why does my silverware have brown spots on them

amother

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 3:08 pm

I have mysilverwarefor 2 /1/2 years and now they have brown spots on them. Some just have what looks like water stains

I cant even use them anymore when we have guests.

I have a dishwasher so I know they are really clean.

Is it b/c they are not top of the line expensive?

How do I solve this problem? Getting better silverware??

It actually happened to two seperate brands I have.

youngmom

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 3:09 pm

could it be rust? do you dry your dishes right after you wash them or do they sit around for a while before they're dried?

chen

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 3:14 pm

is it stainless or silver? if it's cheap stainless it could be corrosion. dishwasher detergent is very harsh. if it's silver it could be corrosion or tarnish. you're not supposed to wash silver in the machine (and you're supposed to dry it right away, not leave it to air-dry), and many brands of stainless say handwash only.

contrary to poular belief, it is possible for stainless to corrode, especially the inexpensive kind.

amother

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 3:14 pm

they usually sit in the dishwasher overnight.

could that be it?/ really?

youngmom

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 3:29 pm

I'm not 100% but I think that might be it. it's definitely better to dry right away.

cindy324

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 3:51 pm

Yes, I used to let them air dry, then I bought a better set, not super expensive , but a brand name in Macy's , and on the instructions it said to dry right away, don't let it sit around dirty or in acidic sauces like tomato sauce.

So now I wash and dry them with a dishtowel right away, and they're spotless.

youngmom

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 9:21 pm

That's what I do with my shabbos, more expensive set. Every motzei shabbos I wash dishes and my husband dries at the same time. It's actually fun.

mimsy7420

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 9:24 pm

I have the exact same problem! I bought a very expensive set, flatware not silverware, and they had these rust stains on them. I e-mailed them (mikasa) and they told me about these special soaps that would take it off. They said I could send one piece back to them so they can look at it. Anyways I haven't done that yet - but you can try comet or ajax - it worked to take some of the stains off.

mimsy7420

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 9:30 pm

This is one of the e-mails they sent me...Maybe there are some tips you can use. Oh and BTW you can wet a dishcloth with some vinegar and wipe the cutlery after the dishwasher to take off the wet spots. I do it while I'm setting the table - I'll just wipe each piece with the vinegar so there are no spots. (it's a tip I learnt from somebody in the restaurant business)

This is the e-mail they wrote me....

Quote:

Thank you for contacting Mikasa regarding your flatware pattern. Your flatware
may be showing marks from mineral deposits found in the water. Our Quality
Control Department has informed us that the marks on your knives can be cleaned
with the following product:

International Silver Polish. This product is designed to clean sterling silver,
silver plate, platinum, copper, gold and diamonds. We are enclosing literature
on flatware care. We hope this will help with the problem.

A silver cleaner, Tarn-X. Tarn-X is a product designed to clean sterling silver,
silver plate, platinum, copper, gold and diamonds.

ZUD - Zud is a non-abrasive cleanser designed to clean copper, brass, bronze
aluminum, pewter and stainless steel. Zud is sold in your local super market,
Target, K-Mart or Ace Hardware stores.

Please find attached the FLATWARE CARE GUIDE for future reference...

MIKASA FLATWARE CARE GUIDE

Care of Flatware

Stainless steel is one of the most durable metals available and will look
beautiful for years if properly cared for. Stainless steel flatware is strong
and dishwasher safe.

Stainless steel flatware stains less than regular steel; hence, the name
stainless steel. While stainless steel is not stain proof, with proper care and
usage, Mikasa's flatware should not stain and will not need to be polished.

Discoloration, either brownish or rainbow, can be caused by ingredients in
coffee, salad dressing, vinegar and salt. Be sure to immediately rinse utensils
with egg, vinegar, and acidic foods.

Pitting and spotting are usually the result of high mineral content in the water
supply or from high chloride detergents.

To maintain the optimum appearance of flatware, the following is recommended:

§ Wash flatware as soon as possible after use, since food that dries on flatware
can leave stains.

§ Do not soak flatware for long periods. Some minerals present in tap water, as
well as some detergents, can cause pitting or staining if left in contact with
flatware for extended periods.

§ Hand wash in warm soapy water.

§ Do not scour with an abrasive pad or clean flatware with abrasive cleaners.

§ Do not bleach.

§ Flatware should be towel dried immediately after washing to avoid spotting.

§ Rinse before loading in dishwasher.

§ Do not over crowd utensil basket.

§ Load the dishwasher with the handles of the knives up and handles of the
spoons and forks down.

§ Load the knives (which may contain a carbon steel formula), separately from
the forks and the spoons so they do not react with each other and cause pitting.

§ Use liquid detergents or ensure powdered detergents have thoroughly dissolved
in water before immersing.

§ For flatware with 24-karat gold or platinum accents, do not use lemon or any
citrus base cleaner or detergent as it can corrode the metal.

§ If the spots or stains arise, they can usually be removed by polishing with a
self-made paste of water and baking soda.

§ Non-serrated knife blades can be sharpened using a sharpening block, as
needed. For best results, knives can be sharpened professionally

MommyLuv

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 9:40 pm

I have a nice Oneida 18/10 stainless set and it developed these spots...
I found a great trick from real simple magazine-Rub the spots with coarse salt. It takes some work but it gets rid of the spots.

chen

Fri, Jul 07 2006, 1:39 pm

amother wrote:

they usually sit in the dishwasher overnight.

could that be it?/ really?

OOOH, yes!