Vitezslav Ivicic
Member
Toady, we have a wide range of cleaning agents but how did the edwardians clean silver plates ,mugs and other dishes?
How to clean silver
- Thread starter Vitezslav Ivicic
- Start date
Bob Godfrey
Member
In a domestic house, the scullery maid took care of the dishes but cleaning the silver was generally a job for a footman and was his last task of the working day, starting around 9pm. On board ship, there were Plate Stewards who were signed on to do this job and no other.
Various brands of polishing cream, like Sparklene or Silver Suds, were available in all hardware stores. The silverware was first thoroughly washed. Then, using a soft cloth and often an old toothbrush, the polishing cream was worked into every nook and cranny and a lot of hard effort applied to remove all traces of tarnishing and black spots. Next the items were rinsed and finished off with a dry polish using another soft cloth or ideally a chamois leather. Hard work! And if necessary the knives would need to be sharpened too.
.
Various brands of polishing cream, like Sparklene or Silver Suds, were available in all hardware stores. The silverware was first thoroughly washed. Then, using a soft cloth and often an old toothbrush, the polishing cream was worked into every nook and cranny and a lot of hard effort applied to remove all traces of tarnishing and black spots. Next the items were rinsed and finished off with a dry polish using another soft cloth or ideally a chamois leather. Hard work! And if necessary the knives would need to be sharpened too.
.
Vitezslav Ivicic
Member
OK. I hoped I will fine an easier way to clean my silver cutlery...but I did not. Today I use the same way. Thank you very much for your infos.
sashka pozzetti
Guest
I don't know if it works on silver, but Tomato Sauce/Ketchup is amazing on brass. You just smear it on, do nothing else, but leave it for a while as it goes brown. Then wash it off again. Works like magic, no effort needed. Try it for fun if you don't believe me! 
Bob Godfrey
Member
Sure it works. HP (brown) source is even more potent! But what you're doing in effect is coating the brass (or silver) with a mild acid which eats away the surface layer. So don't do it too often!
sashka pozzetti
Guest
I suppose another way, is to eat tomato sauce regularly with all your food to get a top-up shine!! ;-)
Eric Longo
Member
HI,
Mr. Godfrey is correct.
If valuable silver and not plate (which you'll discover soon enough with all the abrasive cleaning agents out there) you might want to polish it one with a fine polishing agent intended for the purpose - nothing too abrasive, and then - if you buff it very frequently and carefully with a very soft cloth (as in 3 times a week or so while in a cabinet) you will also avoid the need to polish so frequently. Also - take to get a small sheet of pure copper online (both cheap and easy - 6" square ought to more than sufficient) to place out of sight in the closed glass curio or display cabinet (the wood of the cabinet itself contributes to the problem - it is acidic and hygroscopic which both encourage "tarnishing"). This copper plate (sanded roughly to expose pure metal - so get a pure copper plate that was electrolytically refined) - the copper plate will act as a sacrificial anode and "catch" the "tarnish" before it has a chance to collect on the silver, or at least slow the process down considerably.
Best,
Eric
Mr. Godfrey is correct.
If valuable silver and not plate (which you'll discover soon enough with all the abrasive cleaning agents out there) you might want to polish it one with a fine polishing agent intended for the purpose - nothing too abrasive, and then - if you buff it very frequently and carefully with a very soft cloth (as in 3 times a week or so while in a cabinet) you will also avoid the need to polish so frequently. Also - take to get a small sheet of pure copper online (both cheap and easy - 6" square ought to more than sufficient) to place out of sight in the closed glass curio or display cabinet (the wood of the cabinet itself contributes to the problem - it is acidic and hygroscopic which both encourage "tarnishing"). This copper plate (sanded roughly to expose pure metal - so get a pure copper plate that was electrolytically refined) - the copper plate will act as a sacrificial anode and "catch" the "tarnish" before it has a chance to collect on the silver, or at least slow the process down considerably.
Best,
Eric
Shelley Dziedzic
Member
The best way to kept silver shiny is to use it often and wipe it with a soft cloth after washing it. Silver should not be vigorously polished with a commercial silver cream or polish more than 2-3 times a year- especially silver plate. Don't believe those silly commercials about metal plates which you use with vinegar and aluminum foil. Tarn-X is another thing you want to keep off the good stuff. After the silver has been cleaned and is dry, there are tarnish resistant bags, tissue,or just plain flannel bags to store pieces in. Silver flatware can be rolled up in an easily-made pouch constructed by sewing around the edges of two rectangles of flannel, then making several pockets by sewing across the length of the flannel at intervals, leaving one end open to slde in the cutlery. Roll up the utensils in the flannel and tie up with a thin ribbon for longterm storage.
Old undies make great polishing rags. In America, Wright's Gorham's, or Haigarty's are good brands, Wright's being my favorite thick pink paste cleaner, and available at most grocery stores.
Copper can be kept bright with lemon juice and salt for heavy scouring, but can scratch. Best all- purpose metal cleaners which I use at the cathedral for brass and bronze are MAAS and WENOL. Brasso leaves a residue which can turn green in intricate details.
http://www.autogeek.net/wenol1.html?gclid=CKW_gvWTmY0CFQVpFQod3Ach6A
Old undies make great polishing rags. In America, Wright's Gorham's, or Haigarty's are good brands, Wright's being my favorite thick pink paste cleaner, and available at most grocery stores.
Copper can be kept bright with lemon juice and salt for heavy scouring, but can scratch. Best all- purpose metal cleaners which I use at the cathedral for brass and bronze are MAAS and WENOL. Brasso leaves a residue which can turn green in intricate details.
http://www.autogeek.net/wenol1.html?gclid=CKW_gvWTmY0CFQVpFQod3Ach6A
lopsidedgear
Member
Similar threads
