Flatware is the term which covers the range of eating utensils used every day, such as knives, forks and spoons. The term comes from the flat nature of the metal which is usually pressed and cut out of stainless steel. Strong inflexible metals such as stainless steel provide the perfect backbone to flatware, giving the maximum strength and preventing buckling and bending from use.
Many people have more than one set of flatware, using a low cost set for the day to day meals and a more decorative set for special occasions and dinner parties with the most luxurious sets being gold plated flatware. Whilst gold is beautiful to behold, when it comes to making durable flatware, it is not the best of materials. Gold is very malleable and supple as far as metals go, so solid gold is not up to the pressures and strains from use.
With such an expensive set of cutlery, the temptation is never to use it, with no guest ever being special enough. However, as beautiful and ornamental as this flatware is, you need not keep it locked away for fear of it becoming tarnished or chipped from use. When taken good care of, Gold plated flatware will last for decades.
When it comes to cleaning gold plated flatware extra care must be taken if you want the flatware to gleam as it did on the first day you bought it. This type of flatware is generally not considered dishwasher proof, and these precious implements must be washed by hand to avoid the gold plate becoming chipped, pitted or losing some of the precious coating entirely. Gold also tarnishes over time and requires more maintenance than sterling silver and stainless steel.
To clean gold flatware, first of all you must treat it very carefully. Be careful about rough treatment when cleaning away the table, and try to keep each utensil separated. This will help to prevent the gold becoming chipped from abrasion. First of all you need to rinse off any food particles with water and wipe with a soft cloth. For hardened food and difficult to remove particles, the flatware can be soaked in hot water with a little standard detergent. Don’t leave the flatware submerged for long, it only takes a couple of minutes.
If your flatware pieces are still stained, a little lemon juice or vinegar can be gently rubbed in with a cloth, and this should remove any light tarnishing. Make sure that you wash again with a little detergent and water afterwards to prevent the acids in these fluids from oxidizing the gold.
To bring back the shine to the flatware a little baking soda can be rubbed in, which will help to restore the original gleaming shine to the pieces and prepare them for the next use.
There are many brands of commercial cleaner which are specifically used for the cleaning of metals such as gold, however make sure you check the instructions before using, as some are geared specifically to particular metals, and could take off some of the gold plating over time.
The best way of ensuring that your gold plated flatware stays in perfect condition is to make sure it is cleaned immediately after use. You will find that this will limit the detergent that is required, and the flatware can be very easily kept clean.