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I got them today, because I liked the ships. Later I noticed the patina that I couldnt clean. I am no expert in metals and am just wandering if they could be silver plated?
Thanks

 

If they're not marked... Not silver, or probably even German Silver.

That looks like caked dirt (no judgement). One thing you might try is non-corrosive oven cleaner on a q-tip, checking to see if it bleaches the metal, which you don't want.

I use it on stainless steel watch bands and chrome fixtures with no problems.

 

I'll try that

 

NON-corrosive!

As an experiment ONLY, taking your word for it that elbow grease didn't work and assuming they were inexpensive...

They'll either clean up beautiful, or look like newly cast aluminum.

 

Oh, they were next to nothing...
I just like anything with ships on it.
I just cleaned it with cleaning cream for INOX . I used q tips and it didnt really clean much. Cleaned something but didnt change the colour much

 

The oven cleaner will emulsify proteins, if that's what they are. No rubbing necessary.

 

Have you tried silver polish?
Might be easier.
And yes they could very well be silver plated and not marked as such.

 

The backs sure look like silver plate. I wouldn't try oven cleaner except as a last resort. I'd try good old silver polish first. Failing that, make a bit of a paste out of baking soda and water and try that. It may not do anything but it won't hurt them either.

 

Thank you both for not freaking out at the mention of oven cleaner. It really does work on stainless jewelry grime, and on lower grades of silver - Alpaca or German Silver, which are more porous, are different animals.

There's a difference between grime and patina - I would hate to destroy original patina on any object... but an agent like non-fuming oven cleaner can be very effective in breaking down or emulsifying grime, which basically a build-up of human oils, dirt and skin cells.

If there's a natural or home-made way to make an emulsifier, I'm all for that!!!!

In my own life: I have to wonder about people who are soooooooooo sensitive to chemicals, but think using an inoperative dishwasher as a dish rack is safe, hygienic and genius !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but that's just me.

 

I don't know about the use of oven cleaner, but I believe that what's on those is primarily grime from finger oils and accumulated dust/dirt built up over years without cleaning. Trying silver polish before breaking down that layer of grime is an exercise in frustration. You have to find something that will remove the grime before anything else. You could try soaking in warm very soapy water - over here I would use Dawn, but I doubt you have that brand, Mak. If there's a dish soap brand there that "cuts grease," try it.

 

Duly noted.
Havent gotten as desperate as to use oc yet...

 

I'm not sure if this would work on oils from skin. Make a paste with Adolph's Meat tenderizer and a little water. For really tough hardened stuff, mix the paste with coca cola. I actually learned this trick from Nurses who taught me how to break up blockages in a feeding tube. For that purpose I had to use more liquid. The Adolph's breaks up proteins.

 

Meat tenderizer just might work!

And my buddy used Coke (it's handy and cheap (Dr Pepper works, too)) to clean off my car battery terminals. Wasn't that sweet?

Ditto: you need to remove it because it leaves a pattern - almost like a stain - behind as you polish - the bare metal will get more polished, basically.

 

Awesome story!

 

Soldiers used flat coke to polish their brass buttons.
I've used vinegar on the battery.

 

It's the acid that gets the job done. If you want to apply acid, jewelry dealers use American ketchup to clean oxidation off costume items. Sit the ketchup on the affected area and let sit a few hours. Wipe with a damp cloth. The ketchup doesn't ruin rhinestones or run into porous gemstones and damage them. I'd be careful of immersing these in liquid if any of the parts are steel.

 

These are all great. I have to remember ketchup!

 

The ketchup works great on green brass too.

 

Done that before. I found what became a pretty glass boudoir lamp at a hard sale. Since it had to be rewired anyway I ketchup-ed all the brass connector pieces and cleaned the glass. Worked nicely. Green on jewelry means the plating under the green is gone, but plain brass doesn't have that problem.

 

I use ketchup for cleaning only when the object is made of copper or it contains mostly copper.
This way I cleaned my chandellier from India(it took a lot of ketchup )