How to Care for a Spoon Collection

Hand-wash quickly after each use; use only a mild detergent and dry completely with a soft cloth. Do not place your cherished spoon collection in the dishwasher. This will cause very harsh deterioration of your spoon pieces. Lengthy soaking in detergent or soap will eventually cause corrosion. Very fragile or extremely rare pieces should not be used; display them only.

Polish by hand. This is always the best method to clean and care for your spoon collection pieces to prevent tarnish. Use a non-abrasive silver cleanser and a soft polishing cloth to rub each piece gently. Polish or rub your spoon piece in the same direction, not in circles, as this will add a worn look to your piece. Wear cotton gloves while polishing silver and silver plated pieces, so as not to add the oils from your fingertips.

Find a silversmith if there is visible damage such as dents or cuts in the silver. Obtain an estimate prior to leaving the piece for repair, as the cost will vary depending on the age and condition of the piece being repaired.

Don't foods such as eggs, tomatoes and salt (they have a sulphur or acid base); your spoon pieces may turn a dark tarnished color or develop black spots. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and gently rubbing should remove the spots and dark tarnish. There are various other commercial products on the market to help with this problem. Check with your silversmith for a recommendation on a product to use on your pieces.

Rotate the use of your spoons if they are pieces that you use for serving. If they are of the same pattern, use all spoon pieces equally so that all will have the same amount of visible wear.

Check your spoon pieces for monograms. Extra care should be taken when polishing or cleaning pieces with monograms, as damage to the monogram can affect the value of your collectible spoon pieces.

Store your spoon collection in a clean dry area. Check your silver storage boxes or display cases to make sure that there is no exposure to extreme heat or any humidity as this will cause damage to your collectible spoons.