Polishing cutlery

Different cloths can be used to polish your cutlery. A microfibre cloth or a soft cotton cloth is usually sufficient for cleaning stainless steel. More delicate materials, meanwhile, respond best to gentle treatment. If you’re wondering how to clean silver-plated cutlery, then you’ll find that a soft woven cotton cloth with no abrasive fibres is ideal. A very soft cloth will soon make your Neufaden-Merlemont cutlery set look just as good as new.
Always ensure that you polish in a lengthwise direction to achieve the best possible shine. The cloth should be smooth and free of unnecessary folds. Use a clean cloth for polishing each time and wash it following the care instructions. Otherwise, the detergent could roughen the fibres or react with the cutlery material.

There are numerous polishes and pastes available on the market that are suitable for cutlery and are designed to improve the polishing result. You can also use household products such as vinegar or bicarbonate of soda to polish your cutlery and help restore its shine. When choosing a polish, pay attention to the material. Stainless steel cutlery, such as the Villeroy & Boch Mademoiselle collection, is relatively resistant and can be treated with most polishing products. In contrast, silver cutlery or stainless steel cutlery with gold or silver plating is more delicate and should always be cleaned with a special polish.
Whatever product you choose, use the smallest possible quantity. Dilute vinegar with water and ideally spray it onto the cutlery. Put some bicarbonate of soda on a soft, damp cloth and then rub it in slowly. Professional polishes should also be applied to cutlery in the lowest possible quantities and concentrations in order to avoid damage.

Moisture is a key component in cutlery care. While you should always dry cutlery thoroughly after washing, a little moisture is a definite advantage when it comes to polishing. Depending on which polish or household product you are using, ensure the cutlery is slightly damp beforehand, to allow the product to take full effect.

If you are using a product that is applied with a sponge or a cloth, it can be useful to wet your sponge or cloth first. Bicarbonate of soda, for instance, is a useful household product that can also be used for polishing, but it needs to be applied with a damp cloth to be effective. N.B.: this only applies for robust stainless steel. Silver cutlery is more delicate and should be treated with caution!

There are various factors that influence how cutlery looks after polishing. In addition to the points mentioned above that you can consider, there are other factors that affect the outcome. These include particularly the temperature of the cutlery and the ambient temperature. Cutlery fresh from the dishwasher is often still warm and reacts differently to polishing than cold cutlery. However, there is no one-size-fits-all rule that applies to all types of cutlery. Essentially, you just need to experiment to determine the conditions that yield the best polish when cleaning cutlery.