How to clean and keep silver clean.

There is a lot of different and conflicting advice on the Internet from lighter fuel to potato water to toothpaste and standards like ready made silver cleaning products. 

I think it is best to ask a professional jeweler’s advice. The article below has been complied from information I found on the Internet.

Some say this works best while others say it is no good. Seems the best ways are a good proprietary silver cleaner and for really tarnished silver the chemical reaction using salt/baking soda.

Never use soap on your silver if you want to retain its original lustre. The proprietor of one of the oldest silver establishments in the city of Philadelphia says that housekeepers ruin their silver with soap suds; makes it look like pewter.

Chemical reaction with baking soda

Place aluminum foil in the bottom of a glass dish add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and about 2 cups boiling water. A mild chemical reaction will then clean silver. Make sure your sliver comes in contact with the aluminum. The sulfide tarnish is lifted when the silver, water and aluminum set up a slight electrical charge. You should smell rotten eggs, i.e. sulphur, so don't breathe in the fumes.

Add more soda if it doesn't seem to work as fast. It is usually instantaneous. Then using a colander or strainer pour out the solution. Rinse with cold water. Count your items as you place them on a towel to dry. Make sure you’ve account for all your jewelry before you throw away the aluminum. It will be dirty because the oxides on your jewelry were transferred to it. Your sterling silver jewelry should now look like new!

Similar advise suggests an aluminum pot : A great and easy way to clean all silver, including silver place settings, is to put the silver in an aluminum dish (like one of those roasting pans you get at the grocery store) and liberally sprinkle it with baking soda and then pour boiling water over it all. When it cools, remove and wipe dry. It gets off all the tarnish and makes it very shiny. Easy and easy on the environment, too!
However the aluminum-foil method sounds mild and harmless but can result in pitting that gives your silver an orange-peel texture overall. Go by stages and use a soft clean cotton cloth to rub away the damp aluminum sulfate that collects on the surface of the silver before you decide it is working or not.

Electrolytic methods of cleaning with aluminum-salt-soda are not recommended for cleaning silver with an oxidized or French gray finish. For silver with an oxidized or French gray finish or for any valuable piece you're better off sticking to gentle hand washing and commercial silver polishes. It's safest to have truly special pieces professionally cleaned.
Avoid abrasive cleaners. Using baking soda or toothpaste is already a stretch. You run the risk of scratching your silver. Anything more abrasive than those products will almost certainly result in damage.
Avoid wearing silver jewelry in swimming pools. The chlorine can damage the silver in a short time.

Even though it's metal silver plate can be rubbed right off if you're too diligent with your silver polish. Be sure the dark smear is actually tarnish and not the base metal beginning to show through.
Silver polishes and dips may contain harmful chemicals. Follow instructions and heed the manufacturer's warnings.

Cleaning silver necklaces

A question frequently posted goes something like this: Do you know of a non-toxic and successful way to clean silver jewelry and bring it back to shine?
One reply made this suggestion: Silver polish and a very soft toothbrush, or flannel cloth should get your necklaces shiny bright. Silver polish is a paste. Coat the necklaces really thoroughly, leave it for 5 minutes or so, scrub it lightly with the toothbrush and rinse in warm water. 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. You may need to do some spot scrubbing after that.

One person wrote: I'm sure that a jeweler would be horrified by this, but I've always used white toothpaste to polish my sterling silver stuff. Definitely non-toxic and I've never seen any long term ill-effects.

A jeweler warns about those recommendations to clean silver with a toothbrush and toothpaste: Don't! Toothbrush bristles, nylon or natural, can scratch soft metals such as sterling. To get out stubborn grime in crevices, let them soak in a warm cleaning solution, such as the baking soda/boiling water idea shared by others.

Also, for those who think toothpaste is non-toxic have you read the warning labels on any tube of commercial toothpaste? Exception perhaps for some natural brands. They tell you to call the Poison Control center immediately if you swallow more than is used for brushing your teeth. Got to be some weird and dangerous chemicals in them!

See more of our beautiful solid silver chains, pendants and necklaces.

Cleaning silver and pearl jewelry

More information from a goldsmith: The best way although a bit time consuming is with a rouge cloth (also called polishing cloth or silver cloth). Your jewelry will stay brighter for a longer period of time, it will oxidize more slowly than when using a dip. If you do use a dip make sure that it specifically states that it is 'safe for pearls' When you use the cloth you can't reach the deep crevices. Most people who know jewelry would say that this accentuates all of the dimensions and fine detail of a chain or other piece of jewelry.

