GENERAL ADVICE ON SILVER CARE
Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal about the care of silver and silverware. While there may be some little secrets I might like to keep to myself, the following points are among the most important to remember.
- Always wash fine silver with mild soap and warm water, then buff it up with a dry cotton cloth. Soap is always preferable to detergents, and buffing silver immediately after washing helps eliminate water spotting, which can mar the finish.
- Some foods contain substances which can affect silver. They include salt, acids such as those in lemons and vinegar, and the sulphur in eggs and mayonnaise. Both silver and stainless steel knife blades should be washed immediately after each use, to prevent being harmed by these substances.
- Never use rubber bands when you wrap silver for storage, even over a layer of tissue or plastic, because they contain substances that can tarnish the metal.
- Most silver is dishwasher safe, but do make a note of these particular points: liquid dishwasher detergents are always preferable to any other kinds; always arrange your silver – particularly silver flatware – so that doesn’t come into contact with other metals; remove your silver before the machine starts its drying cycle and dry each item by hand to prevent water spotting.
- Always change the water in silver vases or bowls holding flowers on a daily basis. It’s also best to remove the flower heads as soon as they begin to wilt, and wash the vase or bowl in warm, soapy water after every use, to remove any traces of sap and other residues left by the flowers.
Take care when using silver dips as they may erase designs in the silver made dark by oxidisation.
As well as all these important pointers, I’ve gathered together a few of my most frequently asked questions, together with my answers.
What do anti-tarnish protectors do?
Anti-tarnish protectors are one of the most important ingredients in all our silver care products.
We use them because silver has the ability to combine with other elements in the air, such as sulphur. When this occurs, a new compound forms on the surface of the silver, which we all know as "tarnish". Tarnishing is a natural process for silver, but the industrial pollutants found in today’s atmosphere, and traces of sulphur from gas appliances such as cookers, fires and boilers, can speed up its formation.
An anti-tarnish ingredient is a special molecule that can bond to silver. When it’s included in a silver cleaning product, a very small quantity of anti-tarnish protector bonds to the surface of the silver and forms an invisible shield that protects it from tarnish-forming substances. We use an anti-tarnish protector that’s non-toxic and colourless, which means the silver’s natural beauty is undiminished.
Ultimately, the anti-tarnish ingredient breaks down, but not before it’s significantly lengthened the time during which your silverware remains shining and bright.
What’s more, the specially formulated anti-tarnish ingredient in our silver care products is particularly durable. So you can be sure our products will go on being effective for much longer than other cleaning options.
Which product should I use if my silver is almost black?
Our Spray Silver Polish or Silver Foam works well on most silverware. Our Silver Sparkle Tissues are more suitable for cleaning cutlery or small silver articles and other items that combine silver with other materials.
Very heavily tarnished silver may require more than one cleaning, or may even call for professional attention.
I’ve heard you can use a special metal plate or some aluminium foil in a container of warm water to clean silver. What’s the difference between these methods and using Town Talk products?
The methods mentioned remove tarnish by creating a simple chemical reaction that’s the reverse of the one used to apply silver plate to brass and copper. This technique is perfectly safe when the metal plates are used as directed – and the tarnish disappears in front of your eyes – but this is only one part of the work done by Town Talk products.
Our polishes not only remove tarnish, they also polish the silver, which adds to its soft, lustrous appearance. What’s more, our products all contain an anti-tarnish protector, which effectively reduces the amount of time needed to care for silver.
How abrasive are the Town Talk Silver Care products?
Everyone who produces silver cleaning products uses abrasive-based formulations.
Abrasives are sophisticated industrial products that come in many different sizes, shapes and degrees of hardness. The skill of the manufacturer lies in selecting abrasives whose properties most closely meet the needs of the metal being cleaned. For example, silver and gold don’t require the same hard abrasives needed for stainless steel or the slightly finer abrasive used on brass.
