
We've never actually polished a piece of silver in our lives ... but we've recently considered spiffing up some hand-me-down flatware and bringing it out of the basement.
Leslie over at AT:SF keeps her silver in an air-tight jar to keep it tarnish free -- and in the comments of her post on the subject, many readers shared their own eco-friendly ways to polish silver.
Gregory in LA puts a piece of chalk in his utensil drawer.
We also recently came across Silver Polish from Earth Friendly Products. It is, according to the web site "s formaldehyde-free, phosphate-free, chlorine-free, biodegradable, septic safe, greywater safe and made with only the finest natural ingredients."
How do you keep your silver shiny?
Comments (4)
I recently tried the old aluminum foil/salt/baking soda trick I have heard about and it really works! You need to be willing to leave your silver in the solution for a couple of hours and you need to put up with the sulfur-like stink that comes from it, but it's the easiest way to clean tarnish off silver I've ever known!
Pacific cloth is available at fabric stores and will keep your silver shining without chemicals, scrubs or other stinky solutions. You could line your silver drawer a little flap/blanket cover and rest assured your silver will sparkle the next time you get it out.
Toothpaste and a rag--or an old toothbrush for the intricate bits. Works great!
And you should use your silver frequently to keep it looking nice without needing polishing. Since I handwash all my dishes, whether I'm washing silver or everyday dishes doesn't really matter.
I’m a silver restoration & conservation specialist who recently tested Earth Friendly’s silver polish. This product is EXTREMELY abrasive! Though it is non-toxic, it certainly is NOT non-abrasive as it states on the packaging. You could very easily cut through the plating on plated objects. Please visit my Web site at hermansilver.com for professionally tested and recommended polishes. (I receive absolutely no compensation.)