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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Epns cleaning

 

I would like to know the best way to clean epns silverware as mine is black and most silver cleaners tend to make it worse. Any suggestions?

Mavis Northmore
- UK

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Mavis,

You can buy (I forget the name) a silver cleaning kit consisting of a piece of aluminum with 'instructions'.

You could get some flat pieces of aluminum (I'm pretty sure it is aluminum), put them in a bowl with the metal epns (knifes & forks, perchance?) touching them. Then get some hot water and add some dollops of sodium bicarbonate (i.e., good old baking soda [in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] ). Leave to 'stew' for a day or so. An electrolytic action will occur and the black, or some of it, will/should disappear.

It does work ... for fine tuning you might have to use some silver polish. Works on pure silver, too!

Cheers!

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).