Silverware

My favorite auntie gave my mother, and later me, a lot of silver place settings and serving pieces years ago. I just uncovered them today, and the tarnish ranges from bad to horrendous.
I don’t know if it’s silver or plated, likely some of each, and I’m looking to find a way to clean and polish them without spending days or maybe even weeks on end to do it by hand. I have tarnish preventing bags and sheets, but they have to get into shape first. I’m most concerned with the tarnish.
Since dishwasher detergents are now made with enzymes rather than bleach, could that be part of the process? I know about the aluminum foil-baking soda- boiling water trick, but that’s a big messy thing too. Would the utensils be safe to do that with if they were just plated rather than solid silver?
I know that silver jewelry will have “925” stamped into it, but don’t know much at all about flatware, so hints/help/fixes are welcome. Meanwhile I’ll dig out a loupe and try to find identification on them.

Oooh, if I were your neighbor I’d come polish it all by hand, happily. I know I’m weird but to me, there is very little on this earth that provides more satisfying effort to result ratio!!

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It’s actually simple and not messy, just stick a pan in the sink.

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I take no pleasure from it, but my mom made us polish the silver, copper, and brass when we were kids, and it was part of helping my aunt prep for the various winter holidays many years later, so it’s just something that you just do while doing something else (watch tv, listen to music, chat with someone on the phone) :joy:

That smell of silver polish though…

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git up to “aware”

two common method to “polish” silver - plated or sterling . . .

(1) rouge/paste type compounds - uses a rag / sponge to de-tarnish those surfaces exposed to ‘the stuff’
(2) chemical dip / liquids. these ‘de-tarnish’ everything

the rouge/paste type compounds leave the tarnish aka ‘it’s old!’ stuff in the fine details.
the chemical compound cleaners remove all the tarnish from all the detail and leave stuff “like new”

so, one has to decide - do you want it to become ‘like new’ aka prestine . . .
or ‘aged’ with the patina left in the cracks/crevices. . .

both are valid, it’s a matter of choice.

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The chemical dip stuff makes me sad - as you say, it removes everything, including contours. But to each his or her own…

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C’mon over!!! :grin:

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Polishing and buffing wheels

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I’m not going to go that route, it’s too destructive, but thanks for bringing it up

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You know, I have more than one buffing wheel for polishing, and I have yellow and red rouge, plus I just got a stick of Fabulustre for my jewelry work. What a pinhead I am… thank you for opening my eyes :nerd_face: !
But I still wonder if I can run them through the dishwasher first, they have a lot of residue on them. I have a fabulous new Bosch with water softening and rinse aid dispenser ports built in

No, no, … well, maybe.

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Pink Jewelers’ rouge on a loose muslin buff is actually pretty gentle at lower speeds.

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