Our products are sufficiently abrasive to cut through tarnish and grime and then polish silver to a glowing brilliance. In fact, they are so fine they work almost invisibly.
Will I remove all the silver if I use polishes too often?
All silverware companies of any note use advanced silver plating technologies that ensure a finish that’s both beautiful and highly durable. The chance of removing all the silver from one of these companies' goods is so unlikely that virtually all fine plated silverware sold today is unconditionally guaranteed.
On the other hand, silver plate manufactured 30 or more years ago may be less durable, but is likely to be more heavily plated. Our polishes are gentler and more effective than the cleaners generally being sold at that time.
Only very lightly plated, cheaply manufactured silverware has the potential for being affected by the use of quality care products. One of the most important abrasives used in our silver care products is also one of the most common abrasives used in toothpaste!
SILVER CARE PRODUCTS
Over the years I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my silver care products. Some have been quite technical; others have been more straightforward.
Here’s a selection of the most frequently asked, which I’ve organised on a product-by-product basis.
Silver Rinse
My Silver Rinse is a special acidic cleaning solution for use on silver cutlery. It’s easy to use and produces excellent results.
Nevertheless, I still get asked a few questions!
Should I wear rubber gloves when I use your Silver Rinse?
The simple answer is “Yes”. I usually do, and I recommend you do, too.
Can I use Silver Rinse on other metals?
No. Silver Rinse is intended for cleaning silver and silver plate only and can damage stainless steel knife blades, other metals, artificially ‘oxidised’ silver, emeralds, coral, pearls, opals or paste stones.
Do I need to take any special precautions with I’m using it?
Not “special”, but I do recommend you always protect stainless steel and other work surfaces from coming into contact with my Rinse as it can damage them.
How long will your Rinse last for?
As with my other liquid jewellery cleaners, my Silver Rinse will go on working until it becomes dark in colour and quite cloudy. I recommend you replace it as soon as you can see particles of dirt at the bottom of the jar.
Should I rinse my cutlery in water after cleaning it?
Put simply, yes, to remove all traces of the acid in the Silver Rinse.
Will Silver Rinse give my silver any anti-tarnish protection?
I’m afraid not, which is why I recommend polishing your silver with one of my Town Talk Silver Polishing Cloths. For longer-lasting protection, use one of my Silver Polish Tissue Sachets, my Silver Polish Spray or my Silver Foam.
Silver Polish
This creamy liquid silver polish incorporates an advanced anti-tarnish protector that keeps silver shining bright for months at a time. It’s ideal for cleaning large sets of silver cutlery or collections of tableware and a little goes a long way, making it a very efficient and economic way of cleaning your silver.
How does it work?
The creamy liquid is a special mix of ingredients including metal cleaners (including jewellers rouge) and anti-tarnish protector.
Applying the polish with a soft cloth puts the and metal cleaners to work on the surface of the silver, and they remove the tarnish and grime.
The anti-tarnish protector bonds to the freshly cleaned silver surface and keeps it tarnish-free for several weeks, even months at a time.
Which should I use: Silver Polish or Silver Foam?
I find both work equally well, so it’s really a matter of personal preference.
Silver Foam
This traditional silver polish comes complete with a sponge applicator. I find it’s particularly good for cleaning silver cutlery as well as ornate and decorative silver and more heavily tarnished silverware.
How does it work?
The foam polish is made from a special mix of ingredients, including metal cleaners and even jeweller's rouge, and an anti-tarnish protector. Applying the polish with a soft sponge allows the metal cleaners to act on the surface of the silver and remove tarnish and grime.
The anti-tarnish protector bonds to the freshly cleaned silver and keeps it tarnish free for a very long time.
Which should I use: Town Talk Silver Polish or Silver Foam?
Again, it’s really a matter of preference. Having said that, some people find ornately decorated silver is easier to clean with the foam, because it can get into the decoration and be worked with less splattering than the polish.
