Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-03-01
HOW TO CARE FOR SILVER.
Too Much Securing viii Wear Out
Plate and Means Needless Work.

Plate and Means Needless Work.
While all homemakers take genuine
pride in the handsome appearance OF
their table silver, many find the care
Of it burien and give themselves an
unnecessary amount of labor over it.
The weekly cleaning. which is bug
bear to many housewives. is not only
needless. but real harm. since con-
slant securing will soon wear off sill
yer plate and has an appreciate eff
feet even upon solid silver. To avoid
this it is hoped that the following
hints may prove helpful to some house
keepers:
Silver in daily use should be washed
as soon as possible after leaving the
table. following Immediately after the
glasses in the process of dishwashing.
After preliminary rinsing to remove
loose food lay aside any stained pieces
for future care and immerse the rest
in pan Of clean, hot. soapy water.
Wash such pieces as need it with
soft cloth and place them all in anoth
er pan of hot water to which a table
spoonful of ammonia and a dash of
soap have been added Wipe the
pieces directly from this water with
out draining them. Plenty of dry. soft
towels are required. Follow this by
rub with chamois skin or soft flannel,
rubbing briSl1ly, but not heavily
enough to bend the handles.
Take the stained pieces next. Egg
stains are removed with wet salt. 9th
ers with whiting mOistened with alec
hol or ammonia. After all stains have
been removed wash and polish pieces
as above. Two coarse. wide mOuthed
pitchers will be found convenience
in washing silver. Soap should never
be rubbed directly on the silver. but 4
strong suds should be made with the
soap shaker. This program may seem
somewhat elaborate at first. but if per-
sisted in it easily becomes habit. ana
the result is much more than worth
the trouble.
For the grand cleaning choose a
clear. dry day. Provide yourself with
a convenient table covered with oil
cloth or papers. Have whiting. sifted
three times. in dish before you. a
| small bottle of alcohol. one of am
mona, a soft brush. flannel and cot
! ton rags, channels skin and plenty Of
tissue paper.
Begin with the small pieces and sep
arate the sets. For the most part d
rub with a cloth dipped first in alcohol
| then in whiting. will be all that is need
| ~. t/In ,1,0
much stained make paste of the
whiting and alcohol and apply thickly
allowing it to dry on. After this clean
ing rub all the articles first with ole
flannel, then with chamOiS. using the
brush to remove the whiting from the
ornamental work. In case there are
obstinate stains which do not yield t.
this treatment a competent authority
advises touching them with oXalit
acid. washing it off Immediately ant
then rubbing again with the whiting
and alcohol. OXalic acid is a poison
and all due precautions must be OBJ
served in it's use. Ii the spot look:
dull after the acid has been used rul
it hard with a flannel rag mOistenet
with sweet oil and dry whiting.
After everything is shining and cleal
all that which is not in daily u.s.
should be put away in canton flame
bags. each containing a small bit o
camphor gum. 1t is an added pro
lection also if each piece is previousl,
we'll wrapped in white tissue paper
Do iS q
ping, as it helps to exclude gas, which
is the greatest household agent, eithe
coal Or illuminating gas. in furnishing
silver.
This thorough cleaning should no
have to be done. oftener than once o
twice a year if the pieces to be pu
away are properly protected and th
daily care outlined above is bestowe
upon all the articles in daily use.