What is Tarnish – Patina
Over time, silver tarnishes – it turns dark, and if allowed to continue long enough, it turns black. Some folks love that darkened color and call it Patina. The tarnish is actually the result of a chemical reaction between the silver and sulfur-containing substances in the air. The silver combines with sulfur and forms silver sulfide. Silver sulfide is black. When a thin coating of silver sulfide forms on the surface of silver, it darkens the silver.
Preventing Tarnish
If it is a good piece of silver plate, do not put in dishwasher. Wash the item by hand with warm water and a gentle dishwashing soap to remove any food that might remain from its last use. Soaking silver in water for any length of time is a big no-no. Rinse the piece well with clean water, distilled is best, and dry immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth. Use a soft cotton cloth or sponge and a good non-abrasive commercial silver cleaner or polish. Over polishing silver can wear down the finish though, especially on plated.
A secret to keeping your silver looking good once you have shined it is this. Use your silverware on a daily basis and wash it, dry it with a soft towel and then use a silverware chest to store it in. By using your silver daily you are washing away the impurities in the air like sulphur that cause the tarnish in the first place. By caring for your families silver properly you will maintain it’s beauty and value for a lifetime and more as silver is one of those things that survives well.
Store Properly
It is important to store your silver flatware effectively to prevent scratching and corrosion. Wrap your flatware in acid-free tissue paper, or undyed cotton or linen and keep in airtight conditions in special airtight boxes or chests. Do not use storage boxes or chests with rubber seals.
Use and enjoy your silver plate flatware, the more it is used the better. Buy well, treat it well, and it will last a lifetime.
Do not wrap silver in rubber bands. Rubber bands can damage the finish of silverware as seen in the photo. This darkening is a result of a reaction between the silver and the rubber. It is permanent damage.
Polishing Silverware
Don’t Overpolish. Surprisingly, silver flatware does not need regular polishing and should not be cleaned more than necessary. Regular cleaning of your silverware with a soft cloth, using a brush with very soft bristles for crevices, and washing in warm soapy water, rinsing well, and drying with a dry clean towel will reduce the need to polish even more.
Wash and Polish Carefully. On the occasions when you do need to polish your silver plate flatware, only use a good quality silver polish or cream, not a standard metal polish. Rinse afterwards in clean water and dry with a clean tea towel. A soft brush can be used to remove polish from crevices on patterned silverware or within the bolster. If you wear gloves make sure that they are cotton or plastic as rubber gloves are corrosive.
Silverplate flatware knife blades will most likely be stainless steel and they should be cleaned with that in mind.
Quick method for removing tarnish from Silverplate
There are many quick method tarnish removal processes. This is not advised to be done routinely as this may damage the silver.
For this you will need the following:
Rubber gloves
Very hot water
Washing Soda
Aluminum pan (line with aluminum foil if desired)
This is a chemical reaction. It is the quickest way that I have found to remove tarnish from silverplate.
You need the water very very warm so that the chemical reaction will happen.
Lay your flatware items in the pan making sure that the pieces do not touch.
Put your gloves on to protect your skin.
Pour hot water into the pan making sure that all the pieces are covered.
Pour washing soda into the hot water on the flatware.
You will be able to see the chemical reaction start to happen. Let it set for about 1 minute.
Allow the clean hot water to remove most of the washing soda from the pan. Then take the pieces out one by one and run them under the very warm/hot water. You can then set to the side and wash normally with mild soap and water to remove any possible residue.
Best tip for your silverware – Just Use It!
Good information here on silver and tarnish and what to do about it. I’m not a collector (or owner) of silver, mostly because I’m too lazy to keep in shiny!
Good news it this – if you use it, then no need to shine it.
Great information in this post, Robin! I have my mother’s old silverware set and honestly haven’t looked at it in years. It is in its original chest tucked away in the cupboard. I was surprised to hear that some people actually like the tarnished look, as that kind of defeats the purpose of having ‘silver’ flatware. Once I pull the sterling silver set from the cupboard, I will use your tips on how to clean the set quickly…just this one time.
I remember my grandma old silver and how we would spend a few hours once in awhile cleaning it…thanks for the information…
Hopefully, those are good memories. Such a simpler time.
Folks love when the black oxidation fills the lines and flower detail; it really is pretty.
Great tips for cleaning silver flatware. I don’t have any silver, but I do own a bronze cutlery set that requires a lot of polishing. A friend told me the hot water, baking soda and foil work really well to clean oven shelves too. I haven’t tried it yet.
Super tip about the over; will have to try that.
Thank you for this post Robin. I was just wondering about how to clean my silverware and you provided the answer! Love your blog!
So glad you found it helpful.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MY ORDER
Is “washing soda” the same thing as baking soda?
No. Washing soda is generally on the same aisle as laundry detergent.