Recently, I’ve had a few people ask what the best way to revive tarnished cutlery.
After checking several books to no avail, I asked my Mum what she used to do to keep her stainless items clean and shiny and how to remove the tarnish if it occurs. Here are her top tips.
First of all when hand washing stainless cutlery make sure you dry it right away, when left to dry naturally the water and detergent can leave spots.
If you do have spots or streaks try putting some hemp seed oil onto a dampened cloth and rubbing gently to remove them, then rinse in warm water and dry immediately.
Don’t leave to dry naturally as water and detergent can leave spots all over your freshly washed cutlery. It’s best to dry right away.
To clean tarnished cutlery mix nine parts hot water to one part double strength white vinegar, add cutlery and soak for around ten minutes. This should be long enough to remove the tarnish if it’s not too bad. Take out of the water rinse and dry immediately. For bad tarnish rub with neat double strength white vinegar, then rinse again and dry.
Another method (not quite as effective in my opinion) is to fill a tray or bowl with warm water and add a tablespoon of baking soda. Put cutlery in and again soak for around ten minutes. Rinse under warm water and dry straight away.
For best results when washing cutlery don’t leave it for too long after use, the longer you leave food on it, the harder it becomes to clean. And remember salt and acid in your food can also cause damage to stainless steel.
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