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Sophie’s Cleaning Tips
How to Clean Silver Plated Items Safely
Silver plated items are things that are made from another metal, such as steel, but have been coated with silver. It is fairly common to find silver plated cutlery sets, and also things like bowls and drinking flasks or tankards. They have the same great look as silver gives, and can be a really elegant addition to your dinner table, but are slightly more resilient and less expensive to buy. Just like solid sterling silver, however, silver plated items do need a little more care and attention when it comes to cleaning than your run of the mill stainless steel pieces.
The first thing to consider when it comes to cleaning silver plated items is that the layer of silver is very thin. This means you do not want to use anything caustic or abrasive. Avoid using acidic cleaning products, such as those with a citrus base, which can harm the silver. Also, make sure you avoid scrubbing the silver plated pieces hard with rough surfaces, like the ‘green side’ of a washing up sponge, or a scouring pad. Use only soft, gentle things like sponges and cloths, and gentle detergents.
If you decide to put your silver plated pieces into the dishwasher, make sure you rinse off any food particles first, so that there is nothing that will be rubbing against the plating too hard as the wash cycle runs its course. Again, choose only gentle dishwashing detergents to use while you are doing this. It is also important to make sure that the silver pieces are not touching other metals inside the machine. This can cause reactions that will leave the delicate silver plating with unattractive spots on it.
By washing it carefully, you can make great use of silver plated dining ware without needing to have the items professionally refinished.
