Cleaning a 1 kilo silver bar
 

I need some help with my new 1 kilo silver bar. I couldn't resist the temptation of taking it out of the original protective wrapper and handling it in my hands :banghead: suffice to say several weeks later I am looking at lots of pale yellow handmarks and fingerprints all over it and I can't rub it off :4_1_72:

HELP

Re: Cleaning a 1 kilo silver bar
 

here ya go

Re: Cleaning a 1 kilo silver bar
 

Ordinary Silver Polish sold in Hardware stores and some Supermarkets made for polishing silverware, silver tea sets etc. That would be the safest way of polishing the oxidation off of your silver bar. Just apply the silver polish and rub until the stains/oxidation are gone. That kind of polish is not very aggressive on the silver itself, so just use a soft cloth (something like an ordinary wash cloth, old tee shirt or any cloth that won't easily cause scratches. Wear latex or some sort of waterproof gloves (so you don't end up tarnishing the silver again and to protect your hands).

One of the added advantages of using silver polish is that it leaves a protective coat behind on the silver (like a car polish or wax does) and the silver will be very resistant to tarnishing from exposure to air, damp conditions or even handling. Once polished, you can bring the silver back to a high shine just by buffing it with a soft cloth. Always wear gloves when handling silver (I guess you've probably figured that out by now. I prefer latex (non-powdered) gloves or something similar when handling coins and precious metals. Sweat and the oils on your hands can do damage to precious metals - long after the metals have been put away.