I found my grandmother's teaspoons in a drawer in August, wrapped in a tea towel and roughly the colour of a storm cloud. My first instinct was to attack them with something abrasive, which is exactly the instinct that ruins silver. Tarnish isn't dirt sitting on top of the metal; it's a chemical film that forms when silver meets sulphur compounds in the air. You can lift it off gently, or you can grind it off and take a thin layer of silver with it. Only one of those is reversible.
So before you touch anything, sort your pieces into three piles: plain solid silver, plated items, and anything with stones, patina or engraving. They want different treatment.
Start with the gentlest thing that might work
Quite often what looks like tarnish is partly skin oil, hairspray and dust. Warm water, a drop of washing-up liquid, a soft cloth or a very soft toothbrush for the detail, then a thorough rinse and — this is the part people skip — a complete dry with a soft towel. Water left sitting in crevices causes spotting and encourages more tarnish.
If the piece comes up bright, stop there. You've saved yourself a job and saved the silver some wear.
The foil and bicarbonate bath: brilliant, but not for everything
This is the method that looks like magic. Line a heatproof bowl with aluminium foil, shiny side up. Add a generous tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt, pour over boiling water, and lower the silver in so every piece touches the foil. The tarnish transfers to the aluminium, and within a minute or two you can watch it lift. Fish the pieces out with tongs, rinse in clean water, dry immediately and buff with a soft cloth.
It's ideal for plain solid silver: chains, simple spoons, rings without stones. It is not right for several things. Skip it on pieces that are deliberately oxidised, where the blackened recesses are part of the design — the bath will strip them and flatten the detail. Skip it on antique or valuable items where the aged patina is part of the character and the value. Skip it on anything with pearls, opals, turquoise, amber or glued-in stones, which can be damaged by heat and the alkaline solution. Skip it on knives and any cutlery with hollow handles, where hot water can soften the cement that holds the blade in place. And go carefully with plated pieces, where the silver layer is thin to begin with.
For everything else: a proper polishing cloth
An impregnated silver polishing cloth is the most underrated piece of household kit there is. It removes tarnish through a very mild chemical action plus light friction, and you can work it into a design rather than dunking the whole object. Work in straight strokes rather than circles, turn to a clean section of cloth as it blackens, and finish with the untreated side if your cloth has one.
What not to use: toothpaste, baking soda paste rubbed on dry, scouring cream, or the rough side of a sponge. They all contain abrasives that scratch silver, and on plated items they can wear straight through to the base metal. And never put silver in the dishwasher — the detergent and heat are harsh, and silver touching stainless steel in a hot wet cutlery basket can react badly.
Storing it so you don't have to do this again in March
Tarnish is caused by exposure, so the answer is to limit it. Store silver in sealed bags with as much air pressed out as possible, ideally with an anti-tarnish strip or a sachet of silica gel tucked in. Tarnish-resistant cloth rolls and lined canteen boxes exist for exactly this reason.
Keep silver away from rubber bands, which release sulphur, and away from wool, felt and newspaper. Don't store it in the kitchen near onions or eggs, or in a damp bathroom. And with jewellery, the best anti-tarnish measure is simply wearing it — regular contact and gentle friction keep chains bright. Put it on after perfume, hairspray and moisturiser, and take it off before swimming or cleaning.
Does toothpaste really clean silver?
It will remove tarnish, because it's mildly abrasive — but that's precisely the problem. Repeated use leaves a fine network of scratches that dulls the surface permanently, and on plated pieces it wears away the silver layer. A dedicated polishing cloth costs very little and does the job without the damage.
How do I stop silver tarnishing so quickly?
Limit its contact with air, moisture and sulphur: store it dry in a sealed bag or lined box with an anti-tarnish strip, away from rubber, damp rooms and the kitchen. Wipe jewellery with a soft cloth after wearing to remove skin oils, and put it on last when you're getting ready, after any sprays or creams have settled.
