Important: Safety Warning
This page describes practices involving highly flammable materials in ways that create a serious risk of fire or explosion.
This page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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The Day's Routine: Collodion
This is the great enemy of silver. It occurs in illuminating gas, sewer gas, and many other compounds, and contaminates the atmosphere. Retail jewelers prevent the discoloration of silver which is exposed for sale in shop windows by coating the articles with collodion diluted with alcohol. Collodion may be obtained at any drug store or from a dealer in photographic supplies. To apply it first wash the articles, dry them, and heat them slightly over the fire. Apply the collodion with a wide, soft brush, laying it on in quick, even strokes.
Collodion is a very quick dryer, hence it is necessary to have all the silver heated and in readiness and to work quickly. Care must be taken to cover every part of the surface.
One coating is sufficient. Collodion is perfectly transparent, hence does not injure the appearance of the articles, and may be removed by washing in hot water. This is perhaps the most perfect protection for silverware that has to be stored for any length of time.
Or pack the silverware in wooden starch boxes or other boxes of convenient size and cover them with dry flour. This will prevent them from tarnishing. When the flour is wiped off they will be polished and in readiness for use.
Or prepare cloth bags or pockets for silverware. Use for this purpose unbleached outing flannel, cotton flannel, or other unbleached goods. The bleaching powders and other preparations of chlorine used in whitening fabrics will discolor silverware.
Or wrap the articles in blue or other dark-colored tissue paper. White paper, like bleached fabrics, contains chemicals which discolor silver.
Or wrap the articles in green baize, which does not attract moisture. Place in each pocket or drawer in which silver is kept a lump of gum camphor.
This is the best preventive against tarnish.
The best material with which to line the drawers of serving tables, trays, or boxes for silverware, or of which to make bags or pockets, is chamois skin. If the outside of the chamois skin is treated with melted white wax or beeswax applied with a soft brush and afterwards run over lightly with a hot iron, it will be nearly air-tight.