How to Polish Silver Flatware
Well-kept silver shines softly, enhancing any corner it occupies. Whether you inherited a silver tea service, bought a set of silver plate flatware or own some silver jewelry, keeping it beautiful should be a priority. As it happens, you can buy a commercial product, use common household substances or make your own environmentally-friendly concoction. You can even conduct a scientific experiment and actually reverse the process of tarnishing. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Silver polish of choice
- 2 bath towels
- Soft, preferably cotton flannel or well-used cotton jersey rags
- Clean, damp sponge
- Gloves (optional)
Instructions
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Polish It
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1
Gather all the silver pieces you wish to polish next to the kitchen sink, but work on a few at a time.
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2
Lay a bath towel on the counter on either side of the sink to receive wet and finished pieces.
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3
Wash each piece in warm water, rinse well and place on one side of the sink to air dry. If there are glued-on pieces, instead of immersing, sponge the piece clean.
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4
Rub polish on every surface and into crevices and corners with a damp sponge dedicated to silver care or your finger. Since many silver polishes contain mild abrasive substances, stroke with the grain, rather than in circles or across the grain.
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5
Let heavily tarnished items sit for a few minutes.
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6
Rinse each piece again, removing every bit of silver polish. Lay on the second towel while you finish a small batch of silver items.
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7
Buff each piece gently with soft cotton flannel or cotton jersey cloth, turning and changing the cloth as it collects tarnish or water. Stow buffed silver in its storage container and begin a new batch.
Limit your Work
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8
Use the silver. It tarnishes more slowly.
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9
Slow tarnish by storing in cool, dark, dry places and possibly in anti-tarnish wrappings.
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10
Add a piece of white chalk, a dessicating silica gel packet (find one in a bottle of medicine), a camphor block or a few granules of deactivated charcoal to the storage drawer or box.
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11
Keep the flatware away from tarnishing agents. Rubber, latex, stainless steel (even flatware), wool or felt fabrics, velvet, some unsealed wood surfaces, and, of course, paint.
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12
Wash the pieces immediately after contact with tarnishing foods like salt, egg, mustard, peas and onions.
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13
Wrap them in polyethylene, which keeps out much atmospheric air, if the item must be stored for a long time.
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Tips & Warnings
Easy does it on silver polish. Use it sparingly. Try a do-it-yourself product. Apply white toothpaste or a paste of baking soda and water, rinse, let dry, and perfect the polish with a soft cloth. For heavy tarnish, use a silver dip. Either wipe some on or immerse the item in a bath of the liquid. Make your own silver dip by mixing very hot water and 1/8 cup each of baking soda and salt in a glass or plastic bowl. Submerge a piece of tin foil, then add the items you wish to polish. Keep the items in contact with the tin foil and with one another. This solution reverses the oxidation process. It's a fun, Tom Sawyer task for a rainy day, and safe for children, since nothing is toxic. If, after five minutes or so, tarnish remains, rinse the items, let dry, and reheat the solution. Heavy tarnish may require more than one de-oxidizing bath. Reverse the corrosion food may cause by soaking the silver piece for five minutes in a pre-heated mixture of one cup of vinegar and a teaspoon and a half of salt. If you leave a little tarnish in deep crevices, a silver item looks older.
Notice if the silver you wish to polish has parts or areas not made of silver. Do not get silver polish on these areas. Commercial silver dip, in particular, will remove the sheen from some gemstones. It's best not to use silver dip, commercial or homemade, if the item to be polished combines several metals. Polish antiques very carefully. Regular paper and cardboard products may contain acid. Allow silver to sit only on acid-free paper products.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit All photos courtesy of the author
