How to Clean Silver

You don't have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to appreciate the elegance of polished silver—and with a little elbow grease, yours can be spiffed and sparkling in no time.

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Make house cleaning faster and easier with the tips and tricks in these videos.

 
 

You Will Need

  • A sink or a basin of warm water
  • A soft, clean cloth
  • Non-abrasive silver cleaning paste
  • An old, natural-bristle toothbrush

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Read directions

    Read the silver cleaner's packaging and follow those directions if they vary from these.

  2. Step 2

    Rinse silver

    Rinse the silver item in warm water.

  3. Step 3

    Spread paste

    Put a dab of silver cleaning paste onto a soft cloth and spread it over the surface of the item.

  4. If the item is large, polish it in sections.

  5. Step 4

    Don't overpolish

    Rub the silver just until tarnish disappears—don't overpolish or you'll remove the item's finish.

  6. Clean the hard-to-reach places with an old natural-bristle toothbrush and a little cleaning paste.

  7. Step 5

    Rinse silver again

    Rinse the silver in warm water again.

  8. Step 6

    Dry item

    Dry your shiny silver item thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth.

  9. Silver is the best electrical conductor of all metals—and tarnish does not affect its performance.

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