Wear nitrile gloves and take off any rings/bracelets so you don’t accidentally scratch the silver with your fingernails or jewelry. Avoid detergents containing citrus to prevent spotting on silver. Hand wash silver by itself. Dishes and utensils can scratch silver. Don’t put silver in the dishwasher! High temperatures and rough agitation can discolor and damage it.
Washing silver with dish soap, then following up by cleaning it with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol, is a surprisingly effective combination for removing light tarnish. You may find that you don’t need to do any polishing! If the silver isn’t used for food service, you can rinse off the alcohol or sanitizer by spraying on a plant-based window cleaner and then drying it. This might give your silver a little extra shine.
Some silver cleaning pros say you must polish only with back-and-forth motions, while others say you must use only small circular motions. You’ll have to decide for yourself which method to use. All the experts agree, though, that you must not scrub too hard—instead, rub lightly and let the polish do its job. Read the packaging carefully and buy a low-abrasion silver polish. You can also consult reputable rankings online or ask a silversmith or other expert.
If you decide to submerge the silver in the dip, pour the dip into a plastic container. Put the silver in the container, cover the container with a lid, and let the silver soak for the time specified in the instructions. Rinse the piece thoroughly with warm water since dip residue can eat away at the silver and cause pitting. Dips contain strong chemicals, so wear nitrile gloves and follow the safety instructions on the package. Never submerge objects that have sealed components, like candlesticks, trophies with hollow feet, or teapots with hollow handles, in silver dip. If the dip leaks into the cavity through small holes or imperfections, it’s virtually impossible to wash the chemical out.
Acidic cleaners might be an option for items like jewelry that you wear frequently, but maybe not for high-value jewelry that you save for special occasions.
Keep a close eye on the silver as you work. If you notice scratching at any point, stop and rinse the toothpaste off.
You can substitute cream of tartar and get the same results.
Baking soda takes off a layer of silver along with the tarnish, so it’s absolutely not recommended for high-value silver items, most especially if they are silver plated (a layer of silver over another metal).
Another variation of this technique uses 1 tbsp (15 g) of powdered laundry detergent instead of baking soda, but the results should be similar. [13] X Research source The mixture of chemicals and the contact between aluminum and silver create a galvanic reaction that dissolves tarnish. However, the reaction is hard to control and can quickly cause major damage to silver items (particularly any fine details).
Don’t put plastic wrap or a plastic bag directly in contact with silver. Never store silver where it can contact rubber, stainless steel, or paint. Don’t store sharp objects in a silver container or next to silver items. Don’t stack silver items directly on top of one another. Never toss or drop silver—into the sink, into a drawer, or anywhere else! Don’t cut anything on a silver platter, even with a dull knife. [15] X Research source
