Summary for nambé dishwasher damage Discussion
Nambé dishwasher damage is the central issue in this thread: the original poster says a husband put Nambé in the dishwasher, leaving it dulled and apparently ruined, and asks whether it is really a lost cause. The replies suggest it is often recoverable rather than hopeless. Jackie Sieling reports that Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish brought dishwasher-ruined Nambé “back to life” with a reasonable amount of rubbing. In a later follow-up, another poster says Mothers Aluminum Mag Cleaner worked “like a charm” on damaged Nambé salad servers, making them look like new again. The thread also references a Nambé Polishing Kit as a possible option. Overall, the discussion points to polishing as the practical fix, while acknowledging that results depend on the extent of the damage.
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?
Julia Kelly
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 [affil link] .
If unsuccessful, expert repolishing (removes metal, can only be done twice) is required. Contact Nambé Customer Service (for repolishing) 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.
Ken Vlach [deceased]
– 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 [affil link] 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
Q. Nambé metal bowl has dark stain. How can I remove the stain?
Amy Plymat
hobbyist – Johnston, Iowa, USA
November 13, 2008
A. Hi, Amy. There is a special Nambé polish ⇨
Apply it with a soft cloth. If that doesn’t work, apply it with grade 000
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
or 0000 steel wool
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] ). Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
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 Mothers Aluminum Mag Cleaner
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] . 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!
Kath Okeefe
– Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
June 6, 2020
Nambé on
eBay or
(affil link)]