OT: use Mr Clean Magic eraser on sterling silver flatware?

[Misty89]

since i cannot find the answer on the P&G website, i thought i would ask here.
do you think a magic eraser would do anything bad to my sterling silver flatware?
i was hoping instead of using polish, i could use the magic eraser.......

any thoughts?
the Silver is about 45 years old ( my Mothers) so i am afriad to damage it in any way.


thank you

Tina

 

[surfergirl602]

I wouldn't. it leaves a residue. Did you know that it can also burn you very badly?

 

[T. Lynn]

I recomment using Bar Keepers Friend. It can be found at Walmart or grocery stores down the aisle with dish soaps. In a goldish color can.

 

[grumpy & dopeys mom]

Instead of polishing silver try this:

Line the bottom of your sink with aluminum foil.
Sprinkle arm and hammer baking soda over the foli.
Fill the sink with hot water
Put the silver in that needs to be polished
Cover it with more foil.
Make sure the water covers evrything
Let it sit.
When you take it out it will be polished. Some tough spots you made need to rub.

Much better than polishing

 

[DVCLiz]

Misty - that shrieking sound you hear is me screaming all the way from North Carolina - DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!

Use a high quality silver polish - I promise you will get the best results and all of the other things either damage the silver or strip all the crevices and make the silver too shiny and fake looking. It is the combination of the tarnish in the little cracks and crevices and the hand-polished surfaces that make real old sterling silver so beautiful. PLEASE don't use a Magic Eraser (I am gasping as I read that!!) or any of those stripping solutions on real silver!!!!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

Instead of polishing silver try this:

Line the bottom of your sink with aluminum foil.
Sprinkle arm and hammer baking soda over the foli.
Fill the sink with hot water
Put the silver in that needs to be polished
Cover it with more foil.
Make sure the water covers evrything
Let it sit.
When you take it out it will be polished. Some tough spots you made need to rub.

Much better than polishing

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

 

[dis-happy]

Misty - that shrieking sound you hear is me screaming all the way from North Carolina - DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!

Use a high quality silver polish - I promise you will get the best results and all of the other things either damage the silver or strip all the crevices and make the silver too shiny and fake looking. It is the combination of the tarnish in the little cracks and crevices and the hand-polished surfaces that make real old sterling silver so beautiful. PLEASE don't use a Magic Eraser (I am gasping as I read that!!) or any of those stripping solutions on real silver!!!!!!

I too am shrieking from NC (soon to be SC in a few hours). Go buy some Hagerty's Silver Polish, it's one of the best. It puts silver back on, rather than stripping the silver off. There's a spray formula that's easy to use.

 

[Misty89]

Ok Ty

i was hoping to avoid the polish, but i guess i will use it.
i definatley do not want to damage the silver in any way.........
you do not have to shriek anymore
Tina

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

I use those disposable cloths that are pre-loaded with silver polish. They are absolutely wonderful!!!!!! They're fast, they work great, and there's no mess. LOVE them.

 

[Alesia]

I use those disposable cloths that are pre-loaded with silver polish. They are absolutely wonderful!!!!!! They're fast, they work great, and there's no mess. LOVE them.

Those are really great!

 

[Topper]

It puts silver back on, rather than stripping the silver off.

Sorry, this is untrue.

 

[Inigo]

Instead of polishing silver try this:

Line the bottom of your sink with aluminum foil.
Sprinkle arm and hammer baking soda over the foli.
Fill the sink with hot water
Put the silver in that needs to be polished
Cover it with more foil.
Make sure the water covers evrything
Let it sit.
When you take it out it will be polished. Some tough spots you made need to rub.

Much better than polishing

This is how I cleaned my set of sterling, and it was recommended by a silversmith. The only difference is I lined a ceramic baking dish with aluminum foil. I then heated the water and baking soda on the stove, and poured over the silver. As the water cooled, I poured it back into the pot and heated it again, then poured back over the silver.

It worked like a charm, and now I have 6 place settings of sterling that look like family heirlooms. (I found them at a yard sale for $1 per utensil! They looked horrid until I did the hot water/baking soda thing. And yes, all 6 place settings are of the same pattern.)

 

[DVCLiz]

This is how I cleaned my set of sterling, and it was recommended by a silversmith. The only difference is I lined a ceramic baking dish with aluminum foil. I then heated the water and baking soda on the stove, and poured over the silver. As the water cooled, I poured it back into the pot and heated it again, then poured back over the silver.

