Sterling Silver Flatware - Wash in DW or not?

[lindaofthelakes]

My DH and I have an ongoing disagreement. I think Sterling Flatware should only be washed by hand. He strongly feels nothing bad will happen to it in the DW and besides the DW is more sterile. I'd appreciate any POV from you. (Or better yet real experiences or data sources). Thanks in advance.
Linda

[Sami]

You can wash sterling in the dishwasher with several caveats.

1. If you also put in stainless near it, it can tarnish.

2. Don't put the knives in because they have hollow handles and they can come apart with the heat of the dishwasher.

I used to put my silver in the dishwasher, but now I tend to put it in clean water and wash it by hand at night or the next morning.


Sami

[tbb113]

My mother has been washing her sterling in the DW for the last 30 years (at least). It works fine...but I think Sami is right about an interaction between stainless and sterling.

[drloverde]

Agreed - my mother taught me to wash all but the knives in the DW. Her rule is if you use it regularly it won't tarnish. I've learned that it's not how much you use it (though using it is fun...) it's about where it's kept in between uses. You should keep it in felt (they make keepers for them) and out of a draft. In our old house I kept the silver in felt but in a closet where there was a draft. I didn't realize that the cold was the reason for it coming out tarnished each time (boy, was I pissed off!). But in the new house, felt, but no draft. No tarnish.

Dena.

[funniegrrl]

I would also not use powder detergent -- it can cause pitting as it gets flung around.

[sneezles]

My MIL gifted me her sterling and she always washed it in the dishwasher just not with the stainless and had done so long before liquid detergent was around. I don't use it very often (it's a bit too fancy for me) but on the occasion that I take it out it's certainly getting washed by the machine...I save the handwashing for the crystal.

[mbrogier]

You can put silver in the dishwasher, but it causes a white patina. My MIL washes all her sterling in the dishwasher, and it is bright, shiny white. Patina is developed from the years of rubbing the pieces during washing, drying and polishing. My mom has the exact same sterling pattern as my MIL. She never washes her sterling in the dishwasher. To me, hers looks so much better. That's just my opinion. If you're enjoying your silver and would only do so if you washed it in the dishwasher, go for it!

[ClaraB]

According to The Art and Science of Keeping House, silver should not be put in the dishwasher, because it is so soft that the abrasion and harsh detergents will scratch and dull the silver. IMO, if I'm going to spend that much money on silver, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it stays in top condition, which means washing it by hand..

[Peggy]

According to The Art and Science of Keeping House, silver should not be put in the dishwasher, because it is so soft that the abrasion and harsh detergents will scratch and dull the silver. IMO, if I'm going to spend that much money on silver, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it stays in top condition, which means washing it by hand..

What she said! :) I always wash my sterling silver by hand.

Peggy

[Peweh]

Mine is just silver plated, the Maxfield series from Pottery Barn and they said it's dishwasher safe. We use it almost every night for dinner and put it in the DW; haven't had any issues with it being next to the stainless we use for cereal, etc - but it does show tarnish after a while even though it's stored in a felt lined box. About every 6 months I wipe it all down with a silver polishing cloth, usually before I'm entertaining.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I don't put my sterling or my silverplate in the DW, but I've been thinking about it lately. I have started using a dishwasher detergent without chlorine or phosphates (Melaleuca brand). I am wondering if it would be less harsh on silver. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[peachesncream]

I'm in the "washing by hand" group.

Besides the reasons already given, in a dishwasher the silverware gets banged together and will end up with scratches. If you want it to last generations, I would wash by hand.

[lindaofthelakes]

Thanks so much for all your answers (and information). I think I am sticking to my guns and continuing to wash them by hand. DH just gets frustrated sometimes with all my "rules" for washing dishes (special pots, crystal can't go in DW, Etc.). But I think the flatware does deserve the special care.

[sharris315]

Another hand-washer here. After many years, my sterling is still shiny and new looking. If the dw will give it a uniform white patina, doesn't that make the knives look different if they are not dw'ed? It's preference, I guess, but I like the new look better.

Shar

[Kay Henderson]

Bottom line: I wash my sterling in the dishwasher.

Details: When my DH and I were engaged 39 years ago, his grandmother offered us her sterling with the understanding that we would use it every day. I accepted with the understanding that it would be OK if I washed it in the dishwasher.

This has worked out well. Some interiors of dishwashers do better than others (soft plastics are a problem), but generally, the silver has done fine.

One might argue that the dishwasher may reduce the usable life of the sterling. Mine was near 50 years old when I received it, and is now about 90 years old. If its useful life is reduced from 200 years to 150 years, that is not my problem..

Good luck to you! I have enjoyed my sterling, which lives in my kitchen drawer and is used daily, for 38 years. It has always brought both my DH and me great pleasure. I wish the same for you.

Kay

[withak48]

I'm with Kay. I use my silverplate daily and run it through the dishwasher. I also put my sterling in the dishwasher, but we only use that for Sunday dinners. Both sets belonged to my grandmothers (who got them as wedding gifts), and they gave them to me for my wedding. Both sets are over 70 years old and in very good condition. I don't worry about the dishwasher, I worry about the spoons in the garbage disposal!

I do have a set of gold-plate (electroplated?) flatware, and wash that by hand. The spots left behind by the diswasher are a pain to clean off.

Kathy