Tarn-X for cleaning silver

One of the daily newspapers in our area puts out a once-weekly free paper covering a variety of topics "of interest" to the community. Two different people write ANTIQUES columns for that paper.

The latest edition arrived the other day, and I was HORRIFIED to read an article called Let's Polish the Silver! by one of the two "antiques" guys.

"My go-to product, especially since I became a part-time antiques dealer, is Tarn-X Pro Tarnish Remover," he says. He goes on to extol its virtues ("The tarnish simply vanishes...") etc, etc, etc.

I actually e-mailed the guy, basically saying NO, NO, NOOOOOO!!!! and explaining what that stuff can do to silver. He sent back a very friendly reply - here's a bit of it:

Thanks so much for being a faithful reader and I don’t mind productive criticism at all! I knew the Tarn-X entry might raise the ire of some. It’s just so darn easy! As a part-time vintage dealer with a very busy full time job, I’m always looking for time saving tips. Keep in mind I sell silverplate which brings very little money and there’s a glut of it on the market.

I want to write back, but what would the silver folks here suggest I say? I have a very extensive collection of silver myself, and I used to sell it, too, but I'm now almost at a loss for words. (All I can say is that Tarn-X will NEVER be part of my silver-polishing repertoire!)

 

I regularly buy basket case, carbon black pieces. Tarn-X is only a few percent hydrochloric. I use 33% acid. It only affects the silver sulfate (tarnish). It has no reaction with silver. Any other polish is abrading the surface and removing some silver. The hyperventilating is unwarranted.

 

Terry, what about the white, flat finish that it leaves behind? Just looking at it, you can tell it's been "dipped".

 

Acid does not polish. If only dipped, it is not polished. The flat finish is due to the bits the sulpher ate out and the loose bits of silver the acid randomly put back after stealing their sulpher atoms.

 

Oh, okay. So, it just removes the black gunk, and then you have to polish it?

 

Write back that you enjoy his column ....and will keep an eye out for the next one....then wish him Happy Thanksgiving !!

 

I've never used Tarn X as I've always heard warnings but do have quite a bit of sterling that I actually enjoy polishing.

I'm always willing to try thing I've not tried before so maybe I'll pick some up. I think the only silver I have that is heavily tarnished might be some old silverplate so not a lot to worry about.

Maybe one of those comparison things, you know, this half of the platter was cleaned with Tarn X the other half with silver cream etc.

It will be awhile before I can get to it though, what with these holidays

 

Hi,
I have used Tarn-x on the occasion of getting fire blackened silver I immediately used my Hagerty's silver polish and gave it a good regular polish.
greg

 

Small point of chemistry: it's sulphide, not sulphate.