Silver adds that extra sparkle to every holiday table. Let’s ensure your favorite table accouterment is ready for your next special occasion. Here’s how to properly clean, protect, and store your silver.
Cleaning Silver
When cleaning your silver, it is critical to use the proper equipment and avoid over-cleaning. During cleaning, immediately wash your silver in warm, soapy water after usage. Rinse well with warm water and pat dry with a soft flannel or cotton cloth.
Alternatively, you might use a Silver Butler cloth (which we have conveniently at our store) with a built-in cleaning solution to dry the pieces. Avoid letting your silver air dry since standing water might stain it and cause spotting.
Once you have finished cleaning, polish your silver (we recommend Howard’s brand Silver Polish) with a soft cloth to keep it shiny and lustrous, and take care to clean each piece thoroughly, paying special attention to areas that may have become tarnished, such as a fork’s tine.
Protecting Silver
It’s important to clean your silver regularly to keep it looking its best. Use a soft cloth or brush with mild soap and warm water to gently remove dirt and grime. Use a silver polishing cloth or Silver polish (again, shoutout to our favorite, Howard’s brand) to bring back its shine.
Make sure to use a non-abrasive cloth or polish, as abrasive materials can scratch the surface of the silver. Then, wrap the silver in dry, acid-free tissue paper and place it inside cotton or Tarnprufe bags.
A protective coating such as lacquer or wax can be applied to the surface of the silver to prevent tarnishing and corrosion. Flannel bags or chests lined with flannel cloths are great for preventing tarnishing.
Storing Silver
There are a few things to bear in mind if you want to preserve your silver, so it looks perfect the next time you pull it out. A cold, dry location away from direct sunshine and other sources of moisture and heat is, first and foremost, the best place to keep silver.
Be careful to keep silver away from things like smoke, home paints, rubber, newspaper, wool, and other things that might tarnish it. Additionally, it’s crucial to keep silver away from humid areas, cardboard boxes, and plastic wraps fastened with rubber bands.
Instead, keep silver in airtight bins or bags lined with tarnish-resistant paper or fabric. Moreover, keep silver stored separately from other metals to prevent tarnishing or corrosion.
Hint-hint, nudge-nudge: We have polishing gloves, silver polish, and flannel bags at our store if you need any!
We’re Here to Help
Parties and gatherings are great things, but sometimes things happen, and your silver gets broken or damaged. Don’t worry — we can help. Give us a call. You might also find that your favorite piece looks a bit off when you pull it out. We can help with that, too.