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Q&As since 1989
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Nambé in the dishwasher
Q. Household pieces such as Nambé
Googled disherwasher and silver ... found you.
Husband put Nambé in dishwasher ... dulled. No luck with polish.
'Experts' say "lost cause", however the entries on this site seem to imply otherwise. Any advice?
Layperson/Consumer - Western Springs, Illinois, USA
2005
A. Nambé (pronounced nom-BAY, after a tiny village near Santa Fe, NM) is an eight metal alloy that doesn't contain silver or lead or pewter, and reportedly was invented at Los Alamos Laboratories in the early 1940s. The alloy is as shiny as sterling silver and is hefty in weight [maybe an improved Nickel silver?]
For dulled pieces: sparingly apply Nambé Polish on a soft cloth, then gently rub with a circular motion until the polish turns black and grainy. Buff with a soft cloth to remove the polish, then hand wash the item.
If still dull, apply polish using #0000 steel wool [on
eBay or
Amazon].
If unsuccessful, expert repolishing (removes metal, can only be done twice) is required. Contact Nambé Customer Service (for repolishing) 1-800-443-0339 http://www.nambe.com
Hand-wash your Nambé metal with mild soap, a soft sponge and water. Dry immediately with a soft clean cloth. Never put in the dishwasher. Never leave Nambé in standing water; severe discoloration may occur. Never place Nambé in a microwave oven.
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
A. I bought Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish [on eBay or Amazon] on Amazon and it brought my dishwasher-ruined Nambé back to life, with a reasonable (not crazy) amount of rubbing. Awesome.
Jackie Sieling- Austin, Texas USA
October 16, 2018
June 6, 2020
Nambé damaged by dishwasher. I was heartsick when someone put my Nambé salad servers in the dishwasher. They came out full and damaged. I finally got around to researching what to do and thanks to this posting (by Jackie) I got some Mother's Aluminum Mag Cleaner. It worked like a charm and my servers look just like new. The attached photo shows the difference, but the spoon looks even better less the light reflections. Thank you!
- Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
A. I second Mothers Polish as well. I put my Nambé in the dishwasher and it was completely dull. After Mothers, it looks better then the second piece that has never seen the dishwasher.
Leroy Kelley- Germantown Maryland
August 23, 2020
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