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How To Polish Sterling Silver

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 about 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 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 pin this for later, and follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest for more fun inspiration!

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 Fall Tablescape or DIY Book Page Tablerunner.

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!

 

©2019 How To Polish Sterling Silver post first appeared on Thistle Key Lane™.

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