5X anti-tarnish silver polishing cloth cleaner platinum jewelry cleaning

Silver is a beautiful, versatile metal, and its soft luster adds a touch of elegance to dishes, flatware, and jewelry. Unfortunately, silver is also pretty fragile compared to many more commonly-used metals, and it can quickly develop tarnish, stains, or scratches. It can also be a bit scary to try to clean silver pieces, because they are often special to us, and we don't want to damage them. You don't have to be a silversmith to clean silver though.

Clean your silver often, and clean it promptly after use. Silver that is frequently used rarely has tarnish problems. When tarnish is not yet present, or when it's just beginning to develop, simply wash your silver in warm (not hot) water with a gentle, phosphate-free detergent. It's a good idea to wash silver separately from your other dishes because metal sinks and utensils can scratch silver, and stainless steel can damage the finish if it comes into contact with your anti-tarnish platinum silver cloth. 

Avoid using rubber gloves when washing silver, as rubber corrodes silver. (Unlike the pictures you will see here, where rubber gloves were worn) Use a Silver Polishing Cloth to gently rub the silver clean, and dry promptly with a soft towel. Gently buff the shine into dull silver with a soft cotton cloth. 

Prompt cleaning is especially important when the silver has been exposed to certain foods containing sulfur, or those which are acidic or salty. In particular, common foods such as table salt, eggs, some fruits, onions, mayonnaise, and vinegar are harmful to silver. Use a plastic or glass insert when serving these foods in serving dishes. In any case, wash your silver right away or at least rinse it well with warm water, and don't leave silver sitting in dishwater that may contain traces of these foods. 

Polish your silver. When tarnish develops on silver, simple hand washing may not suffice to remove it. Specially formulated silver polishes are your safest option for polishing silver, especially if you are dealing with an antique or a piece that has intricate designs etched into it. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. 

Take a bit of polish. Moisten a soft silver-polishing cloth or the sponge included with the silver polish and take a little bit of polish. Rub the silver gently. Rub the silver only in straight-line, back-and-forth motions (not in circles). Avoid scrubbing; rather, let the polish do the job. Rinse under running water. Rinse the silver under running water. Dry the silver completely with a soft, clean cloth. Consider using common household products for less rare or less valuable pieces. They will usually work, but may cause damage. Try them at your own risk.