It really depends on whether the item is an antique or not. Â If you have an antique then you don't necessarily want to polish it as you could destroy the valuable patina finish that many antique collectors and appraisers treasure. Â If your item is not an antique then you can use some commercially available polishes that are formulated for silver (see recommendations below). Â The process is as follows:
1) Moisten a soft cloth or sponge and take a little bit of polish
2) Rub the silver in a straight line and back and forth - do not use circles and do not scrub hard. Â Basically you want to let the polish do the work for you.
3) Rinse the silver in clean running water
4) Dry the silver completely with a clean soft cloth
The "don't polish" rule is true for patinated metal artwork, copper lamps etc., but polishing silverware will not lower its value. Most antique silverware was polished on a regular basis before use.
I need to clean and polish some silver and was wondering the best way that I can do it and what products are recommended for safely cleaning. Some people have recommended Tarn-X, but I'm not sure if it's too strong. Any help would be appreciated.
Re: What is the best way to polish silver?
It really depends on whether the item is an antique or not. Â If you have an antique then you don't necessarily want to polish it as you could destroy the valuable patina finish that many antique collectors and appraisers treasure. Â If your item is not an antique then you can use some commercially available polishes that are formulated for silver (see recommendations below). Â The process is as follows:
1) Moisten a soft cloth or sponge and take a little bit of polish
2) Rub the silver in a straight line and back and forth - do not use circles and do not scrub hard. Â Basically you want to let the polish do the work for you.
3) Rinse the silver in clean running water
4) Dry the silver completely with a clean soft cloth
Recommended products:
Weiman Royal Sterling Silver Polish -Â www.weiman.com/
Twinkle Silver Polish Kit -Â twinklepolish.com/
Connoisseurs Silver Wipes -Â connoisseurs.com/
Hope this helps.
- Naida
Re: What is the best way to polish silver?
The "don't polish" rule is true for patinated metal artwork, copper lamps etc., but polishing silverware will not lower its value. Most antique silverware was polished on a regular basis before use.