How to Clean Your Silverware

2 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy

Many people dread the job of taking the tarnish off silverware. I know there are more than a few who are afraid of polishing silverware, but truly, it is easy and not as much work as you might think. Using a good silver polish, like a brand name Silver Cream, makes the job a snap. Please don’t use things like Tarn-x on your good silver, it removes some of the metal to get its job done.

Looking at this silverplate set, you can see the tarnish quite easily. But honestly, this is not hard to fix.

Fill your sink with enough water to just cover the utensils. Using a wet sponge, drag it in the silver polish and wipe the utensil.

Yes, it really is that easy. I hold two pieces of the silverware at once, wipe the fronts and backs, then drop them back in the water. Just look at the difference in these spoons. I didn’t have to scrub, just simple wiping works.

The butter knife on the top was just as tarnished as the one on the bottom. But a simple swipe with the polish and it is all gone.

I place the tarnished utensils on the left, and move them to the right as I clean them. Truly, all you have to do is wipe them off.

When all have been wiped with the silver polish, use the sprayer to thoroughly rinse them. I then check each piece and rinse again.

Lay the rinsed flatware on a towel, and immediately hand dry each one. Place them back in their box as you go.

Shiny and bright, ready for the next holiday meal. See more DIY on my blog, From My Carolina Home, including quilting, sewing, crafting, book reviews, new recipes and more.

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Carole | From My Carolina Home
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 3 comments
  • William William on Jun 30, 2019

    I sell a lot of silver on Ebay. Jewelry, silverware, serving sets. Silver polish like Wrights and dips like TarnX tend to remove some of the metal. The foil method doesn't work that great and still leaves a grey film that still needs to be removed. I use white toothpaste (not gel) and a damp toothbrush. For large items I use a damp cloth. Also works on copper, brass, gold, porcelain, ceramics, sneakers, plastics, etc. For my sales I needed one product for cleaning everything.

    • I am not convinced that good silver polish such as Wright's Silver Cream will damage the flatware in any meaningful way. It may in fact remove microscopic amounts, but long experience polishing the same pieces in the same way says it doesn't affect the pieces much. The silver plate shown is my grandmothers. She, then my mother, and now I, have cleaned it this way several times a year since it was originally purchased in 1920 for a wedding gift. In almost 100 years of this method on the same silver pieces over and over, no visible loss of silver has occurred. Perhaps it is the method I use, with a lot of water that makes a difference. I don't know, I only know it works, it is easy, and there hasn't been any damage to the set. I would not use Tar-X as I stated above.

  • William William on Jul 01, 2019

    I agree. Your method may be saving the silver. Others would just use the polish and scrub the tarnish also some of the metal. Great call. Still I just needed one product to clean everything I sell. Toothpaste worked for me.


    https://www.hometalk.com/diy/clean/kitchen/12-surprising-alternative-uses-for-toothpaste-35189555

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