I have a silver accent brand alto saxophone that is about 3 years old and there is tarnish at the bottom part of the body in the crook of the curve and i can't seem to get it off with the polish cloth i bought in the music storedoes anyone have any suggestions on how to get it off without damaging the finish or the instrument itself?
First thing to know is that the Sax is probably silver platedSilver is a beautiful soft feeling metal but very prone to tarnishingHere is a recipe for environmentally friendly tarnish removalIt can be used to clean silver, gold or copper plated itemsThe only warning I would give you is NOT to submerge your whole Sax in the solution - just the tarnished section! You don't need water getting into the workings! First, wash the item with warm soapy water to remove any grimeThen, in a glass, aluminium or stainless steel bowl (eg, sink) place: A sheet of aluminium foil Hot water (the hotter the better) 1 heaped dessert spoon of washing soda per litre (2 pints) of water (Washing soda is available in the laundry section of your supermarketNote - do not use Bicarbonate of Soda) Place the tarnished item in the solution ensuring contact with foil for several seconds(Soak severely tarnished items for several minutes) Remove from solution and gently wipe with a soft clothRepeat if necessaryThis solution will only remove tarnish up to the water lineIf tarnish is REALLY severe you may have no choice but to use a silver cleaning paste which has a mild abrasiveThis is only as a last resort because using pastes or abrasives will eventually wear off the silver platingIf plating does wear off you can actually get it re-plated by a plating of finishing company.
