Need help cleaning tarnished Magnalite cookware

[hurricanekatrina]

Hello, everyone! I am a hurricane katrina victim from New Orleans, LA currently residing in Memphis, TN. It has been a rough time lately but we are surviving. We visited our damaged house in New Orleans and I was able to recover a few things. I came across a magnalite baker that has been in the family for years. It was somewhat tarnished from flood waters. I am not able to use it for Thanksgiving but would like to use it for Christmas. I have tried cleanser and brillo pads on it but have not had any luck. Would anyone have any suggestions on what might work? I am desperate.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Good news - bad news. The good news is that the "tarnish" will not affect the cooking qualities of your Magnalite cookware one bit. This "discoloration" is caused from a reaction with chemicals that were in the water - you can get the same thing from the chemicals in the water when you boil water, or when you boil eggs.

Bad news - you'll probably have to live with it unless you can find a place to commercially refinish it (the commercial guys have access to chemicals and equipment the average person doesn't) ... and that could cost more than you paid for it. It might be as simple as a dunk in an acid bath ... and then repolishing ... I don't know. You'll just have to break out the phone book and call around to metal refinishing shops and talk to them.

Two ideas to try ... wipe it down with isopropol alcohol ... a couple of times and see if that removes any of the tarnish - repeat if it works but I doubt it will remove all of the tarnish. Then, try washing it well with some Bar Keepers Friend (follow the instructions on the can). I doubt that you will be able to return it to the "pristine" condition you remember without some commercial help.

 

[Constance]

Michael knows a lot more about chemical reactions things than I do, but have you tried Tarn-ex? I have a pot like that that my mom and dad got for a wedding present, and I know I'd sure hate to lose it.

Here is a link to Magnalite distributors with a number to call for any questions. Perhaps this can lead you somewhere for more info...

http://www.magnalite-usa.com/index.html