It worked like a charm, and now I have 6 place settings of sterling that look like family heirlooms. (I found them at a yard sale for $1 per utensil! They looked horrid until I did the hot water/baking soda thing. And yes, all 6 place settings are of the same pattern.)

Yes, there's no question that this method does work. The issue is that it works too well - it takes the tarnish off everywhere. So all the little cracks and crevices in the design are stripped clean, too. And most people who collect old silver and love it will say that it is the combination of hand polishing and the darkened cracks and crevices that give old silver something called "patina". A newer stripped clean piece just doesn't have the same appeal.

Because I love old silver and collect it occasionally, I would never put my sterling through this process. If all you want is a clean fork, though, it's fine. But in that case why bother with sterling silver at all??

Also, silver polish doesn't put silver back on a piece. Bu the amount of silver you remove with a cleaning is microscopic, unless you are really going to town. A normal piece of silver should stand up to many cleanings with a good silver polish and a clean cloth. A silverplate piece, on the other hand, can easily be polished too much, as I have found from personal experience!!! That is when you send it to Replacements to be re-silvered!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes, there's no question that this method does work. The issue is that it works too well - it takes the tarnish off everywhere. So all the little cracks and crevices in the design are stripped clean, too. And most people who collect old silver and love it will say that it is the combination of hand polishing and the darkened cracks and crevices that give old silver something called "patina". A newer stripped clean piece just doesn't have the same appeal.

Because I love old silver and collect it occasionally, I would never put my sterling through this process. If all you want is a clean fork, though, it's fine. But in that case why bother with sterling silver at all??


....That is when you send it to Replacements to be re-silvered!!!

Second paragraph: I "bother" with it b/c it was my mom's and I don't have the heart to sell it. And replacements offers a percentage that makes me want to cry while selling it for SO much more, so I hang onto it even though I actually have NEVER enjoyed eating off of silver.

First paragraph: not everyone is a silver collector, sometimes you just end up with it.

Third paragraph: you work there, I'm guessing? Had a feeling when I saw you're in NC. If so, wanna give me a better deal on my mom's discontinued Lenox?



But for the record, omg NO on the Magic Eraser. That stuff is nasty! (though when DS was in his crayon-on-wall phase I used it, then later found out that our landlady just paints after EVERY tenant, so I didn't need to worry at all!)



Where would I find these cloths loaded with polish? That sounds much nicer than dealing with the gunky bottle or doing a chemistry experiment in my kitchen.

 

[DVCLiz]

Second paragraph: I "bother" with it b/c it was my mom's and I don't have the heart to sell it. And replacements offers a percentage that makes me want to cry while selling it for SO much more, so I hang onto it even though I actually have NEVER enjoyed eating off of silver.

First paragraph: not everyone is a silver collector, sometimes you just end up with it.

Third paragraph: you work there, I'm guessing? Had a feeling when I saw you're in NC. If so, wanna give me a better deal on my mom's discontinued Lenox?



But for the record, omg NO on the Magic Eraser. That stuff is nasty! (though when DS was in his crayon-on-wall phase I used it, then later found out that our landlady just paints after EVERY tenant, so I didn't need to worry at all!)



Where would I find these cloths loaded with polish? That sounds much nicer than dealing with the gunky bottle or doing a chemistry experiment in my kitchen.

Yes, I know not everyone is a silver collector. In fact, I "ended up" with most of mine, too. And I know that people "bother" for a variety of reasons. Both of my comments were simply directed at the general population of silver polishers out there. There is a "best practice" way to take care of sterling silver, and it's not any of the methods that involve a chemical reaction or the use of the Magic Eraser.

If you want to put it in your dishwasher, go right ahead. Me, I'll continue to polish by hand because that's the best way to take care of it.

And, no, I don't work at Replacements!!! It is a nearby drive, though, so I shop there quite often. I would NEVER sell them anything unless my primary purpose was to get rid of it. They buy for pennies and sell for many, many dollars!!! That's why they are so profitable. You can almost always do better selling it privately or on Ebay.

The silver cloths are pretty easy to find, I think. Google and see what you come up with. They may even sell them at Replacements.

 

[DisDreaminMom]

OK, guys. My mother is a nationally known silver expert and I have had more than my fair share of cleaning silver for national exhibits of super expensive silver, and our own personal silver.

