How to (properly) clean a silver teapot…

Silver is, generally speaking, quite a high-maintenance material. Yes, it is a glistening beauty, but roughly every two weeks it requires a good cleaning to keep it from tarnishing due to oxidisation. One of the most common pieces of silver for people to own is the silver teapot. They often have beautiful designs, are very versatile in their aesthetics, and are also quite practical. Whether you’ve inherited a silver teapot or bought one for yourself, you would want to keep it shining and looking as good as new! Here are the best ways to keep on top of it.

Step 1: Preparation is key

First things first, check out your teapot for any hallmarks. If you do have any hallmarks on your silver teapot, you should get some scotch tape and cover them up. This is because you need to protect the hallmarks; any damage or wearing to the hallmarks will undoubtedly negatively affect the value of your teapot, so it’s crucial that you take the necessary measures to protect them when cleaning and maintaining your silverware.

The next step is to attain a couple of soft cloths, you can get clothes specifically for polishing silver if you like, but soft cotton will also do the trick. There are a range of products to help you clean your silver – brands such as Silvo, Town Talk and Goddard’s all produce silver cleaning solutions. If you want to use any of these products, ensure you closely follow the directions on each individual product, and don’t mix two or more products together.

Most solutions require direct application to your silverware. To protect yourself, wear gloves whilst cleaning your silver. If you own a lot of silver, it is worth getting cotton gloves that are specially designed for handling delicate items, to prevent your hands from leaving marks or accidentally damaging your pieces. With protection on your hands, use the cloths to hold the teapot in place and apply your cleaning solution of choice to the silver. Be careful not to apply too much solution at once, particularly if your teapot has any intricate designing or engraving on it, and make sure the solution is only on silver, and not on any wood, horn, or other material that might be used in your teapot. You want to ensure you use minimal solution when there is intricate design present on your teapot to avoid getting any solution into the fine lines created by these designs. Cleaning solution is beneficial to your silver, but if left in places you can’t access to clean it off, it can be corrosive over an extended period of time, and the last thing you want is damage.

Step 2: Cleaning

The cleaning process itself is relatively simple. Once an appropriate amount of cleaning solution is on your silver teapot, hold the teapot with gloved hands, and use the soft cleaning cloths to rub the cleaning solution. Making circular motions, ensure that all of the solution is spread and rubbed into the teapot, leaving no streaks or other unsightly marks. Repeat this process to guarantee that every surface of the teapot has been properly cleaned. If you’re doing a deep clean – something you should aim for roughly once every six months – then get some cotton buds and clean the harder-to-reach parts of your teapot, including difficult areas around the handle, lid, and spout. Be cautious of the hallmarks throughout this process.

Once your teapot has been polished with the cleaning solution, you can buff it using what is sometimes known as the ‘harr’ing method. If you are a glasses-wearer, this will be second nature to you, as the ‘harr’ing method is simply holding the teapot up to your mouth, expelling enough air onto it to fog its surface, and then using your cleaning cloth to rub the fogged area in a circular motion to deal with any small marks or tonal inconsistencies left behind after the initial cleaning process is complete.

How to store your silver

It is important to properly care for and maintain your silver to ensure it has a long life and maintains its value throughout – it may even gain value over time if the conditions are right. Part of this process includes how you store your silver. You should ensure that your silver is not out in the open for days on end. Instead, a glass cabinet is preferred. It is detrimental to the quality of the silver if it does not come into contact with any oxygen, however the process of tarnishing is also caused by oxidisation of the silver. Finding the balance is difficult, but ultimately worth it for quality silver that is a beautiful ornament as well as a practical tool in day-to-day life.