When there’s a special occasion or you’re setting the holiday table, few things make the meal as special as eating off of real silver. Sparkling silver is a joy to behold on the table and lets everyone know that the meal to come will be beyond the ordinary.
One of the drawbacks to silver, though, is its care. Many people are becoming increasingly more informal in their dining because of the lack of time to devote to the preparation it requires to set a formal table. However, like special meals, taking the time to create an elegant table is more special – and makes the meal more memorable and magical.
Some rules should be observed when getting silver ready to use for your special meal. Following these guidelines will keep your silver not only looking wonderful for the occasion, but will also preserve it as an heirloom for years and generations to come.
SILVER CLEANING GUIDELINES
Don’t wash in the dishwasher. This is rule No. 1. As tempting as it is to just stick your silver in with the rest of your dishes, resist this. Silver, like wool sweaters, must be hand washed. Dishwasher detergents are harmful to silver finishes, etch them, and can permanently damage your silver. Don’t risk it.
Use respected silver products. Some people try to take shortcuts when cleaning silver and do everything from cleaning their silver in the dishwasher to dunking it in muriatic acid. It’s best to use products meant for use on silver. There are a couple of options:
1. Silver polish. This type of silver polish is meant only for silver pieces and uses special abrasives that are safe for silver. Some of the products not only remove the tarnish but include tarnish preventers. Some of the products include Goddard’s or Wright’s. Haggerty silver polish products clean and have tarnish prevention agents.
2. Silver polishing cloths. These cloths won’t scratch and are specially designed to polish silver. These come in several varieties. Some are dark cloths meant only for silver. Then, there are polishing cloths that polish and leave a tarnish resistant coating. Lastly, there are “rouge” cloths. These cloths have mild abrasives in them to remove more serious tarnish and should be used sparingly if at all.
Wash your silver as soon as possible. Foods such as salt, eggs, and acids from vinegars are harsh to silver. To eliminate the possibility of the foods harming your silver, be sure to collect all the flatware after the meal and place it in a plastic tub or bowl of warm soapy (not hot) water. Hot water can loosen solders from old knives or other pieces and is one of the reasons you don’t want silver in the dishwasher. Empty out and rinse any silver containers or bowls, being sure to remove the salt from silver shakers immediately.
Let the food soften, but not for too long and then remove the silver and begin washing. Line the sink with a soft towel for washing. After washing, place the silver onto a soft dry towel and have someone dry each piece as you wash it. Avoid soaking any piece, such as candlesticks that aren’t solid or other pieces that are soldered or made up of more than one piece because water, as well as detergent and/or cleaners, can get into the silver and be difficult to get out and could cause damage.
PRESERVING YOUR SILVER
One of the keys to preserving your silver and keeping it looking good for a long time is to store it properly. This year instead of wrapping it in plastic or sticking it on the shelf only to have it tarnish again, store your silver properly. Storing silver in special silversmith’s cloth will keep the surface from being scratched or damaged.
If you’re serious about preserving and protecting your silver, store it in the silversmith cloth bags and then place those into plastic zipper bags, being sure to remove the air before sealing. To remove air, insert a drinking straw into the bag and then sliding the zipper all the way over until you hit the straw, suck out all the air possible.
Too much work? Then use vacuum bags. Silver’s biggest enemy is air. Removing the air around your silver will keep it shiny and clean and ready to use for your next occasion. This is THE step to take if you want to keep your silver shiny and eliminate future polishing.
Silversmith’s Cloths
These come in a variety of sizes for everything from flatware placesettings to silver tea sets and serving bowls. Buy a few pieces a year and in a few years, your silver will all be in the appropriate storage products and will give your silver protection and lots of use and enjoyment for yourself.
Placesetting cloths.
Gravy boat, tray, or small bowl.
Large silver bag for teapot or medium bowl.
Extra large silver bag for platter, urn, tray.
Silver bag for serving flatware (pie server, meat fork, ladle).
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Calender -- the calendar that helps you end the power struggle with your house. Keeping a clean home is about knowing what to clean when. Virtually everything that needs to be cleaned is on this calendar in a year-round cleaning schedule that helps you keep your house clean easier and faster. Click here for more information.