Cutlery care

General

Our cutlery is designed to be hard wearing and low maintenance, however foodstuffs, water and air contain common corrosive substances, such as salt, acids, mineral salts, fats and meat juices, that can cause staining and pitting if sensible precautions are not taken. Properly cared for, our cutlery will last a lifetime of normal domestic use.

Cutlery is best washed as soon after use as possible, however if this is not convenient, it may be left soaking in warm soapy water for a short time. Please note that prolonged soaking, for example overnight, may cause considerable damage from the mineral salts present in tap water.

Never use scouring pads, powder or cleaning cream as these may leave excessive scratching which will dull the shine.

Cutlery should never be left to dry, but should be hand dried with a soft cloth immediately after washing. This minimises the risk of corrosion and prevents the formation of water stains.

Dishwashing

All our cutlery is dishwasher safe, however there are some additional precautions to take:

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions, particularly in relation to adding dishwasher salt.
• Dry by hand with a soft cloth as soon as the washing cycle is finished.
• Don't mix stainless steel and silver cutlery in the same compartment of the cutlery basket. This is because a chemical reaction between detergents and steel can cause discoloration on silver it is touching.
• Knives should be placed blade down in the cutlery basket

Silver cutlery

The best treatment for silver cutlery is regular use. This will help to reduce the rate of tarnishing and aid the development of the patina characteristic of well used silver. This develops because silver is a soft metal and over time picks up tiny scuffs and scratches which soften the shine by scattering light in different directions.

Tarnish, a dull dark grey deposit on the surface of the silver, is caused by the sulphides found in the air and in certain foodstuffs, such as eggs. It can be removed using a proprietary silver polish, foam or dip and this typically needs to be done two or three times a year. Never leave the cutlery in a silver dip solution for more than 10 seconds, and if you use a polish, make sure it is a product specifically for silver, as other metal polishes may be harmful. The knife blades of silver cutlery are made from stainless steel, as silver is too soft for this purpose, so never let any polish or dip get on them, as it may cause damage. The same applies, of course, to your stainless steel sink or draining board.

Storage

Stainless steel cutlery may safely be stacked for storage, however this is not recommended for silver cutlery. Tarnishing will be reduced if silver cutlery is stored not exposed to the air, for example in a felt cutlery roll or in a felt lined cutlery cabinet. A cabinet which stores each piece separately is the best solution, as it also makes it easier to rotate the place settings so that they all get equal usage.