Cleaning Silver

[Vinca]

I'm going nuts trying to clean some really darkened silver plated items. That Wright's polish is nearly worthless. What do you guys use?

[eleny]

1. Sometimes it's just too far gone

I'm not too knowledgeable about silver. But I've had the same problem and learned that it was too far gone in some spots. When it's an older piece of silver plate I just enjoy it for its age.

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Take a look at these ideas!

There are several other ways ot clean silver ;)

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/silver

[Vinca]

3. Thanks. I haven't tried toothpaste yet.

The baking soda/salt/aluminum foil method took some of it off. Note to self: stay away from silver unless it's Tiffany.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Assuming there's no actual loss of plating ......

..... Bar Keeper's Friend will remove heavy tarnish. It is no more abrasive than Bon Ami, but has chemicals that react with precious and semi-precious metals. If the piece isn't coming clean, then allay your fears and go for what may seem like heavy artillery. It'll work.

[Vinca]

5. I bought some of that yesterday for another purpose and thought

I might try it on a small spot on the bottom. The pieces are really heavy, plated stuff that was used in a sanitorium in the early 20th century. They're probably made to withstand heavier cleaning than standard silver plated items. Thanks for mentioning it - I'll give it a try.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Lemme know how it turns out

I've used it on silver and it works fine. Be sure to rinse very well. On my copper, I usually use the BKF, then wash with regular dish soap and then rinse.

[Vinca]

7. I tried it on the back of a plate and it took off the tarnish, but I can't

decide if it caused fine scratching or if the scratching was there to begin with. I was thinking it might work better to dissolve some of it in water and soak the piece instead. Haven't tried it yet.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. "Anything is possible." "Your mileage may vary." "Results depend on your approach"

And all the other caveats ......

I'd be surprised if the BKF caused the scratching. It has never scratched my copper and that's way softer than silver.

What I do is wet the piece and sprinkle the BKF on and wipe it with a sopping wet paper towel (without much pressure) all over the piece and then let it sit for a few seconds .... 30 maybe? Then I reapply the BKF and again wipe it in with the same sopping wet paper towel (now probably discolored a gray color).

Bottom line, I let the chemicals in the BKF do the work, not the abrasive.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

8. Years ago I was watching TV & there was

a promo for the upcoming Martha show. There was going to be a segment on cleaning silver. I thought it would be worthwhile to catch that since I have a lot of old, fine silver. So, I wait around & wait around. Finally, we get to the segment. It's at a silver conservator's store. The woman tells us that most silver polishes are too harsh & they make their own. I thought that I could do that & waited for the ingredients. No dice. She never tells us what they use. Then she proceeds to take a Q-Tip (homemade, of course) & dips it in the solution, drags it an inch down the side of the vase she's polishing, tosses it, makes another Q-Tip, dips it in the solution, drags it an inch down the side.

That's an hour of my life I'll never get back.

[yy4me]

10. When I find a piece that is blue-black with tarnish, I get out

the old Wenol compound. Expensive but you use such a tiny bit that one $7.00 or $8.00 tube will last years. You smear a tiny amount of the compound on the item then go back and rub the heck out of it. Not only will it remove tarnish but will also bring up a shine that has been dulled by years of use.

If the tarnish is so bad that Wenol will not work, there is always the old Silver dip. Paint it on, roll the piece around in it and allow to sit for a few minutes. Wash well. The stuff smells like rotten eggs and will take detail out of the carvings but will get rid of the black. You must then use the Wenol to bring up a shine. It will take some time for the tarnish to reappear and highlight the crevices but it is better than giving up on the piece.

I use the dip as a last resort but sometimes it is the only way. When polishing, I use a Q-tip in the crevices to help get the shine back. Wenol takes a little practice but it is good stuff. Available at some hardware stores and at Williams-Sonoma. I believe there are other good paste compounds out there like Maas. I just can't find that anywhere near me.

[Vinca]

11. Great suggestions everyone. I've never heard of Wenol and

will check around for it.