1). DO NOT use anything other than Hagerty's Silver foam. This is readily available at most nice groceries. It looks like a smelly jar of mud. It's not expensive. It's pretty easy to use. Hint, if it's really tarnished silver, dampen a rag, dip it in the silver polish and gob it onto the piece and let it sit in the sink (line the sink with a cloth first) for a few minutes while you wipe down the rest of the silver. You can do a whole set of silver in about an hour or less, depending on how fast you work. Wipe, rinse and dry with a nice soft cloth. (In a pinch, the treated silver cloth works well, but it dries out after a while and the Hagerty's is faster for me to use- but this is a good option if you already have it around- my mom uses it sometimes when she doesn't want to spend a lot of time cleaning).

2) If you just don't care what the silver looks like and it's not expensive or a family heirloom, then you can put it in the dishwasher- just NOT NEXT to any stainless steel items. Use your silver for every day eating. What's the point in having it if it sits around? My family has been using sterling silver (just odds and ends or pieces that we find at antique stores that are cool) for years. Using it every day keeps it cleaner than hauling it out of a drawer twice a year and cleaning it! (Just don't use your silver to eat eggs with- that will tarnish it!)

3) Anything else will pull the finish right off and if it's silver plate (most people have this) then you are ruining your silver and taking it right off, making it totally worthless.

4) There are "home brews" you can use, but they involve calcium carbonate and solvents and are what the museums use. The other "recipe" is just junk science and is bad for your silver in the long run. It's like that liquid Tarnex stuff- it might be great today, but you might think differently in forty years.

There is just nothing prettier than a table set with silver.

 

[DVCLiz]

OK, guys. My mother is a nationally known silver expert and I have had more than my fair share of cleaning silver for national exhibits of super expensive silver, and our own personal silver.

1). DO NOT use anything other than Hagerty's Silver foam. This is readily available at most nice groceries. It looks like a smelly jar of mud. It's not expensive. It's pretty easy to use. Hint, if it's really tarnished silver, dampen a rag, dip it in the silver polish and gob it onto the piece and let it sit in the sink (line the sink with a cloth first) for a few minutes while you wipe down the rest of the silver. You can do a whole set of silver in about an hour or less, depending on how fast you work. Wipe, rinse and dry with a nice soft cloth. (In a pinch, the treated silver cloth works well, but it dries out after a while and the Hagerty's is faster for me to use- but this is a good option if you already have it around- my mom uses it sometimes when she doesn't want to spend a lot of time cleaning).

2) If you just don't care what the silver looks like and it's not expensive or a family heirloom, then you can put it in the dishwasher- just NOT NEXT to any stainless steel items. Use your silver for every day eating. What's the point in having it if it sits around? My family has been using sterling silver (just odds and ends or pieces that we find at antique stores that are cool) for years. Using it every day keeps it cleaner than hauling it out of a drawer twice a year and cleaning it! (Just don't use your silver to eat eggs with- that will tarnish it!)

3) Anything else will pull the finish right off and if it's silver plate (most people have this) then you are ruining your silver and taking it right off, making it totally worthless.

4) There are "home brews" you can use, but they involve calcium carbonate and solvents and are what the museums use. The other "recipe" is just junk science and is bad for your silver in the long run. It's like that liquid Tarnex stuff- it might be great today, but you might think differently in forty years.

There is just nothing prettier than a table set with silver.

I can't wait to get my silver out for Thanksgiving!! I polished my silver tea service last month (silverplate - a gift fom my mother many Christmases ago) and I will use my great-aunt's sterling for dinner. We use sterling goblets for ice water, and I have a gorgeous sterling bowl that will hold my centerpiece. I just love silver!!!

 

[mookie]

Man...wish I would have seen this thread 3 days ago when I spent almost 3 1/2 hours polishing my dh's grandma's silver!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We have a huge set of sterling from MIL but we never use it. The pattern is extremely ornate. I guess I should polish it and use it once in awhile, huh?

 

[mlynn]

since i cannot find the answer on the P&G website, i thought i would ask here.
do you think a magic eraser would do anything bad to my sterling silver flatware?
i was hoping instead of using polish, i could use the magic eraser.......

any thoughts?
the Silver is about 45 years old ( my Mothers) so i am afriad to damage it in any way.


thank you

Tina

I got this from googling.

lay a piece of alum. Foil in your sink and (can't remember just how much)some baking soda and salt with hot water. It cleaned up mine pretty good.