Living with silver should be enjoyable, even fun. The smallest piece can add a touch of luxury to everyday life, a sparkle to the dullest day. To keep that glitter on your silver always you need to take some care.

You can cut the cleaning time of your silver by as much as 75 percent if you follow these simple suggestions:

Use polishes containing tarnish preventive and jewelers' rouge. The preventive alone allows your cleaning to last 6 - 8 weeks; the rouge gives a brilliant showroom shine with minimal effort. (Polishes containing jewelers' rouges will be pink.)

Silver in cabinets and cases will stay sparkling for 6 - 8 months if you use camphor blocks. If cabinets are completely airtight you might get up to a year of tarnish-free silver.

To restore the luster, apply some polish with a damp sponge or soft cloth (never paper towels - they'll scratch). Let polish dry. Wipe off with damp sponge, soft cloth or even under running water. Silver will be clear and gleaming - no elbow grease needed.


Step by Step

When cleaning hard tarnish, use a soft-bristled brush or clean cotton cloth to dust the item as a first step. This is important since dust can scratch the finish if not removed before cleaning.

Once all dust and wax are removed, wash the item by hand with warm water and a gentle dishwashing soap to remove any food and gunk, but don't soak the silver in water for any length of time.
Rinse the piece well with clean water, distilled is best, and dry immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth. A hair-dryer set on warm helps to dry hard-to-reach places.

Wearing plastic gloves rather than rubber (rubber can react adversely with the silver) lay the item on a soft towel work surface. Use a soft cotton cloth or sponge and a good non-abrasive commercial silver cleaner or polish. Some people find foams and liquids easier to manage than pastes, but it's really a matter of personal preference.

Apply the polish in a gentle circular motion. For intricate areas, use a cotton-tipped swab to apply the cleaner. Make sure all polish is removed when you're finished, using additional cotton swabs if needed. Once the piece looks clean and shiny, stop polishing even if you're still seeing dark residue on your cloth.

Wash the piece again and Dry with a lint-free cloth. Items not used for food consumption can be waxed with a thin coat of microcrystalline wax to protect against tarnishing, if desired.
After they're clean and completely dry, they are ready to glitter again.

Do not use wool, felt, chamois leather or newspaper, which can cause tarnishing and maybe scratches to the decorative like enamel.

Caring of your silver will be enjoyable, even fun…