Anyone else have ideas on how to clean pewter and make it look brand new again?
Question:I have a fruit holder that is made of pewter and I want to make it look new again. Anyone else have any ideas on how to clean pewter? I have already asked this question but I need more ideas so that I can try to see what works best.
Answers:
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Pewter may be pitted or stained by acids and other chemicals in some foods, so wash immediately after using. Be careful not to dent or scratch it.
Antique pewter is an alloy of lead and tin. The lead makes it darken to its characteristic shade. Because of the lead, these antique pieces should not be used for food or beverages. Modern pewter is mostly tarnish-resistant alloys of about 90% tin with antimony or copper. It is lead-free, will not darken, and is safe for use with food. It is a soft metal alloy, and is easily bent, or scratched.
Salt, Vinegar, and Flour. Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to pewter and let sit for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with clean warm water, and polish dry.
Modern pewter can be washed by hand in hot, sudsy water, rinsed, and dried thoroughly with a soft cloth. Do not over clean antique pewter. It is not meant to look like silver.
To clean and polish pewter with an antique or dull finish, rub in one direction with a paste of rotten-stone and boiled linseed oil. When clean, wash in hot soapy water, rinse, dry and buff. For a lustrous satin finish, rub in one direction with a paste of whiting and denatured alcohol. When clean, wash, rinse, dry and buff.
There are many pewter look-a-likes on the market that are aluminum-based alloys. Check the label and care for them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Tarnished Pewter: Remove tarnish with a commercial pewter polish or a paste made of rotten-stone and boiled linseed oil or olive oil. After cleaning, wash in hot, soapy water and rinse with hot water. Dry by rubbing in one direction until no black comes off on the cloth. Complete buffing is necessary for a shine that lasts. Fingerprints are
hazardous to old pewter pieces if touched before completely dry.
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Rotten stone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rotten stone, sometimes spelled as one word, and also known as tripoli, is fine powdered rock used as a polishing abrasive in woodworking. It is usually weathered limestone mixed with diatomaceous, amorphous, or crystalline silica. It has similar applications to pumice, but it is generally sold as a finer powder and used for a more glossy polish after an initial treatment with coarser pumice powder.
It is usually mixed with oil, sometimes water, and rubbed on the surface of varnished wood with a felt pad or cloth. Rotten stone is sometimes used to buff stains out of wood. Some polishing waxes contain powdered rotten stone in a paste substrate. For larger polishing jobs, rotten stone mixed with a binder is applied to polishing wheels.
It has also been used to polish brass, such as that found on military uniforms, as well as steel and other metals. Plates used in daguerreotypes were polished using rotten stone, the finest abrasive available at the time.
toothpaste and toothbrush
http://www.german-toasting-glasses.com/p...
Pewter may be pitted or stained by acids and other chemicals in some foods, so wash immediately after using. Be careful not to dent or scratch it.
Antique pewter is an alloy of lead and tin. The lead makes it darken to its characteristic shade. Because of the lead, these antique pieces should not be used for food or beverages. Modern pewter is mostly tarnish-resistant alloys of about 90% tin with antimony or copper. It is lead-free, will not darken, and is safe for use with food. It is a soft metal alloy, and is easily bent, or scratched.
Salt, Vinegar, and Flour. Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to pewter and let sit for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with clean warm water, and polish dry.
Modern pewter can be washed by hand in hot, sudsy water, rinsed, and dried thoroughly with a soft cloth. Do not over clean antique pewter. It is not meant to look like silver.
To clean and polish pewter with an antique or dull finish, rub in one direction with a paste of rotten-stone and boiled linseed oil. When clean, wash in hot soapy water, rinse, dry and buff. For a lustrous satin finish, rub in one direction with a paste of whiting and denatured alcohol. When clean, wash, rinse, dry and buff.
There are many pewter look-a-likes on the market that are aluminum-based alloys. Check the label and care for them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Tarnished Pewter: Remove tarnish with a commercial pewter polish or a paste made of rotten-stone and boiled linseed oil or olive oil. After cleaning, wash in hot, soapy water and rinse with hot water. Dry by rubbing in one direction until no black comes off on the cloth. Complete buffing is necessary for a shine that lasts. Fingerprints are
hazardous to old pewter pieces if touched before completely dry.
Cigarette ash is the best cleaner for pewter - just rub it on with your fingers, then wash and dry.
None of us smoke, but it's worth buying a pack just for the ash because it works so well.
I suppose any ash might work, but this one is the finest - no scratches.
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