- Preventing tarnish buildup minimizes the amount of cleaning required to keep your silver-plated flatware shiny and bright. Store clean silver in an environment free of airborne sulfurs and chlorides to prevent tarnish growth. Never store the silver with felt, plastic or wool, all of which promote tarnish growth. Store the silver in an airtight drawer or cupboard, after covering the silver with a protective cloth.
- Before tackling the tarnish, hand wash and dry the silver-plated flatware. While you might be tempted to use the dishwasher, over time, the dishwasher can change the color of the silver. When washing, do not scrub the pieces forcefully as it is possible to rub off some of the silver plate.
- While silver paste or cream is suitable for removing tarnish from solid-silver pieces, do not use it on silver-plated flatware. The covering on silver-plated flatware is relatively thin and will not stand up to vigorous buffing. Instead, use a dipping silver polish to remove tarnish.
- Instead of dipping the pieces in the dipping silver polish, dab the polish on the piece and then rinse off. This is less harsh on the pieces, especially those with hallowed handles as submerging hallowed pieces in liquid fosters breaks in your flatware.
- A home remedy involves using aluminum foil, salt and baking soda to remove tarnish quickly and easily. While not recommended for valuable pieces, or for those with soldered pieces or hallowed handles, it takes some of the work out of tarnish removal. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the kitchen sink. Fill the sink with very hot tap water and baking soda and salt, using 1 tsp. each for each quart of water. Add the flatware to the water and leave for about two minutes. Remove and wash.
next post