What should I do if my Silver Foam has dried out?
Adding a few teaspoons of water should restore its cleaning ability.
Anti-tarnish Silver Polish Spray
My Silver Polish Spray offers an easy and effective method of cleaning large sets of silver cutlery or collections of tableware. The polish can be sprayed directly onto the silver, left to dry for a few seconds and then, for best results, buffed with one of my Town Talk Silver Polishing Cloth.
How does it work?
The liquid is a special mix of metal cleaners, and an anti-tarnish protector.
Spraying the liquid then polishing the silver surface with a soft cloth allows the solvents and metal cleaners to act on the surface and remove tarnish and grime.
Before the final polish, the silver should be left to dry for a minute or two, to give the anti-tarnish protector an opportunity to bond to the silver and keep it tarnish-free for a long time.
What happens if the pump spray clogs or becomes difficult to operate?
I find the best thing to do is soak it for a few minutes in warm water, to dissolve any dried liquid, then try the pump several times to ensure that it’s working, then replace it on the bottle.
Silver Polish Tissues
Our Silver Polish Tissues are moistened with a highly effective silver cleaning solution and an advanced anti-tarnish protector that offers a neat, quick way of restoring tarnished silver. The tissues have a fresh, clean scent that gives off a more agreeable smell than most products during cleaning. You’ll find they’re especially convenient for caring for silver jewellery while you’re away from home.
How do the tissues work?
The liquid in the tissues is a special mix of metal cleaners, and an anti-tarnish protector. The solvents and metal cleaners work together to remove surface tarnish and grime; the anti-tarnish ingredient remains behind to give long-lasting protection against further tarnishing.
We use a special non-woven tissue that’s superior to cloth in providing a "backing" for the liquid ingredients, which makes cleaning faster and more thorough.
How long will each tissue last?
One tissue can easily clean a small collection of silver jewellery, a comb, brush and mirror set, several picture frames or desk accessories, or one full size wine cooler. Quite a lot, really!
What else can I clean with them?
As I say, they’re very good for cleaning desk accessories and other small objects for which polishes, foams and sprays are inconvenient and messy. I also use them on items with decorative silver mounts, which combine silver and other materials and which need either the neatest possible cleaning or cannot be washed.
Silver Polishing Cloths and Mitts
Our original Silver Polishing Cloths and Mitts are made from 100% specially selected cotton fibres impregnated with efficient cleaners and anti-tarnish agents which combine to give brilliant results and long lasting anti-tarnish protection against the elements – as they have done for over a century.
The Mitts are lined to help keep your hands clean. They can be used on their own, or after you’ve cleaned you silver with a liquid polish to develop the final, shining glow. The Cloths are particularly useful on lightly tarnished silverware, especially when liquid cleaners are inconvenient and messy.
How do the Cloths and Mitts work?
Both the Cloths and the Mitts contain a special mix of silver cleaning ingredients and an anti-tarnish protector. The simple act of buffing the silver applies the cleaners and allows them to remove dust, fingerprints and tarnish while – at the same time – leaving a smooth, glowing and tarnish-protected surface. Regular buffing helps build a unique silver “patina”.
How long with they last for?
Both will eventually turn black as the special cleaners remove dust and tarnish, but this will take a long time and both the Cloths and the Mitts can be used until they are completely black. Both products can be safely disposed of in the dustbin, once they’ve reached the end of their useful lives.
Which should I use: the Cloth or the Mitts?
Once again, both products work equally well, so it's really economics and personal preference. The Cloths are not expensive and the Mitts are very convenient.
Can these products be washed?
I don’t recommend it. By the time they become black, the cleaners will be mostly used up and will, in any case, be washed out with the accumulated dirt. It’s better to throw out the old ones and replace them with a fresh, new Cloth or Mitt.
Will the Town Talk logo scratch my silver?
No. We use a special non-abrasive ink to create it!