Care of Sterling Silver and Silverplate

If you own items that are sterling silver or silverplate, or especially if you own pieces that are antique silver, a good idea would be to stock a box of supplies you'll need for cleaning silver. You'll need the following: Clean cotton cloth, polishing cream, towels, and a box of cotton swabs.

The first step in cleaning silver, silverplate and antique silver is dusting. Using a clean cotton cloth, make sure you dust piece well,and don't forget those tiny cracks and crevices. A cotton swab works well for those hard to reach places.

The second step in cleaning silver, especially antique silver, is washing the piece in warm water using a mild dish detergent. Rinse well, and place on a towel. Hand dry each piece with a soft, lint free cloth. Again, a cotton swab helps to get into those hard to reach places.

The third step in cleaning silver, and especially antique silver, is polishing. Put the polish on in small, circular motions, taking care to get a good coating all and again, use a cotton swab for those hard to reach places. Keep going in those same circular motions until all the polish is rubbed off. Remember the cotton swabs to make sure the polish isn't left in those crevices and dips.

The fourth step in cleaning your silver, silver plate, and antique silver is a second washing with mild dish detergent, and once again drying with lint-free cloth.

Now that the cleaning is done, where are you going to put your silver? No matter where you decide to store silver, silverplate, or antique silver, there are special steps that need to be taken. Whether you put out the silver for display in the glassed door cabinet or into drawers or boxes until you use it again, you need to store silver, silverplate, and antique silver using these simple precautions:

If you decide to display your silver, silverplate, or antique silver, a glass cabinet is the best choice. The key to silver safety here is keeping the humidity low. Always put down a lining of cotton flannel cloth or specially made silver cloth to place your silver, silverplate , and especially antique silver on, and place a camphor block inside the case.

Don't let the camphor block touch the silver directly. Also, don't place things made of cotton felt, wool, or velvet near your silver, especially antique silver.These fabrics contain sulfides that actually attack the metal. Always keep silver out of direct sunlight for long periods of time because it hastens tarnishing.

If you are planning to store silver, silverplate, and especially antique silver, a polyethylene protective bag works well to put pieces into. These bags create a barrier to protect pieces from gases that cause tarnishing.

When putting pieces into drawers, especially antique silver pieces , into drawers,line with cotton flannel cloth of silver cloth also. Never use rubber bands around flatware because rubber also can tarnish silver.