July 21, 2015

Spit & Polish

One of the chores that I have never minded doing is polishing the silver. As a child, we would polish the silver before holiday dinners and my parents’ dinner parties. It was one of those instant gratification chores – you could see your success immediately! Luckily, I still like polishing silver, because I have quite a collection – especially in the pearl-handled flatware – which all needed to be cleaned up before sale.IMG_3576

In the comments section of my last post, someone asked what I used to polish my silverware. After years of using Wright’s Silver Cream, they have gone and changed their name and are now Weiman. Then my life got dramatically easier when I discovered that they make silver wipes. I never though that the pitiful little sponge included in the tub of polish was substantial enough and usually fell apart before I’d finished all the polish.IMG_3575These Weiman Silver Wipes are amazing!  They’re really strong and don’t fall apart, no matter how much I rub and scrub. If I only need to spot polish something, I put the used piece into a baggie and use it the next time.

I thought I’d show you how well they work. Bad me! I hadn’t polished this gorgeous teapot for a while. With all of our humidity recently, it was really beginning to tarnish quickly and I can’t stand that.IMG_3560

After a few swipes with the cloth, it really started cleaning up nicely!IMG_3562

Then I finished polishing the whole thing, including all of the pieces. IMG_3565

This piece is pretty amazing. It’s a teapot on a stand with a spirit burner, which in itself is quite amazing!
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The wick raises and lowers, and when you turn a screw, a little piece comes over and extinguishes the flame. And there are two clips to keep the pot on the stand when you’re transporting it.
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You can see how nicely this polished up, and I only used one of the cloths!IMG_3574

The thing about silver is that the more you use it, the less you have to polish it. And for heaven’s sake, don’t ever consider using one of those dips that claim to remove all of the tarnish instantly. They also remove every single bit of patina on the piece!  This set of Mappin & Webb mother of pearl-handled cutlery took a lot of silver polish and elbow grease to clean. If I’d dipped it, it would look flat and grey. No depth at all.IMG_3512

Do you polish your silver? If so, what do you use or recommend?

19 comments:

  1. Even though I am very lucky to have someone who does the polishing, I do occasionally dig out a piece that has been stored and is in need of a bit of sparkling attention. I provide Goddard's sponge and foam for items that can take water, (your kettle/teapot would work), or their cream. We used to get Wright's here, (but the name change may explain why we no longer do), so I buy Goddard's on the internet, (Amazon), or when I'm in UK or in Hong Kong. I love silver. But only CLEAN silver! Luckily the new maid is extremely efficient, so I have never had to suggest a piece, of the many about the place (e.g. two photo frames, one perpetual calendar, one visiting card holder and one christening mug which holds my pens and pencils, on my desk alone), needs a clean. The magpie in me is happy!

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    1. I have used Goddard's, but think I like the wipes much better now!

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  2. Since I'm my own maid I greatly appreciate this tip, Meg. Polishing silver, doing laundry, and ironing are the only domestic chores I truly enjoy. I've also been a Goddard's fan but will pursue the Weiman's. Many thanks.

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    1. I am my own (not very good) maid, too! And I love ironing, too!

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  3. I rarely polish silver anymore; however I am going to try out the new wipes! I agree about the old sponges. Still want to get a set of your mother of pearl flatware!!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

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    1. Karen... keep an eye out for new pieces on the sidebar here!

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  4. I am my own maid, ha! + am also a Goddards gal will try Weiman's. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  5. Great tips on silver cleaning, just what I needed right now. I found some silver pieces from my parents that I wanted to use but they are all pretty tarnished. I could not find my old silver polish either. I'll give Weiman wipes a try. Thanks, Meg!

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    1. If the tarnish is realllllly bad, I use the polishing tip on my Dremel drill.

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  6. Easy to use and economical, 3M silver strips in the silver drawers will delay tarnishing! I have them in all drawers and bags.

    best, teaorwine

    teaorwine.blogspot.com

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    1. That's a great idea for the silver in a drawer, which most of mine isn't!

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  7. Beautiful. Sigh. I don't like the smell of silver polish, so I always put the task off longer than I should.

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  8. Hello Meg, Wright's silver polish is still available in Cleveland--I just bought a jar today.
    --Jim

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  9. glad to know that I am not the only one who finds polishing silver soothing. what do you use to clean the mother of pearl handles of your knives? thanks!

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    1. I use soapy water and dry the handles immediately with a soft cloth.

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    2. thanks for your response. I scooped up some uncared-for MOP handled flatware at Scott's in Atlanta and want to be sure I am doing right by it. I am hoping with a little attention, it will be as beautiful as yours.

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    3. The main thing is that a lot of the knife blades are steel, not stainless steel. If you don't dry them well immediately, they will rust in a heart-beat!

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    4. Here's what I put on all of my MOP listings:
      A word on cleaning: DO NOT PUT INTO THE DISHWASHER! It will ruin these pieces. The tines/blades are steel, not stainless steel, that has been silver-plated. Any place where the plate has worn thin will rust. Wash them by hand and dry them immediately with a soft towel. They will last for another 100 years if you care for them!

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