Sharing how to polish sterling silver may not sound glamorous, but day to day chores are just as important as decorating is to me. It also puts me in the mood to create pretty tablescapes with silverware, that I didn’t actually polish.
When my daughter went to college, I let her take our stainless flatware, leaving me with the opportunity to go shopping. I thought I would use my grandmother’s silver, until I found something new that I liked better.
That was over ten years ago and guess what, I’m still using and loving the silverware every day. No need to buy something new when I have something this pretty.
We really do use my grandmother’s sterling silverware daily. When it starts getting a little dingy, I use this easy method with sparkling results.
How To Polish Sterling Silver
Line your sink with heavy duty foil, place silver on top of foil, sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup salt on top. Then pour enough boiling water to completely cover the silver. A chemical reaction transfers the tarnish to the foil. No polishing required.
You may be wondering if you can use this method on silver plate. I would advise using it cautiously, to avoid damaging the silver plate and maybe try it on a test piece.
Sterling Silver Or Silver Plate
Not sure if you have sterling silver or silver plate? Look at the back of the piece for the name of the manufacturer, a hallmark or stamp that says sterling. The spoon on the left is clearly silver plate and has areas where the silver is worn off exposing the sub-metal.
By researching the manufacturer you can sometimes find out what materials were used.
The spoon on the left has the manufacture’s name and is clearly stamped sterling.
Food for thought: you never know what you might find when shopping at flea markets or antique malls and sometimes these are mixed with the silver plate.
Mixing Patterns
I’m sure my grandmother had no idea, the silver she received as wedding gifts would still be used and enjoyed two generations later.
The silverware set is a combination of three different patterns. Evidently friends and family gave what was available at the time, which makes it all the more endearing. I’m guessing many of the knives disappeared over the years as they broke. We recently had one break, that I need to repair.
Yes the silverware is full of nicks and scratches, that too makes it more endearing to me. I can’t begin to imagine how many meals we have shared together using this silverware.
Be sure to follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest, where the boards are up to date with inspiration that you can use right now!
By the way, I also use the same method on my sterling silver jewelry and within seconds, it all looks new again.
To see some of my seasonal table settings click on Easy Summer Patriotic Tablescape and Summer Lemon Tablescape.
Thanks so much for letting me share one my favorite treasures with you. What’s your favorite family heirloom? A photo perhaps, a piece of jewelry, or maybe a china piece? Let me know, I would love to hear your story!
Cheers!
©2024 How To Polish Sterling Silver post first appeared on Thistle Key Lane.
How special to have your grandmothers silver! And the patterns are gorgeous – right down to the design on the back of the spoon bowl! I’ve used this method for cleaning silverplate before and it was quite effective (and saves the manicure!)
You are so right Janet, I’ve been using this method for years and it does save the manicure! Good to know you used it successfully on silver plate too.
So glad to have the “recipe” for this Michelle! I’ve heard about it before but was never quite sure exactly how to do it. I do a LOT of silver polishing, so this will be fabulous! Thanks so much!
This recipe actually makes cleaning silver fun. Thanks for stopping by Barbara!
Thanks so much for this post, Michelle! I have been searching for the best way to polish the silverware I inherited from my great-grandmother. One question: do you wash yours by hand or is it okay to run through the dishwasher?
Hi Candace, our dishwasher has a special rack for utensils at the very top, away from the heat element. I’ve had good luck washing the silverware in there, but you might want to test a few pieces first to see how they do.
Hi Candace ! How long do you leaving the silverware in the water, salt and baking soda?
The chemical reaction on takes a few seconds however due to the temperature of the water I let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then I finish by washing and drying.
My silver is in dire need of polishing. So glad I found your post at Finding Silver Pennies, I’ll definitely be giving this a try! Pinned
Thanks for pinning Marie!
Hello Michelle,
I have some lovely silver items – tea pot, sugar and creamer. Could these be cleaned with this recipe? Maybe using a plastic dish pan lined with foil so it could be deeper and laying the items on their sides? Thanks so much
Hi Margie, I would advise using it on a test piece first, especially if your not sure if these pieces are silver plate. I like your idea of using a deep plastic dish pan lined with foil. I’ve not tried it on large items, but it works great on my sterling silver jewelry.
Margie,
I love your silverware! I am wondering if you would share the names of the patterns with us?
Delightful blog!
Amy H.
I remember asking my mom what the pattern names were, and I’m sorry to say she didn’t know. The silverware pieces were wedding gifts when my grand parents married around 1914 or 1915, so all I have is an approximate time of when they were sold. Thank you so much for stopping by Amy!
Thank you taking the time to respond Michelle. No matter the patterns, they are really beautiful! I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to spring for sterling for everyday, but you have inspired me to at least use silverplate vs, stainless. It will be an upgrade in this household!
I say, go ahead and use your pretty things, take care of them and enjoy them everyday! Hugs!
What a treasure you have Michelle! I have antique silver from my hubby’s grandparents. I need to look at it and see if it’s sterling or not. Thanks for the tips for polishing! I’m excited to tell you this post will be featured in this week’s Tuesday Turn About Link Party! Thanks for sharing your creativity and we hope to see you at the party this week! Pinned!
Thanks so much for the feature Cindy! I’ll be by to link up again tomorrow!