To clean or not to clean..... An important question:

[IMAZTribabe]

I have close to 100 individual pieces of silver and silver-plate flatware, from different patterns.  I have read a number of pros and cons about cleaning and polishing it, especially if you decide to sell it.  My gut tells me to gently clean with a polishing cloth and that's it.  These pieces are anywhere from 50 years to 100+ years old and I honestly feel that "polishing" them will really take away from their character..

All opinions and comments are welcome...

Thank you,

Lori

[fancypants]

There certainly are many opinions about polishing silver .

If you're planning on using your utensils for eating/serving foods , it's a no-brainer ... clean those puppies well & enjoy !

Often , polishing silver plated items will disclose/show thin or 'worn-thru' (missing) silver plate .

What are you planning on doing with your pile o' silver , IMAZTribabe (& welcome to the forum) ?

[mart]

Hi there and welcome to the group !!  Yes !!  What you intend to do with them is important to the answer we give !!  My opinion is to clean and polish them unless you plan on selling the items or if there is an historical connection !!  For some unknown reason buyers like to see the tarnish of age especially the ones on ebay !!  The reality is that silver was never intended to stay tarnished and black !!  Part of the reason for this is that the tarnish hides many imperfections it may have !!   Silver was meant to be cleaned and polished, used and enjoyed !! Our grandmothers would have never allowed their prized silver to look like that and the same is true for whoever made it !! The silversmith put time into polishing his work and making it look its best,,we should care for it the same as he did !! Another note,, use only top quality polish on silver !!  None of the quick stuff you may see advertised !!

[ghopper1924]

Everything Mart said! The shabby chic thing does not apply to silver iMO.

[IMAZTribabe]

My intention is to sell them..  I have read that Twinkle is a good polish to use.  I will only lightly clean them up, with the buyer to be responsible to make them shine.  Most of what I have is older silver-plate and what is sterling, I will hold on to for now...  Thank you all for your input..

Thanks again,

Lori

[talesofthesevenseas]

I have silver dating back to the 1790s. Our ancestors polished their silver and so can we. If too much tarnish is allowed to build up it can damage the pieces over time, so polishing silver is good to keep it "healthy". The movement to consider tarnish as a desirable patina is a recent phenomenon. Our great-grannys would have been appalled, LOL! That said, it is important that you use a gentle polish. I like Wrights Silver Cream polish. Use an old fashioned polish that has to be rubbed. Do NOT use Tarn-X or other chemical dips! These can leave "burns" or "scars" on your silver because the chemicals are too harsh.

[KC]

Ditto what the others said.  ESPECIALLY the part about NOT USING A DIP CLEANER!!!!!

I am a silver fanatic and have many tips!

I love Wrights  or Haggerty's polish.  Once cleaned - use silversmith's gloves to maintain (wear nitrile gloves when cleaning AND UNDER silversmith's gloves to protect your hands!)

For hard to clean spots use a q-tip with ammonia!

Do not clean the patina out of the designs on handles, sides, etc.  That is VERY MUCH DESIRED!

If you are selling do not clean thoroughly.  Some cleaning may be needed to sell.    Always describe your items as thoroughly as possible and have good pictures so you can avoid returns and bad feedback. 

[mart]

A simple way to lightly clean without having to do all that polishing,,  line a large container with tin foil, shiny side up,,add about a cup full of the old fashioned Tide laundry detergent that comes in a box,, the one with out all those additives,, fill with warm water,,let soak about an hour or two then rinse and buff dry !!  This should clean without removing all the signs of age !! You can do a lot quickly like this and no fear of damage !! Just make sure the soap is well dissolved before adding the silver !!

[IMAZTribabe]

Thank you all for these great suggestions...  I will lightly clean and leave the patina in the cracks and crevices..  If I cant find Twinkle, I will use Wright's..  I will be back with more questions in the near future, as I work to identify all the different pieces I have..

Thanks again for your time..   

Lori

[KC]

Bring it on!!!  I love, love, love silver pieces.  Believe me I have some really odd pieces - those Victorians had a piece for just about everything!  Cheese ball holder, spoon tree, spooner with service/servant bell, mango fork, lettuce fork, etc.....

Identifying pieces can get tricky because there are tons of forks and spoons with different uses yet to most...it is just a fork or spoon! 

[mart]

That's true !!  And KC knows all of them !!    That's why we all call on her to ID the odd ones that people find !!