Cleaning Silver

You don't have to use those synthetic cleaning products for cleaning silver. You can use natural cleaning products you most likely already have in your home that will work just as well for removing tarnish from your silver.

Frequently Used Silver:

If you frequently use your silver the hand rubbing that occurs will add beauty to the patina of piece. To wash flatware, hand wash using a phosphate free and unscented detergent. To avoid spotting, dry when finished with a soft cloth.

Removing Light Tarnish from Silver:

Using washing soda is a good method of cleaning silver pieces that are not hollow. This method can be used to clean a silver item that is lightly tarnished; not the thick black tarnish.

Start by placing a quart of hot water in a large glass bowl. Add a tablespoon of washing soda and a tablespoon of salt. Stir to allow the soda and salt to completely dissolve. Then place a sheet of aluminum foil and place it in the bottom of the bowl.

It’s then as simple as placing the lightly tarnished silver item in the solution on the aluminum foil and let sit for 15 to 20 seconds. Then rinse under clean, warm water before polishing and drying.

Cleaning a Silver Coffeepot or Teapot:

To reach inside the coffee or teapot, wrap a damp soft cloth around your dish sponge with handle and secure it with a rubber band - or use anything that is small enough to fit through the opening.

Then apply a fair amount of Silver Cream to the cloth. Start wiping the stain until clean. Rinse with warm water and dry with a clean soft cloth.

Vinegar, Salt, and Flour:

White vinegar is another inexpensive and quick way of polishing silver without breaking out the harsh chemicals. For smaller items, dissolve one teaspoon of salt into one cup of vinegar. Then, use a 1/4 cup of flour to make a paste out of the solution. (For larger items, such as bowls and treys, use the same proportion – three cups vinegar, three teaspoons of salt, 3/4 cup of flour, etc.)

After you’ve made the paste, spread it on the silver and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove the paste with a clean cloth and warm water. Polish and dry the silver with another clean, soft cloth. If the silver still looks tarnished, repeat the process.

Cleaning Corrosion from Silver:

Although ammonia won’t improve upon the smell of commercial silver cleaning products, it’s still an inexpensive way of cleaning silver. The most important thing to remember is that ammonia must be well diluted or it will ruin the silver. You should also work in a well ventilated area and wear gloves, such as in an open garage.

Combine 1/4 cup of water, two teaspoons of liquid dish soap, and one teaspoon of ammonia, and mix well. Dip a cotton swab into the solution for small items, or a clean cloth for larger items, and rub on the silver.

If this doesn’t work, make a large enough batch to soak your silver in the solution. Let it soak for 10 minute intervals for up to 30 minutes, then immediately rinse with warm water before scrubbing. Then polish and dry with a clean cloth.

If this process does not work well enough, you may have to have a professional clean your silver piece.

Removing Adhesive from Silver:

I get why they have to have store labels that stick to an item, but I just hate it when I have to work at removing the adhesive that's left behind.

To remove adhesive from a silver piece, use a little Goo Gone on a soft cloth to get rid of the sticky left overs.

Using these readily-available products turns cleaning silver from a chore to a bit of scientific fun.

Caring for Silver:

• It is important to note the professionals advise against washing silver in the dishwasher as the detergent can cause the silver to whiten. It can also cause the blade from a hollow handled knife to launch out of the handle.
• Give yourself time when cleaning silver to avoid damaging fragile parts.
• Salt, if allowed to sit, is corrosive to silver. If are using a salt shaker for a party, empty the shaker and clean the silver thoroughly before putting away.
• For best results, silver should be stored in a tarnish resistant cloth.