polishing silver jewelry

Thursday, July 10, 2008

It Makes Cents - polishing silver
Oh Boy! Did I ever uncover a good "It Makes Cents" (and sense) hint this week! Thanks to Debbie Callison of the Indian Jewelry Store on Main Street in Panguitch. I had some Sterling Silver-strand necklaces that were nearly black and I could hardly stand thinking of the rubbing I would need to do to clean them. I took them to Debbie who has lots of beautiful silver pieces that she keeps looking wonderful and asked her what she would do. She said, in that great matter-of-fact way that makes us on the street love her, "Here, give them to me and I'll wash them with my dark load." "Whoa!" I said. "What do you mean 'wash them with your dark load'". "I'll put them in a sock, safty pin them in so they don't tangle and wash them with the dark load I've got ready to go in the washer." said Debbie.I could hardly imagine how this would work, but let her have the long strings of silver and went home. In a little while here she came with my bright, shinny silver.Naturally, I was interested in the whole process. It seemed too easy to believe.Here's what she did: As said above, she put the silver in a sock and fastened them in with safty pins. These silver pieces were on string, so they wouldn't have bent, but some necklaces are on wire and if they were whipped around in a washing machine, you can imagine how bent looking they would come out. I suppose if you were washing any silver piece you should use your imagination and think how rough treatment by the washer's agitator will affect them. If they were thin silver pieces, like a silver pitcher or something, you might not want to use this method. (But I could imagine my silverware, one in each sock and maybe only a few socks in each washer load being okay.) Then she simple washed with the normal recommended amount of oxyclean, detergent and bleach.While we are thanking Debbie for sharing this secret of her business, I feel to thank her for always making herself available to be on the ambulance and rush to the aid of any of us who find ourselves in a life or death situation. Thanks, Debbie. Go in and see her adorable bulldog puppies. Maybe one will take your heart.Send suggestions to Veda Hale Box 956 Panguitch Utah 84759 or email vedahale@hotmail.com