Cleaning Silver
It’s always so satisfying to check off time-consuming cleaning chores.
Recently, my housekeepers took on the task of cleaning and polishing all my silver at the farm. It took several days to complete, but now, my silver table pieces and flatware are shimmering once again.
There are several ways to clean silver. A frequently recommended, nontoxic method is to fill an aluminum pan with hot water, add salt and baking soda, stir until it is all dissolved, and then soak the pieces until a chemical reaction occurs that removes the tarnish. This technique is faster than hand cleaning, but may cause pitting and remove the more desirable tarnish called patina.
Silver cleaning cloths made especially for removing tarnish from precious metals are also available. Experts recommend using a good-quality, non-abrasive commercial silver polish. Here are photos from our process.
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