posted 01-21-2005 12:47 PM            

quote:

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What did you use to clean the minerva head?
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What is the best way to clean hallmarks?

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I am not sure what the brown deposit was in the Minerva mark. I used Twinkle silver polish, with the included sponge to remove it. It was probably more the sponge than the brand of polish that was responsible for getting the lowest areas cleaned. Natural sponge should never be used, as some types contain minute hard spicules that could be too abrasive; synthetic foam sponges, such as those provided with polishes, are safer, and may prevent the abrasive particles from digging into the silver.

I also sometimes use Wright's Silver Polish or Wright's Silver Cream. For some reason when one does not work, another will. Polishes all contain fine abrasives, and should be used cautiously - creams tend to be gentler.

The kinds of gunk that can accumulate in the marks can vary in solubility - sometimes solvents like alcohol or acetone are needed; I have even had to resort to wooden toothpicks to chip out the most stubborn insoluble caked deposits. Never use pins, needles, or other metal tools.

When I get new silver that is particularly dirty, I first immerse it in hot water with liquid lemon dish soap (Sunlight, for example), and let it soak for several minutes, swishing the water occasionally to keep it mixed; it is surprising how much of what looks like tarnish disappears without any abrasive rubbing - only finger rubbing, and sometimes little of that, is required on on smooth surfaces. Why the lemon? - it may contain a little citric acid, and is more effective than ordinary soap. After that, usually little polishing is required. Subsequent to the initial cleaning, plain soap and water may be all that will be required, and polishes can be avoided.