How to Clean and Polish Silver
Silver should be cleaned properly if it is dirty or when it is removed from storage. Wash your silver in warm soapy water, and then dry it thoroughly before polishing. Remember to wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands while polishing silver.
You can clean and polish silver in a few different ways. One way is to make a simple cleaner with ingredients found around your home. In a small dish, make a paste using baking soda and water. Put a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in the bowl, and stir in warm water a tablespoon at a time,until you get a thick pasty consistency. Rub the paste onto the silver with a soft, dry clean cloth. Rub gently lengthwise, instead of in circles or crosswise.
To clean and polish in any crevasses in your silver pieces, you can use a soft, small brush. To clean between fork tines, you can coat a string with the paste and pull it back and forth between the tines.
When you are done cleaning and polishing, rinse it thoroughly and gently buff the silver with a soft dry cloth or chamois.
There are also commercial pastes you can clean and polish your silver with as well. If you are using a store bought polish, use the same method as with your home made paste, unless otherwise directed on the label.
There are a few other ways to polish silver. One way is using a dip polish. While this is much easier than rubbing with a paste, it also tends to whiten or dull the silver, so it is not recommended as a good way to polish your expensive silver and silver-plated pieces. Another way that is also not recommended for the same reasons, is to use an electrolyte process. Both of these methods are definitely the easier choices, but your silver will suffer for it. So don’t be lazy. Polish your silver by hand the right way.
Storing your silver properly will slow tarnishing and you will, in effect, need to polish it less often. Do not wrap silver in plastic.This will cause it to tarnish more. Rubber bands should also not be used on silver, even after it is wrapped in cloth. These methods can create hard to remove tarnish spots in your silver. Always wrap your silver in a tarnish inhibiting fabric. You can purchase specially made fabric just for this purpose. There are also commercial anti-tarnish fabrics made with an adhesive backing, so you can cut and shape to fit your silver drawer.
Using these methods to clean , polish and store your silver will keep it in perfect condition for years to come.
