Did you try silver in dishwasher?

zaq

Sun, May 15 2022, 9:20 pm

Don't do it. Dishwasher detergent is corrosive and will pit your silver. Unlike tarnish, pitting is irreversible. The aluminum-foil-and-baking-soda trick works only spottily, when it works at all. Liquid or cream silver polish does a fine job without excessive effort. An old toothbrush, some dishwashing liquid (NOT dishwashER liquid) and hot water will remove silver polish residue from crevices. In any case, oxidation in the crevices serves to emphasize incised or repousse designs when the rest of the item is polished, and is not considered a blemish. In fact, some manufacturers deliberately blacken crevices to highlight the design; one is supposed to leave the oxidized parts as is.

DustyDiamonds

Mon, May 16 2022, 8:34 am

They make dishwashers. Electric potato peelers. Salad spinners. Mixers.

Why hasn’t anyone invented a silver polisher?

It would be a soft casing with firm, yet soft, faux ‘hands’ that gently massage the item. Of course, the opening is adjustable, so it can fit your entire Menorah or a small ring.

Anyone???

PS if I ever need to change my username, maybe TarshnishedSilver would be next😂

new oldie

Mon, May 16 2022, 8:41 am

I thought that silver can go in the dishwasher as long as it doesn’t touch anything. So you have to make sure the forks and knives and spoons are all going exactly up and down in the holes. I’ve never put sterling in the dishwasher, my china anyway can’t, so once I’m washing it doesn’t take so much longer to wash everything. Occasionally by accident something silver ends up in the dishwasher and it’s fine.
(And I’m happy to see other people have silverware- it’s very uncommon where I live for people to have silver for Shabbos. It feels like my extended family does and that it. People are always surprised that we have silver. I don’t know why.)

momsrus

Mon, May 16 2022, 8:59 am

new oldie wrote:

Why can’t your China?

jkl

Mon, May 16 2022, 9:42 am

DustyDiamonds wrote:

Oh this would be so lovely. But being that there aren't many out there in the world who follow our heavy usage of silver, I don't think our dream will come true. There are so many other beautiful and less expensive options, I don't know why we're clinging to hard-to-maintain silver items.

Amarante

Mon, May 16 2022, 9:53 am

As posted, you can wash silver in a dishwasher so long as it doesn't touch anything - especially stainless steel. It won't polish it but who polishes silver every time they use it anyway. FWIW, if you use silver it tends to stay okay without a need for polishing because it doesn't develop the patina which is what tarnish is.

Old china can't be put in the dishwasher because it often had gold or other metallic trim and/or the "paint and glaze isn't dish washer safe. Almost all modern china is dishwasher safe because no one would purchase china that couldn't be cleaned in a dishwasher.

Many people just put china in the dishwasher knowing it will "fade" or whatever because the alternative is to not use the china at all.

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, May 16 2022, 10:41 am

jkl wrote:

IMHO silver is a very jewish thing.
As a metal it will always have a value
Nothing beats sterling silver

Amarante

Mon, May 16 2022, 10:48 am

zaq wrote:

No, the alternative is to wash it by hand.

Sets of china are almost valueless because people don’t want them. Many charities won’t accept them because they take up space and can’t be sold.

Most people do not want to hand wash their dishes or flatware.

Why am I saving something that has no monetary value. Who cares if it fades over the course of time because it is better to use a dish and wash it than to spend money and resources for paper or plastic stuff that is used one time.

Some people don’t even want to use the dishwasher which is why there is so much use of disposable items especially in the frum community.

kenz

Mon, May 16 2022, 11:00 am

zaq wrote:

No, the alternative is to wash it by hand.

I'm with Amarante on this one. These days when I go dishware shopping, the number one criteria is that it be dishwasher friendly. The last set I purchased (Lenox) was supposed to be, but the silver around the edges and in the middle has faded considerably. Although I would have preferred it look like new, I still use it happily and the table looks pretty and, most important, I don't have to wash dishes.

Fox

Mon, May 16 2022, 12:37 pm

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.
______________________________________

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.

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, May 16 2022, 3:56 pm

Amarante wrote:

Why don't they want to use their dishwasher? I don't get it, to buy a machine and then not to use it?

Amarante

Mon, May 16 2022, 4:11 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Why don't they want to use their dishwasher? I don't get it, to buy a machine and then not to use it?

I am basing this on people who justify using disposable stuff instead of dishes because they don't want to wash anything - e.g. even loading a dishwasher is too much trouble for them.

I don't know people like this in real life but only have read on imamother threads. People I eat with only use disposable if it is some kind of picnic or other type of occasion but even then the people I know who eat outside regularly have melamine dishes and don't use paper or disposable plastic plates.

I don't know why anyone would use disposable stuff on a regular basis. You can get sturdy melamine dishes for a small amount of money even if one doesn't want to invest in more expensive china that is breakable.

glamourmom

Mon, May 16 2022, 4:30 pm

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).