In-Depth Cutlery Polishing Guide Revealed: Restaurant Tips & Tricks
So you have cutlery that needs to be polished? You have come to the right place my friend. There are many ways that cutlery can get dirty, tarnished, or gain water spots and it’s a good skill to know how to properly get them off so your cutlery can look like a million bucks one again!
After reading this article you won’t just know how to polish your cutlery, you will also gain other valuable information on how to prevent them from tarnishing so often and what makes cutlery in that look that requires polishing.
But first, let’s see how to polish cutlery in the right way!
Contents
- How To Polish Cutlery
- How To Polish Glassware
- Why Is My Cutlery Going Black
- How To Clean Cutlery That Has Gone Black
- Why Does Cutlerty Tarnish In The Dishwasher
- Is It Ok To Put Silver Plated Cutlery In The Dishwasher
- Does Toothpaste Polish Silver
- How To Polish Glassware
- What Does Too Much Rinse Aid Do
- Conclusion
How To Polish Cutlery
1.Boil Water
The first step is to get hot water, prepare enough so all your cutlery can get soaked.
2. Fill Soaking Container
In this step, you’ll need to find a container for the hot water and fill it halfway.
3. Find A Polishing Cloth
Prepare a clean and dry cloth fit for polishing.
4. Soak Cutlery In The Water
Now soak the cutlery in the hot water but leave the handles dry.
5. Group The Cutlery
Next group the different types of cutlery within the soaking container. Still handles dry.
6. Take Hold Of The Cutlery
At this point, take one piece of cutlery from the handle and soak it in the water.
7. Hold The Polishing Cloth
Now while holding the cutlery, take a polishing cloth and take the other end to the left hand and the other end to the right, don’t drop the cutlery.
8. Polish The Cutlery 1
While holding the cutlery handle with the cloth, on the other hand, polish the cutlery by pulling from the handle to the top.
9. Polish The Cutlery 2
Now while holding the end of the cutlery with the cloth, wipe from the top all the way to the start of the handle. Don’t touch the cutlery with your hand at any point, only through the polishing cloth.
10. Place Down The Cutlery
At this point, your cutlery is fully polished without it actually touching your skin at any time, so there shouldn’t be stains. Lastly, place the cutlery into a clean container.
How To Polish Glassware
The method is quite similar to the cutlery polishing steps with little alternations that should be taken into consideration. If you want to learn how to polish glassware we go into the subject step by step in our Glassware Polishing Guide!
Why Is My Cutlery Going Black
If you start to notice black stains on your cutlery, there is a simple reason. This effect is caused by hard water that is usually used in dishwashers. Hard water has much higher mineral levels than soft water which can be harsh on cutlery.
This can also be caused by rouging which is an oxidation process that is rough on stainless steel cutlery. This can be caused by contact with non-stainless steel metals or exposure to high temperatures. Let’s take a look at how to get these black stains off!
How To Clean Cutlery That Has Gone Black
I like the baking soda cleaning method. First, pour a small amount of baking soda into a clean bowl, then pour a small amount of warm water and mix it. Take note that the mixture should form a paste so be really easy on the water! Rub the paste on the cutlery with a cloth, leave it to sit for 5 minutes, and rinse with warm water. The black spot should be gone now.
There is another way with vinegar that is every bit as good, and even easier. Simply pour vinegar into warm water and toss your cutlery in and wait 10 – 15 minutes. After that simply dry the cutlery and the tarnish should have come off!
Why Does Cutlerty Tarnish In The Dishwasher
There are many reasons that can cause tarnishing in the dishwasher. For example, detergent can cause blue tarnish to appear on stainless steel cutlery. This is especially likely if you overload your dishwasher or use too much detergent.
Another reason for this to happen is that if you ate something acidic and salty, didn’t rinse the cutlery and the remaining food bits stayed on the cutlery for hours, maybe days. This can cause brown stains to appear in the cutlery.
A third reason might be the fact that if the cutlery is constantly held in a humid environment, soaked in the water, and never dried will eventually cause rusting on the cutlery. So remember to rinse the cutlery before placing them in the dishwasher, leave the dishwasher door open if not running, and dry the cutlery after the wash is done. In this way, your dinnerware will remain in much better condition, much longer.
Is It Ok To Put Silver Plated Cutlery In The Dishwasher
Yes, it’s completely ok to wash your silver-plated cutlery in the dishwasher. However, don’t place them near stainless steel items, or wash them in different loads if possible. This is because when silver and stainless steel in contact in a hot environment, it can cause discoloration. Don’t use citrus acid detergents either because they can also cause tarnish.
Does Toothpaste Polish Silver
In short, yes you can polish silver with toothpaste. First, you should soak the silver item in water, then rub the toothpaste fully into it and let the toothpaste sit for a couple of minutes. After that rinse the cleaned item carefully with cold water and you should see immediate improvement.
How To Polish Glassware
The method is quite similar to the cutlery polishing steps with little alternations that should be taken into consideration. If you want to learn how to polish glassware we go into the subject step by step in our Glassware Polishing Guide!
What Does Too Much Rinse Aid Do
If you use too much rinse aid, it can potentially start to foam which can lead to overflowing so keep it simple and use the appointed amount because well… the appointed amount is set to the specific one for a reason.
Conclusion
Polishing cutlery is something that I personally enjoy especially if I’m at work because it is relaxing and you get a moment of peace and me time which is quite rare in the restaurant business. So if someone offers you a cutlery polishing task, I advise you not to hesitate and take that peace of moment for yourself!
There are many ways to polish cutlery for that I am sure but the one way that I adore the best is the one I shared with you guys and I hope that you find it helpful and useful as well.