What do you use to polish tarnished silver ?
Question:this is old silver i need to shine and look nice.
Answers:
Place a sheet of tin foil shiny side up in the kitchen sink (plug sink first) spread 2 tbs of baking soda on tin foil, place silver object in the sink and pour BOILING water over it.
This will restore your silver to its natural luster and not damage it.
Happy polishing :)
SILVER POLISH or TARNX ----- DUH
Duraglit wadding.
I would try this stuff out. Looks like it would do the trick no matter how sever the silver is tarnished.
http://www.silvergiftstore.com/silversto...
Silver polish. Do NOT use something like Tarnex, unless you know it is sterling. It will remove the plating. And/or mess up the dark stuff that is supposed to be in crevices.
believe it or not steak sauce works use a dry cloth to rub it then rinse.
Toothpaste. Not the gel kind. It's very gentle and can be used on plateing. I have used it on everything from rings to my great-grandmothers silver wine carafe. It's good stuff.
How to clean and polish silver
The luster and beauty of well-kept silver is unmistakable. Properly cared for, silver will last for many generations. With a little maintenance and a few preventative measures, you can even cut down on the amount of time you spend polishing silver, as well.
THE ENEMY
Tarnish is silver's enemy. Silver tarnishes when it's exposed to air and certain chemicals. Outside of regular cleaning, you can keep silver tarnish free by following these general rules of thumb:
NEVER let silver come in contact with rubber. This includes dishmats, placemats, silverwear holders, and rubber bands. Rubber contains sulfur, which will cause your silver to corrode.
NEVER allow stainless steel flatware to come in contact with fine silver or silver plated flatware. When the two metals touch, silver becomes damaged and stained. Don't wash or store the two different metals in the same area.
DON'T expose fine silver to foods for long periods of time. Never leave flatware inside serving dishes containing eggs, mayonnaise, or mustard. The sulfur in these foods will corrode silver.
USING silver prevents tarnish. The more you use and handle your silver flatware, the less chance there'll be for tarnish to buildup. So, don't hide your good silver away for safe keeping!
CLEANING SILVER
Silver should be washed after each use. The best and safest way to cleanse silver is by hand. It is the rubbing and friction during hand washing that shines silver. "Patina," the outer surface on fine silver is brightened and enhanced through friction.
HANDWASHING SILVER
1. Fill sink with warm water and mild dish detergent.
2. Hand wash each individual piece of silver.
3. Using a soft cotton dish towel, dry silver completely.
4. Dull silver can be buffed a little with a dry cotton cloth.
DISHWASHING SILVER
There are differing viewpoints as to whether silver should be washed inside a dishwasher. Most top-of-the-line modern washers provide enough protection to adequately clean silver without damaging its finish. If you choose to wash silver in a mechanical dishwasher, most experts recommend removing the silver before the drying cycle begins. Remember, it's friction that creates shine. Therefore, rub each piece dry and store properly after the wash load has finished.
POLISH SILVER
Too much polishing can wear down the finish on some silvers. Items which are coated or plated should be washed by hand often and polished only once or twice per year. As long as silver is cleansed regularly and stored properly, there's no need to polish silver more than once a year.
1. Apply silver polish. You won't need much, so don't overdo it.
2. With a soft towel, rub the polish on the metal using straight strokes, as opposed to circular movements.
3. Using a clean, soft cloth, buff silver.
MAKE YOUR OWN SILVER DIP
When silver oxidizes, it tarnishes. Tarnish dips work to repair and remove tarnish from quality silver. Most commercial dips are used when heavy, dark colored tarnish cannot be removed with traditional pastes or polishes. Chemical dips are wiped on silver with cotton balls and specialized applicators, and then submerged in a chemical make up of acid and a complexing agent. You can make your own chemical dip by following these instructions:
1. Fill sink full of steaming hot water.
2. Mix 2-tablespoons salt and 2-tablespoons baking soda in bowl.
3. Add mixture to sink of hot water.
4. Cut a small sheet of aluminum foil and push it to the bottom of sink.
5. Dip silver items. Most tarnish will slide off. For stubborn stains, allow them to sit for up to 5-minutes at a time.
6. Rinse well.
7. Dry.
8. Store properly.
HOW TO STORE SILVER
All silver objects should be stored in an area where they can remain free of dust, surface grime, and debris. To keep humidity levels low in your storage area, add desiccated silica gel to your storage drawer or cabinet. To keep your storage area free of gases known to cause tarnish, add a few capsules or small dish of activated charcoal. Silver should only be stored on wood which is sealed with lacquer or polyurethane, which will also help keep silver tarnish-free. Other steps you can take to retard tarnish development include:
PRETREATING each piece with a tarnish-retardant polish when storing for long periods of time. Specially treated cloth bags or anti-tarnish strips work well, too. When a cloth bag is not an option, you can provide further protection to silver and silver plated items by wrapping your prized pieces seperately in plastic cling wrap.
USE white chalk. Add a single piece of white chalk to the drawer or cabinet where your silver is stored. White chalk prevents tarnish.
KEEP silver free of tarnish causing agents, including wool, felt, eggs, onions, mustard, rubber, latex gloves, paints and humidity.
TIPS AND TRICKS
CORROSION caused by food or salt can be removed by soaking silver in a mixture of hot vinegar and salt for up to 5-minutes at a time. Use two cups of vinegar for every tablespoon of salt. Rinse. Dry well.
NEVER allow foods to "cake" on to silver. This can cause staining and corrosion. Remove from food items immediately and rinse well, until you are able to wash silver.
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