If you own luxury tableware, chances are that it’s one of your most prized and valued possessions- and that you only use it on special, rare occasions. That shouldn’t be the case! Use your tableware with pride and as often as you wish- with the tips below, you’ll be able to care for your tableware without damaging it so that it will stay in your family for years to come.
Sterling silver is dishwasher safe and can be polished with silver polish and a silver nitrate treated cloth’ however, it reacts to sulfur and shouldn’t be stored near rubber and wool. Gold vermeil should be hand washed with mild soap, but not polished; instead, dust it regularly with a dry cloth. Also, gold is easily scratched, so store it safely in a soft-lined flatware case so that it stays undamaged. Gold plated flatware also requires hand washing and careful storage, and it can be polished with a general metal polish and a gold polishing cloth.
Silver plated flatwares are dishwasher safe, but only use a small amount of detergent that’s free of citric acid. Polish it with silver polish and a silver nitrate treated cloth, and be especially careful not to wash silver plate next to stainless steel in the dishwasher, as the metals will react and the silver will become discolored.
Stainless steel flatware is also dishwasher safe, but if you do hand wash it, be careful not to use hard-bristled brushes or scouring pads, which can wear away the chromium oxide film. Stainless steel polish will restore the shine to your flatware.
White porcelain and decal or underglaze porcelain are fairly low maintenance tableware sets. Both are dishwasher and microwave safe and don’t require any polishing. Hand painted porcelain and metallic porcelain, however, can’t be put in the dishwasher or the microwave. While hand painted and gold-coated porcelain don’t need polishing, silver-coated porcelain can be polished using silver polish and a silver nitrate treated cloth.
Glassware is dishwasher safe, unless it’s blown glass, which is typically too delicate for the dishwasher. Dry glassware on the lowest setting to keep spots from forming. Unless you have a crystal setting on your dishwasher, handwash crystal with mild soap. For both glassware and crystal, glass polish will remove the film that forms with regular washing.
Your elegant tableware shouldn’t be kept hidden in a dark and dusty cabinet. Instead, with these tips for proper care, use it frequently and enjoy the tableware to its fullest.
