Consulting the Silver Expert

A New Addition to Your Silver-care Arsenal

The Intercept’s Portable Filtration Unit is a small battery-operated device that uses a non-woven copper filter that absorbs and neutralizes atmospheric pollution (including ozone, nitrous groups, sulfur compounds, chlorine compounds, gaseous acetic acid, and more) in silver cabinets.

The passive cleaning and active air filtration within those cabinets leaves a pristine environment with silver free of tarnish.

If the silver exists in a humid environment, use silica gel to absorb the moisture.

The filter does not outgas, so nothing will coat the items. Cabinets need not be 100% sealed for the unit to function properly.

It will filter one full air exchange per hour per cubic meter of display continuously for 90 days (more or less depending on how polluted the interior environment is) before the fully saturated copper filter must be changed (when the filter turns grey).

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either contact him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or via email: jeff @ hermansilver.com

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Consulting the Silver Expert

Cleaning and Polishing Silver, Part 2 of 2  

Gently wash and dry your silver immediately after use. While washing, do not allow silver to come into contact with a metal sink, as it can scratch the silver. Instead, use a plastic dishpan or line the sink with a towel. Use a non-lemon-scented phosphate-free detergent and, to avoid water spots, towel-dry using a soft cotton dishtowel or Selvyt cloth. Silver that is used frequently and washed in this manner will require infrequent tarnish removal.

Always remove dried polish and grime from crevices and ornaments on previously polished pieces before repolishing. Run warm (not hot) water over the dried polish and use a tampico (made from fibers of the agave plant), horsehair, or natural white boar bristle brush (found in most hardware stores) and lightly “tap” out the polish. Shorten the bristles if you need added stiffness. This will lift the polish away from the object with no or minimal abrasion. Never use a dry brush when removing dry polish as it will create scratches. If there are porous elements on your piece (wood, ivory, mother of pearl, etc.), wet a Q-tip and apply the water to the polish. Allow the polish to soften then lift it out by tapping with a wet brush. A wet toothpick will allow access to the smallest areas.

Notice the difference in this grimy handle (top) after using Better Life Natural Glass Cleaner and a light wiping with a horsehair brush, showing that cleaning first to remove grime is preferable to polishing—It would have taken more time using silver polish, especially in the low-lying areas.

Check out this video for some basic polishing instructions using hand sanitizer and Blitz Silver Shine Polish.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either contact him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or via email: jeff @ hermansilver.com

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Consulting the Silver Expert

Cleaning and Polishing Silver, Part 1 of 2  

When properly maintained, silver will yield generations of enjoyment. The following cleaning instructions have been tried and proven in my silver restoration & conservation studio. They are suited for gold as well as silver. Silver-plated and gold-plated items should be treated very gingerly, as cleaning them too vigorous can remove the plating and expose the base metal.

As what we are cleaning is tarnish, let’s examine what causes these metals to tarnish: Contact with sulfur compounds, mainly hydrogen sulfide, in the air.

Other common culprits are:

• Foods (partial list): Eggs, onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, garlic, poultry, fish, cabbage, bananas, coffee, chocolate, nuts
• Water: Sulfur-rich well water, seawater, hot tubs, swimming pools
• Fossil Fuels: Natural gas, coal, oil
• Rubber: Bands, latex gloves, carpet padding, bicycle tires
• Paint: Check with the manufacturer
• Light: The sun, light bulbs that off-gas
• Smoke: Tobacco, exhaust, fireplaces, candles
• Fabrics and Leather: Most are treated and tanned with sulfur-bearing compounds
• Cosmetics: Lotions, perfumes

Tarnish formation is accelerated in a humid environment. Also, oily salts from fingers can cause corrosion patterns that may have to be removed professionally.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either contact him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or via email: jeff @ hermansilver.com

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Consulting the Silver Expert

Basic Silver-Care Advice, Part 2 of 2

11. To remove tarnish in tight spaces, use a Q-tip or wrap a wooden popsicle stick or skewer with a cotton make-up pad or cotton ball;

12. Cleaning silver in a dishwasher is not advised, as the heat and harsh detergents will eventually whiten the silver, causing it to require professional refinishing. In addition, dishwashers can cause blades to explode out of hollow-handled knives;

13. Silver flatware used on a daily basis will require little or no polishing. Handwash with a non-lemon-scented phosphate-free detergent and dry them immediately to avoid spotting;

14. When storing flatware, rotate the pieces so they will all be used and thus wear uniformly;

15. Salt is extremely corrosive to silver: Always empty vessels and wash them when not used on a regular basis;

16. When cleaning or inserting a candle into a candelabrum, support the arms from underneath to avoid distortion or possible breakage;

17. Do not cut food on a solid silver or silver-plated tray. Cutting lines (and possibly linear dents) will decrease the object’s value. Additionally, on a plated piece, it is easy to cut through the plating, exposing the base metal. Instead, cut the meat on a cutting board and place it on the tray;

18. If objects contain wood, ivory, mother of pearl, etc., apply two coats of Renaissance wax on those surfaces. Let each coat set for 15 minutes, then buff with a paper towel. This archival-quality microcrystalline wax will seal these components and help prevent them from rotting and drying out;

19. Hold a piece of white paper up to a piece being polished, as the reflection will reveal if there is additional tarnish that needs to be removed. Just be sure not to mistake fire stain for tarnish. Fire stain is a dark, purplish, blotchy area on solid silver that can be found on many pre-colonial through early twentieth century pieces crafted by small silversmith shops. It is not tarnish, so attempting to remove it will damage the piece. The stain is usually obscured with a very thin layer of fine silver and may not show up until after many years of polishing.

20. Silver is best stored in treated flannel bags that draw away sulfur. Alternatively, wrap silver in acid-free tissue or paper then place in a Ziploc or other polyethylene bag containing an anti-tarnish strip. Keep the silver in a dry, well-ventilated, safe area and use silica gel to absorb dampness that contributes to the acceleration of tarnish. Cutlery should be wrapped individually and placed side by side, rather than piled together;

21. IMPORTANT! When removing tarnish, always invest more time using a gentle silver polish rather than seeking to achieve a faster result with a more abrasive silver polish. I am able to remove 99% of the tarnish from the silver I work on using the gentle Blitz Silver Shine Polish.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either contact him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or via email jeff @ hermansilver.com

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.