P is Also for Polishing

The majority of Jewish homes have within them at least a few items made from silver--lachter, bechers, Chanukah menorahs among those. Along with the beauty of the items comes another dreaded P word--polishing. Following are some ideas about cleaning and storing those silver items. Storing: Silver exposed to outside air tarnishes faster than silver in an air-tight cabinet (and if the air is humid it will increase the rate of tarnishing--one reason why silver seems to tarnish quicker in New York's steamy summers.). It's one reason why lachters that may sit on display in the open air tarnish much faster than pieces displayed in a closed cabinet. In addition, articles that are used with candles--lachters and menorahs--get added tarnish coatings from the particles from the flames that waft up and then settle back down on the silver. Obviously then one solution is to keep all silver inside of an air-tight cabinet. This does not mean that the silver will never get tarnished but it will extend the period between needed cleanings. In addition, there are anti-tarnish strips which can be placed inside these cabinets, adding extra protection against tarnishing. I use those strips with my own silver and they work as promised--they extend the time between cleanings by reducing tarnish buildup. If your lachter won't fit inside a cabinet you still have an option for closed storage. Any of the furniture or decorator places that make plastic seat covers for dining room chairs can also make up for you a zippered large rectangular "box" of that heavy plastic material in which you can place the lachter during the week. Not a "pretty" wrapping but a very effective one. A tip given to me long ago by someone who owned a silver store is to make absolutely sure that any silver that is being placed back in the cabinet is 100% dry. When you wash those bechers and lachters after Shabbos take the time to dry them thoroughly. Wet or damp silver attracts tarnish at a faster rate than dry silver does, in addition to having water spots. Should you happen to see that one of the pieces in your cabinet is obviously starting to tarnish, take it out and polish it. Once one piece has that obvious tarnish it will be a "good neighbor" and start spreading that tarnish throughout the cabinet. Now, about those products used to clean silver. There are any number of these products on the market--creams, pastes, dips, sprays, gloves etc.--but they don't all work in the same way. Silver experts recommend using only a cream or paste cleaner. Jeffrey Herman, a silver restoration and conservation specialist, has an excellent article as to why those silver dips should NOT be used. They are not only not good for the silver but they have some truly horrific possible health affects as well. See the article at http://www.antiquetrader.com/article/60-second_silver_silver_dips_are_dangerous/ There are other experts that put those misty spray cleaners into the same category as the dips--unsafe for humans. Note, however, that some of those pastes and creams also contain ingredients that can be bad for you. Most recommend that you use rubber gloves when using the product. Ironic really, since rubber and latex can promote tarnish. Nonetheless, better to use the gloves than not to. Also note that the Environmental Protection Agency lists silver cleaner, dips in particular, as Hazardous Household Waste and discourages throwing it out with the regular trash. Yes, silver is a part of our lives and yes, it is going to need to be cleaned. A bit of care in storage and handling will extend the time between cleanings. And some common sense when choosing cleaning products will make that cleaning process safer for humans and the environment. For where to get anti-tarnish strips see: http://www.silverguard.com/c-9-3m-anti-tarnish-strips.aspx http://www.silverguard.com/p-14-3m-anti-tarnish-strips.aspx