Did you try silver in dishwasher?

Amarante

Mon, May 16 2022, 4:31 pm

glamourmom wrote:

cool. so many responses. I don't expect the dishwasher to polish the silver. I want it to cleanse the crevices and engravings, the deep niches where the polish accumulates and becomes gray and ugly. I've tried soft toothbrush with warm water but it didn't help.
mixed reviews here.

I tried to google but didn't find much. as someone mentioned, big silver items like a vase, kiddush cup, menorah, these things are predominantly Jewish (I think).

If it truly needs to be cleaned you can use a dip. They sell them formulated for silver or other metals and are easier to use than paste

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, May 16 2022, 4:56 pm

glamourmom wrote:

I can imagine silver coming out sparkling and sterilized. sounds awesome. but what if it ruins it completely?

anyone try it and can share the end result?

I polish my silver periodically but the crevices aren't sparkling. there's left over polish and whatnot in there.

can the dishwasher help?

I would recommend professional cleaning once in a while. They have machines and buffers.

kenz

Mon, May 16 2022, 5:50 pm

Fox wrote:

Here's my experience -- strictly anecdotal.

I try to avoid putting my sterling silver flatware in the dishwasher. However, there are times when I have done so for various reasons. According to what I've read, it's still better to clean it in the dishwasher than let it sit out with food debris.

As others have mentioned, it's important that the silver not touch anything, particularly stainless steel. One trick I like is to use a silver cream on the flatware and then run it in a cycle without dishwasher detergent. This washes off the silver cream in the crevices and leaves it shiny. Not a huge reduction in work but helpful if you want to shave off a little time from the usual polishing routine. Also, the high-powered rinse gives it a nice shine.

I never put silverplate in the dishwasher, but on a few occasions, my housekeeper has done so when I wasn't paying attention. Not the end of the world, but not preferable.
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Dishes are an entirely different matter. Like another poster mentioned, I have Lenox with a platinum rim. Here's the problem I've heard from almost everyone, no matter what brand or type of formal china they have: Companies no longer make formal china for frequent use.

In the non-Jewish world, fine china might be used a few times a year. We use it a few times a week! It doesn't matter whether a particular brand or pattern is "dishwasher safe" or not -- it's just not made for such frequent use. I've heard the same complaint about the platinum/gold trim wearing away on china that's only hand-washed, too.

So I've resigned myself to always being in the market for unused Lenox pieces in my pattern. There are plenty of people out there who received china for their weddings and have literally never unpacked it. You can find stuff on eBay and all over. Unless it's literally sealed from the manufacturer, I always kasher it just in case.

Thought you can’t kasher china.

Fox

Mon, May 16 2022, 6:39 pm

kenz wrote:

Thought you can’t kasher china.

Depends on what it's made from. Rabbi Fuerst, sh"lita, allows certain materials to be kashered. If I'm buying something on the secondary market, I only buy things with the stickers still on or stuff that's in its original sealed wrapping. That said, I also kasher the pieces that weren't sealed even if the sticker is intact.

kenz

Mon, May 16 2022, 8:16 pm

Fox wrote:

So interesting, I had no idea this was an option. How do you kasher it? Toiveling? You can't use fire, I presume, b/c it would damage the dishes.

Fox

Mon, May 16 2022, 8:36 pm

kenz wrote:

So interesting, I had no idea this was an option. How do you kasher it? Toiveling? You can't use fire, I presume, b/c it would damage the dishes.

Toiveling. Don't take my word for it, though. AYLOR. I know it depends on the composition among other things, and not every rav agrees.

Rabbi Fuerst is makhel on china and makpid on seminary! Very Happy