Housekeeping: Polishing Your Silver

Washing Woes

After each use, wash your silver in warm, soapy water. Keep the pieces out of the dishwasher -- it will strip the patina over time. But if some well-meaning family member runs your silver through once or twice, don't worry about it.

If it begins to tarnish, however, there are easy ways to restore a gorgeous luster. And remember, the buildup of tarnish in the crevasses of silver isn't called gunk, it's called patina.