Care of Silver & Flatware

Care and Love For Your Sterling or Silverplate Flatware

Celebrate your ownership of fine sterling, silverplate flatware or holloware. Fine silver is a lifetime and generational investment. Nothing graces a table better than fine silver. The patina and glow of your silverware cannot be matched by stainless. It won’t wear out, so use it daily, as well as for those special occasions.

The most serious dangers to your silver are salt, eggs, mayonnaise, acid foods such as tomatoes, onions and citrus. Silver does not like rubber so don't use a rubber band to keep groups of silver together.

Do not leave your silver in contact with these foods for long periods (like overnight), although usually it will just discolor your silver which you can polish out. But if these foods are left in contact for long periods, it can cause pitting of your silver. So be aware. If you are running late, after a party, at least rinse your silver off with warm, sudsey water shortly after use. Don’t let food sit on your fine silver overnight and don't let it soak in water overnight either. Proper care of your silver will ensure a long life of your precious flatware.

Never, Never put your silver in the dishwasher!! It will pit badly over time. This also applies to hand decorated china ware. Especially that gold rim that graces your plates and cups or fine hand painted china. There are professionals who say it is OK to put your silver in the dishwasher if you use certain 'rules' or conditions to do so. I, personally, would never wash my silver in a dishwasher under any circumstances; Especially if you intend it to be generational, to pass on for years and years.

Sterling or silverplate will tarnish over time if not used and washed frequently. It is of great value to store your silver in a flatware box or chest lined with anti-tarnish felt.

Should you need to polish your silver, use a cream polish and a soft rag. (I recommend Wright’s silver cream & an old terry cloth and even a soft toothbrush for hard to reach places).

Never use the ‘dip it’ liquids or other ‘home’ remedies to polish your silver. These products or recipes actually remove some of the silver. That’s how it ‘cleans’!! It is bad news. Gently clean your silver with a cream polish and when the desired lustre is reached, wash in warm, soapy water, and dry with a soft cotton cloth. I like to use a 100% soft cotton flour sack dish towel for the final drying & polish. Even the old cotton diapers work well for drying.

I usually polish a piece or two of silver almost every week so that I don’t end up having to polish a whole set the day before I need it. The pieces we use everyday just go in a separate kitchen drawer much like the stainless. Don’t be afraid to use and enjoy your silver. It was designed for those very things, and life is too short not to enjoy the things we love most. Lots of use is what gives silver the lovely patina that older silver attains.

If your silverplate does wear thin, or through to the base metal, it can be replated or restored. But it takes a lot of hard use to get that much wear and it is still safe to eat with if it is worn. Sterling is silver all the way through, so it should last forever with proper care.

If you need to have silverplate resilvered or restored, google or search for 'foundries' or 'restoring silver' for a reliable, professional company.

Do take care to count your silver pieces after a large party. Sometimes a piece gets into the trash or disposal unbeknownst to the unsuspecting host.