Tips for Polishing Silverware
from http://www.yankeemagazine.com/

Want to keep your silver in tip-top shape? The best way to clean silver is to use and clean it regularly, but if you only use your silverware twice a year, follow these helpful silver polishing tips from the editors of Yankee Magazine.

• If using silver regularly, try this method to clean it. After each use, simply wash it with a mild dishwashing liquid, rinse and buff dry with a soft cloth. Every time you polish silver, you wear off a fine layer of the metal, so polish only when you have to, and do it as gently as you can.
• Remove egg stains from silver by rubbing on salt with your fingertips, then washing in dishwashing liquid and rinsing well before buffing the piece dry. Don't skip the washing and rinsing stages, or you'll get new stains from the salt.
• Always use cotton gloves—not rubber ones—when polishing silver. Rubber can make silver tarnish faster, and the gloves will leave fingerprints that are hard to remove. In fact, contact with rubber can cause damage only a silversmith can repair.
• Never put a rubber band around a piece of silver. Over time, it will leave a brown stain that will be nearly impossible to remove.
• Drain your freshly washed silver on paper or cloth towels—never on rubber mats, which will make the pieces tarnish faster.
• When you store your silver, make sure the drawer is lined with a cotton, flannel or felt mat, not a rubber one that could promote tarnish.

These May Be Hazardous to Your Silver

• Check the label to make sure the soap you use to clean your silver doesn't contain phosphorus or sulfur compounds, as these will cause staining.
• Be sure to wash silver immediately after it's come in contact with eggs, brussels sprouts, vinegar or salt. All of these foods contain sulfur compounds, which cause silver to tarnish.
• If you live in an area with hard water (water that contains a lot of minerals), use distilled water to clean your silver. Hard water may leave mineral deposits that can cause pitting.
• Avoid letting your silver come in contact with mustard, mayonnaise or plastic wrap. At best, they'll tarnish the silver; at worst, they'll pit it beyond repair.

Homemade Silver Cleaner | Polish Silver without Harsh Chemicals

Earl Proulx had a simple solution for practically everything — including household chores. A woman once wrote to him asking how to clean a sterling silver spoon she had left soaking in bleach, causing it to turn "black as an ace of spades." She'd tried cleaning it with silver polish, but with no luck. He suggested she try the electrolyte method, and gave her instructions to make a homemade silver cleaner that's easy, uses common household staples, and doesn't require gloves or messy chemicals. She wrote again to tell him how well the method worked for her. Before she tried it, she thought the spoon was ruined.

Note: This method should be used as a last resort. The electromagnetic reaction that removes the tarnish may also remove the patina, leaving the silver looking flat. Do not use this method for cleaning silver on pieces that have a raised design or on cemented pieces. For help with cleaning valuable pieces of silver, we suggest contacting a silversmith.

Ingredients for Homemade Silver Cleaner:

1 quart of hot water
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 sheet of aluminum foil
non-aluminum dish

Line bottom of non-aluminum dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda into a quart of hot water.

Soak for a half hour — time may vary depending on degree of tarnish.

Buff with clean, dry cloth.