Caring For Silver Plated Cutlery

!±8± Caring For Silver Plated Cutlery

Now that you have your beautiful set of silver plated cutlery, you need to look after it properly if it is going to last and good quality silver plate has a guarantee of at least 20 years, so you do need to make an effort to care for it properly. The first thing you must be aware of is that it is not dishwasher safe and you should wash it carefully by hand in hand hot soapy water. It should then be dried and buffed before being carefully stored in a proper cutlery cabinet which has a slot for each individual piece.

Tarnishing is caused mainly by exposure to sulphur compounds which are found in the air and other causes include fossil fuels, latex gloves and certain foods such as eggs. Be aware that oils, salt and acidic foods can cause corrosion so be careful when you are washing your cutlery to remove all residues and rinse well. You should ideally, wash your cutlery as soon as possible after use to prevent food sticking to it. If you do find that food has stuck, do not scrub at your cutlery or use abrasive pads or substances to try and clean it as you will only damage or scratch it. Use a plastic brush and a plastic washing up basin to wash the cutlery in as using anything metal will cause scratches or other damage. Do not use a lemon scented washing up liquid as it will inevitably have lemon juice in it and as lemon juice is an acid it can corrode over time. The blades of your knives are probably going to be made from stainless steel, so these can stand a little more scrubbing if food sticks.

You should not need to polish your silver plated cutlery very often, but if you wish to give it a bit of a treat just before use, hold it over steaming hot water and then dry well before buffing with a soft dry cloth. It will shine with a beautiful lustre. If you find that you do need to use a silver polish, use a proper high quality silver cream or liquid polish and try to choose a polish which is recommended for silver plate. Carefully apply the polish and then polish it off with a clean cloth before buffing with another clean dry cloth. Do not use the polish on the 'eating' parts of the cutlery as these polishes can be poisonous and also leave an unpleasant taste.

Your silver plated cutlery should be properly stored and hopefully it came with a proper storage box. If it did not, then you can buy one which will store your cutlery properly. There should be individual slots for each piece and each piece should be placed in its proper slot. This will prevent scratching and other damage whilst not in use. Store your cutlery in a cool dry place where it can remain until you are ready to use it again. With proper care and attention, your silver plated cutlery will last you for many years to come.