How to Clean Antique Silverware

Polished Antique Sterling Silver Silverware

Collecting antique silverware is a fun hobby to do at yard sales and estate auctions. Sterling silver is a very functional antique that you can actually use every day without reducing its value. Although most antiques should not be polished, good quality silver is an exception to the rule as long as you use the following guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Silver polish
• Polishing cloth

Instructions

1. Rinse the silver under warm water. This will help spread the silver polish in the next step. In case you are unsure about polishing your antique silver, you should know that silver polish is designed to remove tarnish and not the silver itself, as long as you don't use anything abrasive.

2. Apply a pea-sized amount of silver polish to the silverware and rub it in a circular motion over the surface of the piece. Cover the whole piece with the polish, adding more as necessary.

3. Rub the polish over the silverware until you notice the tarnish coming off on your rag and the piece getting cleaner and shinier. Continue to rub until the item takes on a healthy luster.

4. Hold the silverware under warm running water until the polish has been removed. Do not use any soap, as most silver polish also contains a anti-tarnishing coating that stays on when you rinse it.

5. Buff the antique silverware dry with a clean dry polishing cloth. It is now ready for use. Store it in a felt-lined drawer so that it stays out of the humidity and sunlight of the room.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't use silver with foods like eggs or mayonnaise that contain sulfur, or it will give off an unpleasant taste. Use silverware often to keep it shiny. Use a soft bristled hog-hair paint brush to polish intricate patterns

• Don't polish silver-plated antiques, as they will lose their coating of silver over time.