Pewter Care
How To Care For and Clean Your Pewter
Pewter is an alloy consisting of mostly tin and it is the fourth most precious metal. It also has very small amounts of antimony and copper which is added mainly for strength and/or color. The percentage of tin can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but most often you will find at the least 91% tin and the rest in antimony and copper.
Despite contrary beliefs today's pewter is perfectly safe to eat and drink from. Modern pewter contains no lead as it once did. How can you tell if your pewter items have lead in them? This is a question that gets asked quite often. Read on to find out...
The result of lead in pewter is a grayish-black patina on the surface of the item. The amount of darkening and type of oxidation can vary depending on the type of environment the items are left in.
Most often, people will leave this patina on because it creates an antique look that many manufacturers try to simulate today. If you should try to remove it, the layers underneath are then exposed which will in time once again corrode and the patina comes back. In all actuality, the patina layer that forms on lead based pewter acts as a protective layer and should really not be removed.
Lead free pewter can also oxidize over time, but it takes much longer and the color is usually more grayish compared to the lead based pewter which is a darker gray or black in color.
General Pewter Care Tips
Pewter can be pitted or stained from certain foods such as citrus juice, types of salad dressings etc., so please remember to wash your items immediately after use. Do not place in the oven on a hot plate or near hot flames because pewter melts at 450 Degrees. Most ovens reach at least 500 Degrees. Always hand wash rather than placing in a dishwasher.
There are generally three different types of finishes you will find in pewter items and each has a preferred method of cleaning.
Polished Pewter
Polished pewter is very shinny and only needs to be cleaned a couple of times a year. Using a very soft cloth and pewter polish: rub the polish in circular motions gently to shine up the pewter.
Your cloth will turn black. This is perfectly normal as your removing trace amounts of dirt and pewter leaving the surface shinny. If you find one spot is shinier than the rest you may have to polish around the area to make the overall effect similar.
Some polishes can help to remove small scratches, manufactures will add a small amount of grit to the pewter to fill in these blemished areas. Remember to circulate your soft cloth as it gets dirty so your not rubbing dirt onto your pewter.
Satin Pewter
This type of pewter has a little bit more of a rougher appearance. It is not shiny, but has almost a grain type of finish. You can use warm water and a mild soap to clean this type of pewter.
Every couple of years you may want to buff out or brush this kind of pewter using very fine steel wool. Rub in the direction of the grain and do not press very hard, it will not take much to return it back to it's original appearance.
Oxidized Pewter
Oxidized pewter usually has a darker finish and has an antique look to it. Washing with warm water and a mild soap is all that's recommended anything more could be damaging to the pewter.
Remember when cleaning Pewter that it will never have to be scrubbed be gentle take your time. While pewter is not fragile you can easily rub that Patina right off and the value with it.
Antique pewter may contain lead. Be safe wear a pair of rubber gloves. Lead poisoning can be fatal if ingested. While modern pewter contains no lead, if your not sure be safe. All pewter old and new can be polished in much the same way as described above.