and I have to say it was much easier than the cloths. And lining them up next to each other, I couldn't tell the difference between the cloth and the cream polished knives. Given the time crunch to Thursday, I'll probably keep going with the cream, and use the black sides of the cloths to give each piece a finishing touch. And, because I'm hyper-compulsive like this, when I place the silverware on the table for the official meal, I'll be using the black cloths so I don't leave any fingerprints.
I probably should have done more research ahead of time, but life's been pretty busy recently, and while I wanted the silver to look spectacular for Thanksgiving it wasn't a top priority. One thing I wish I'd found earlier was this article here, from the Society of American Silversmiths. I have an especial fondness for this piece of silver guidance because it comes from a museum conservator, a group that I admire and greatly respect. The author recommended for basic polishing needs that washing the set frequently was the best way to avoid tarnish, and to otherwise use one of these creams: 3M's Tarni-Shield Silver Polish, Twinkle Silver Polish, Blitz Silver Care Polish, and Weiman Silver Polish. Sounds like they should be available at most commercial hardware stores, and I clearly found the Weiman at Walmart. I feel lucky that it comes highly recommended afterall!
My total cost to care for the silver set? $12.93. To try two different methods, this wasn't a bad price to pay. And I think the silver is going to be a really outstanding addition to the table. Thanks again to my mother-in-law for bringing it!
- Cait
Your grand mothrinlaw would be proud. She and grandpa loved to have family with them. You continue that tradition well.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd realized you were looking for silver polishing advice. I would have sent you straight to the silver polish creams! I have vivid memories of being set up at the dining room table with a stack of rags, a tub of Rokeach silver polish (a Jewish kosher brand, which is actually made by Weiman), and the Passover silver. The polish my mom had was pink, the Weiman stuff is blue, but they both act exactly the same, and clean things up wonderfully. And scratch hardware store, you can find the Weiman polishing cream in the cleaning aisle of any grocery store.
ReplyDeleteOk, this might sound like magic (it is chemistry!):
ReplyDeleteLine the bottom of a large glass bowl with aluminum foil. Fill the bowl with hot water. Add baking soda to the water (about 1 cup per gallon of water, ratio isn't super important). Place your silver pieces in the bowl so they are touching the aluminum.
Silver tarnish is caused by a reaction with sulfur, and this bath will get the sulfur off the silver and onto the aluminum. It _may_ also make your house smell like sulfur. I suggest ventilation :).
You will probably still need to do some polishing, but if you have any pieces that are super-black this can save a lot of elbow grease.