How do you clean a silver-plated lamp?
It often happens that we get this question at Zenza.
First we explain what you should NOT do.
A silver-plated lamp needs maintenance to stay beautiful, because silver will darken itself over time.
The first thought that comes to mind is to get silver polish.
But that's the biggest mistake you can make, so don't do it!
Silver polish is for solid silver products.
What to do if the silver has discolored dark?
Our lamps are made of copper with a thin layer of silver.
Copper polish dissolves a little bit of the silver, so that the shine of a solid silver object is brought back to the surface.
With our lamps, it could produce a golden lamp after a thorough cleaning.
Because under the silver layer the golden color of copper can be seen.
How do you protect your lamp from discoloration?
If you take the lamp out of the box new, a maintenance instruction is included, everything is also described there.
It is best to give the silver-plated lamp a protective layer, so that moisture and oxygen cannot cause discoloration.
We have already provided the lamp with a first layer in Egypt, but it is good to apply a new layer regularly.
This is possible with the HG spray.
This works just like hairspray, you spray a thin layer over the entire surface of the lamp from a small distance.
Invisible, but very effective!
If you consider that the lamp has been made with so much attention and that all holes have been drilled by hand, one by one,
you will go to work with even more patience. In this way you pay homage to the beautiful handmade lamp.
What cleaning products do you need to clean the lamp?
First, you need a liquid abrasive, there are many different brands.
It contains tiny grains that provide a slightly mild abrasive effect.
Since that is already aggressive enough, use a soft cloth to rub the agent over the lamp.
A scourer is too much of a good thing.
The dirt is immediately visible on your cloth, it becomes a bit black and the lamp is already cleaner.
Feel free to let the abrasive work for 15 minutes before removing it.
You do that with a clean damp cloth.
Rinse and wring the cloth over and over again and keep wiping the lamp.
You will notice that in some places the holes are clogged by the abrasive.
The easiest way to solve this is by rubbing the cloth from the inside of the lamp as well.
You then push the liquid back to the outside and can then easily wipe it away.
If you still see closed holes later, you can easily prick them open with a curved paperclip or something similar
How can you keep the silver shine on the Zenza lamp?
Now the lamp is clean and damp.
Very important to properly dry the lamp now.
This can be done with a tissue or with a dry soft cloth.
If you are satisfied with the result, you can now apply the HG spray.
That is the protective layer, which prevents the lamp from quickly darkening again.