The knowledgeable jeweler writes: Silver oxidizes, that is its natural state, use that to add to the beauty rather than expect some bright, forever/falsely shiny piece. Do not use baking soda or any type of tooth paste on any jewelry. Not only does it cause very fine surface scratches it is nearly impossible to remove without professional help from all but flat surfaces and will not do justice to your stones either.

Cleaning Silver Flatware

Do not let hollow handled silverware or hollow ware stand in water as a combination of heat, water and detergent may loosen soldering.

Washing in a Dishwasher

Silverware may be washed in the dishwasher but the patina on fine silver is enhanced by the rubbing that occurs when washing and drying by hand. Hollow handles may be loosened with exposure to heat and detergent in the dishwasher.

Do not spill dry dishwasher detergent on flatware; it may cause dark spots.

If washing both silverware and stainless steel flatware in the dishwasher do not put in the same basket section or let one metal touch the other or the silver may be permanently damaged.

New sterling silverware sometimes gets brown spots after washing in the dishwasher. Sterling is 92.5 % silver and 7.5 % other alloys including copper for greater durability. In automatic dishwashing a reaction can occur between water droplets and the small portion of copper at the surface to cause brown spots on some pieces. After the silverware has been washed several times the copper on the surface is gone and the surface is pure silver. Avoid such spotting on new silverware by washing and drying new silverware by hand for the first few uses.

If you want to use the dishwasher follow these precautions:

Use the automatic rinse dispenser feature of a dishwasher. The rinse agent lowers the surface tension of the rinse water so it sheets off the surfaces and droplets don't form.

Or use a rinse agent in solid form that hangs on the dishwasher rack if your dishwasher does not have an automatic rinse dispenser.

Remove new silverware from the dishwasher immediately after the last rinse cycle and towel dry for the first few times.

Heavily tarnished silver.

The tarnish is actually silver sulfide that is created when sliver comes into contact with airborne sulfur containing substances like fossil fuels. Some foods like eggs also speed up tarnishing.

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. Here are some tips to help you keep your silver shining.

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 silver.

Avoid using rubber gloves when washing silver; rubber corrodes silver. Use a soft 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. 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.

Baking soda. Baking soda may remove stubborn tarnish but don't use it unless you don't mind the risk of damaging the silver. Baking soda is generally considered too abrasive for use on silver.

Commercial silver dips are available which can dissolve stains without rubbing the silver. Contrary to what the word dip implies, professionals rarely actually soak silver in these products, at least not for long. Dips are generally harsh, potentially dangerous chemicals both to the silver and to yourself so follow the directions carefully and consult a professional when in doubt. You can, however, make a gentle homemade silver bath that gets rid of stains and tarnish by an electrochemical reaction. Be aware that both dipping and electrochemical baths can potentially damage your silver and they will remove desirable patina so they're not recommended for silver with an oxidized or French gray finish.
Heat up an appropriately sized container of water and dissolve a large amount of table salt into the water. Use enough salt such that it takes at least a minute to dissolve in the hot water with constant stirring. Shape a liner for the container from aluminum foil and place the foil in the container of hot water (danger do not touch the hot water!). Place silver into the bath inside of the foil for several minutes. Tarnish should dissolve away.

Warning: This will remove any tarnish, even the antique-y ones. Dispose of salt water down the drain after cooling. This is a simple reaction between the aluminum metal and the silver sulfide (tarnish). The table salt acts as an electrolyte to allow the reaction to happen.

Store your silver correctly.

Beyond prompt and frequent cleaning, the best way to preserve your silver is to store it correctly. Make sure each piece is completely dry before storing it. For silverware, wrap each piece in acid-free tissue paper or anti-tarnish paper. You can also wrap pieces in flannel and special flannels are made just for this purpose. Seal the wrapped silver pieces in an airtight plastic bag. Whether you put away your silver in a bag or you put it in a display case, a canister of silica gel placed nearby can help reduce humidity and ward off tarnish. Never store silver where it can contact rubber, stainless steel or paint.

Don't put silver in the dishwasher! Yes, it's possible to put silver in the dishwasher without any ill effects but only if you do everything just right and you're lucky. Just don't chance it. It's also worth considering that the desirable patina that can develop on silver is encouraged by gentle friction that hand washing will provide but which the dishwasher will not.

Many stores and catalogues that sell silver will also sell anti-tarnish silver chests lined with treated felt or just the anti-tarnish cloth itself. These cloths lengthen the amount of time needed between polishing but you still need to do it! They are great for storage; they keep the pieces from being banged around too much. If your silver chest doesn't have a drawer for serving pieces you can just wrap them in a piece of anti-tarnish cloth and put that in a regular box.