Caring for Silver

That shiny, reflective surface of your silver objects soon looses its luster when oxidization causes that familiar black tarnish. A chemical reaction from exposure to outside elements and atmosphere causes the tarnish to appear on
silver. The more humid the climate, the faster it accelerates.

All is not lost. You can easily keep tarnish from ruining your silver. Your silver can bring you a lifetime of enjoyment when it is properly cared for and maintained.

Clean your silver with a product made for silver cleaning. You easily find a silver polish cleaner in your local grocery or pharmacy store. Silver scratches easily. Less abrasive the silver cleaner the better. Look for a silver polish that washes off instead one the dries and buffs off.
You can non abrasive cleaners with anti-tarnish protection.

When polishing your silver, use a 100% cotton cloth or ball. Other fabrics will cause scratching and pitting. A good idea would be to wear cotton gloves while cleaning and polishing so your fingerprints stay off of the silver.

Other types of cleaning methods exist. The most common is Chemical Dips and Electrochemical. Chemical dip contains acids and accelerates the tarnish removal. The corrosive nature of acid can damage and pit your silver. You should only use chemical dips for severely tarnish silver that won't clean up with polish. The aluminum plate used in electrochemical cleaning can also scratch and pit your silver. It will also cause your silver to tarnish quicker.
Neither method is recommended.

Try these simple tips to reduce silver tarnish. Store each silver item individually inside a polyethylene bag. Extra protection, wrap them in sulfur free archive tissue. Absorb moisture and harmful pollutants by placing bagged silica gel and active charcoal or Anti Tarnish strips with the
stored silver.

A big No No is cleaning your silver in the dishwasher. The hard detergent and extreme hot water will damage your silver with scratches and pitting. Hand wash your silver and dry with a 100% cotton dish towel.

Your silver brings priceless pleasure and enjoyment. Treat it with the care it deserves and generations will enjoy its beauty for many years.

Jill Montwaur is the editor and web designer for FAX
Silver Co.
A great internet site with many tips and facts about
silver. For more information and articles, visit
http://www.faxsilver.com

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Jill Montwaur