Practical Notes of Food & Beverage Service-I (BHMCT-102)

Course Name and Semester: BHMCT- I

Paper Instructor: Ruhi Khan

Paper Name & Code: F & B Services Practical -I (BHMCT-102)

Practical Session:  II

Silver Cleaning

CLEANING AND POLISHING EPNS

The methods depend on quantity and size of items being cleaned and the cost involved. Some of the silver cleaning methods include:-

(a)    Plate Powder Method:-  this method is ideal for articles like cruets, toast rack, trolley parts, etc. The articles to be cleaned must be free from grease .Plate Powder which is pink in colour  is mixed with spirit and rubbed over the surface of the article to remove tarnish. If the spirit is not available , water may be used. Once the paste has dried, it is rubbed with a clean piece  of cloth. A small brush may be used to remove the paste that may have lodged into the engravings. It is then rinsed well in hot water and dried with clean cloth. This method demands more time and  labour. Readily available metal polish may be used  to clean articles in the same way.

(b)    Polivit method:-  The  polivit plate , which is made of aluminum is place in container   together with washing soda.The silver to be cleaned is placed in such a way that at least one piece of silver is in contact with the polivit . Piping hot water is poured to cover the silver. Chemical action of soda and aluminum   removes the tarnish. After a few minutes the article is thoroughly rinsed in boiling water and wiped dry with a clean cloth. The method is suitable for larger pieces of silver such as salvers, trays, entrée dishes, jugs, etc.

(c)     Silver Dip :-    The silver to be cleaned is kept in a wire basket and immersed in the silver dip, which is a pink coloured liquid. It is left in the solution for a very short period remove, rinsed, in warm water and wiped dry with clean cloth. This method is quick but may damage the silver due to chemical reaction between silver and solution.

(d)    Burnishing machine:- It consists of a revolving drum half filled with small ball bearing . It may be divided into compartments to hold silver articles of particular kinds.The silver to be cleaned is placed inside the drum, which is then half filled with water and a certain amount of special detergent and closed tightly. The machine is switched on and slowly rotated for 10 minutes . As the drum revolves , the mixture of water and detergent acts as a lubricant between the silver and ball bearings and gently removes any tarnish on the silver without leaving any scratches. The silver should be rinsed and dried manually after removing from the drum.The drum is lined with rubber to avoid any damage to the silver during the cleaning process.