Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing 1989-2024
-----
Nambé stains, ruined by dishwasher. Help!
Q. Household pieces such as Nambé
Googled disherwasher and silver ... found you.
Husband put Nambé in dishwasher ... dulled. No luck with polish.
'Experts' say "lost cause", however the entries on this site seem to imply otherwise. Any advice?
Layperson/Consumer - Western Springs, Illinois, USA
2005
A. Nambé (pronounced nom-BAY, after a tiny village near Santa Fe, NM) is an eight metal alloy that doesn't contain silver or lead or pewter, and reportedly was invented at Los Alamos Laboratories in the early 1940s. The alloy is as shiny as sterling silver and is hefty in weight [maybe an improved Nickel silver?]
For dulled pieces: sparingly apply Nambé Polish on a soft cloth, then gently rub with a circular motion until the polish turns black and grainy. Buff with a soft cloth to remove the polish, then hand wash the item.
If still dull, apply polish using #0000 steel wool
⇦ this on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] .
If unsuccessful, expert repolishing (removes metal, can only be done twice) is required. Contact Nambé Customer Service (for repolishing) www.nambe.com
Hand-wash your Nambé metal with mild soap, a soft sponge and water. Dry immediately with a soft clean cloth. Never put in the dishwasher. Never leave Nambé in standing water; severe discoloration may occur. Never place Nambé in a microwave oven.
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
A. I bought Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] on Amazon and it brought my dishwasher-ruined Nambé back to life, with a reasonable (not crazy) amount of rubbing. Awesome.
Jackie Sieling- Austin, Texas USA
October 16, 2018
Q. Nambé metal bowl has dark stain. How can I remove the stain?
Amy Plymathobbyist - Johnston, Iowa, USA
November 13, 2008
A. Hi, Amy. There is a special nambé polish
⇦ this on
eBay
or
Amazon affil link]
. Apply it with a soft cloth. If that doesn't work, apply it with grade 000
⇦ this on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links]
or 0000 steel wool
⇦ this on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] ). Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Nambé damaged by dishwasher. I was heartsick when someone put my Nambé salad servers in the dishwasher. They came out full and damaged. I finally got around to researching what to do and thanks to this posting (by Jackie) I got some Mothers Aluminum Mag Cleaner
⇦ this on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] . It worked like a charm and my servers look just like new. The attached photo shows the difference, but the spoon looks even better less the light reflections. Thank you!
- Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
June 6, 2020
Nambé on eBay or Amazon (affil link)]
A. I second Mothers Polish as well. I put my Nambé in the dishwasher and it was completely dull. After Mothers ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , it looks better then the second piece that has never seen the dishwasher.
Leroy Kelley- Germantown Maryland
Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread