3 Tips for Maintaining Your Silver Flatware

Many a proud homeowner will have fine silver flatware that only gets brought out on the most special of occasions. However, no matter how fastidiously you watch over your flatware and keep it under lock and key when not in use, it can still suffer from general wear and tear.

Be it shiny spoons or an ornate Kiddush cup, knowing how to maintain silver flatware is crucial and is the most effective way to ensure it lasts a long time and remains as sparkling and beautiful as the day you first bought it. If you’re worried about your silver flatware getting damaged or corroded, we’ve put together a guide to help you out. Keep reading to find out more.

How can Silver get Damaged?

Silver is just as susceptible to knocks, bumps, and scrapes than any other material. However, silver can suffer a form of damage known as tarnishing, which causes unsightly corrosion marks that can all but ruin your fine silver flatware.

Tarnishing is a type of chemical reaction that happens when silver comes into contact with sulfur. Sulphur is found in numerous places, including in fabrics and even in the air, so it is effectively impossible to prevent your silver flatware from coming into contact with sulfur.

However, there are a few tricks to help prevent tarnish from setting in. While they might not be 100% effective, they will certainly offer your silver an extra layer of protection. Let’s find out more.

Correct Storage is Vital

We might only use our silver flatware every now and then. This means that it will spend extended periods of time stored away. When it is stored away out of our sight, it can be easy for corrosion to set in without you noticing. This means that the correct storage procedures are absolutely crucial.

Silver should be stored in tarnish-resistant materials or wrapped in special acid-free paper. This will help protect it against sulfur in the environment that can cause tarnishing. One trick is to store your silver with a piece of white chalk. The chalk will help absorb moisture in the air and will create a more stable environment in which to store your silver flatware.

How to Remove Tarnish?

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts our silver can still end up becoming tarnished. Before you throw it away in despair, there are actually ways to rejuvenate your silver and get it back to its sparkling best.

Adding your items to a foil-lined pot containing a mixture of boiling water, baking soda and salt for a few minutes can remove tarnish from silver. Remember to let the items cool after you remove them from the water and then wipe them down gently with a soft cloth. For more heavily tarnished silver, adding vinegar to the mix can do the trick.

Conclusion

We might only bring out our silver flatware once or twice a year. However, it’s vital that we ensure it is always in the best possible condition. Follow the steps in this guide to effectively maintain your silver flatware.