Dark mouthpieces...

Anterux · Post by **Anterux** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:44 pm

I have some mouthpieces in my office. Some of them I dont use.

The silver plated ones tend to get a dark dirt and it is very hard to clean.

What is this? dust?

Is there an easy way to clean?

Thank you!

Antero

JayW · Post by **JayW** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:47 pm

The wonderful world of chemistry........ Tarnish my friend. You can use silver polish to clean them right up, I would just be careful using anything with a "tarnish inhibitor" in it as your skin may not like it very much. Either way do rinse them very thoroughly.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:30 pm

The silverplated mouthpieces turn dark because of combination with airborne sufides, forming silver sulfide. If you don't want to polish them, you can leave them alone, the stuff is harmless.

I'm guessing that you live in a fairly large city, since I'm not aware of many active volcanos in Portugal.

Keeping them in a sealed container will help retard tarnishing.

To remove the tarnish, you can use a silver polish, which will mechanically remove the tarnish (and hence, some silver), or you can try the procedure mentioned in the silver polishing thread using washing soda, hot water and aluminum foil, which will remove the sulfide tarnish without removing metallic silver.

Anterux · Post by **Anterux** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:46 pm

I dont live in a big city. I live in a small village of fishermen by the sea.

But not in continental Portugal.

I live in Terceira Island -Azores.

These islands are volcanic. And there is always some volcanic activity...

The mouthpieces tarnish very quick!

Let me make sure this is realy tarnish:

-The mouthpieces get the dark color only outside. But all around equaly.
-It looks like a film of dust but it doesnt come out easily. (it comes out a bit if i pass my finguer very hard on the mouthpiece.

I will try to use a silver polish and see what it does.

Many thanks! you guys are The Best!

Antero

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:15 pm

Anterux wrote:These islands are volcanic. And there is always some volcanic activity...

Do you have hot springs with their evil-smelling water? If so, there's no question that your tarnishing is due to airborne sulfides.

Fortunately, this is a surface phenomenon only-the sulfur reacts with the top layer of metal to form a film and then the reaction stops when there is no more exposed metallic silver.

Not a big worry.