Cape Cod Polish Blog

Hopefully, you already have your silver out and ready for the holiday season. When silver is used, cleaned, and stored regularly, it fares much better than silver that is put away for long periods of time. This is because people tend to forget about stored pieces. If they were not cleaned, polished, and stored correctly in the first place, you may find some unpleasant surprises waiting for you later.
If your silver is tarnished or dull when you get it out of storage, polish it with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths for a mirror-like shine. Always be sure to wash silverware that will come into contact with food and beverages with a mild dish soap before use.

Here are more tips for protecting your silverware during use and in storage from our "Caring for Your Fine Metals" brochure.

Silverware in use:
Peas, olives, salad dressing, fruit juices, perspiration, vinegar, table salt, eggs, and perfume are only some of the enemies of silver. These all emit sulfur gases and/or acids that can cause tarnishing and etching. Unchecked, etching from acid can lead to unsightly, permanent pit marks. Fruits and flowers also give off gases and acids as they decay. So wilted flowers and leaves, and over-ripe fruit should be removed daily from silver containers. Condiments, salt, and candy should never be stored in silver containers and dishes.

Cleaning Silverware:
Silverware should be washed immediately after dinner with a phosphate-free, dish washing liquid. If you cannot wash silver utensils and serving pieces immediately, rinse them off and let them soak in water. Not only does this protect silverware from harmful foods, but the frustration of cleaning dried food off of silverware causes most of us scrape and scour. This increases the risk of creating scratches. A soft towel should be used for drying. NEVER put your silverware in the dishwasher.

Final clean and polish:
Before you put your silverware away, gently give it a final clean and polish with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Cape Cod Polishing Cloths leave a brilliant shine and an anti-tarnish coating on your pieces to help protect them between polishings. After your silver has been polished, it should be minimally handled with freshly washed and dried hands. White cotton gloves such as Cape Cod Touch Up Gloves are an excellent choice for avoiding finger smudges when handling polished pieces.

Storage:
Only wrap your silver in archival, acid-free tissue, or flannel treated with anti-tarnish protection. Never wrap silver pieces in felt, chamois leather, or newspaper. Felt and chamois leather give off hydrogen sulfide, a strong tarnish inducer. Newspaper contains harmful acids. Don't secure or bundle pieces with rubber bands. Rubber can corrode silver through flannel in a matter of weeks.

With proper care, fine silver pieces are made to last beyond a lifetime. Please email us at info@capecodpolish.com to find a store in your area that carries Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Feel free to post any questions you may have regarding the cleaning and storage of fine metals. We will do our best to answer them promptly.

Happy Holidays from the folks at Cape Cod Polish!