Mr Skill

Silver is a thing of great beauty, especially when it is clean and shiny. In fact, I doubt many British households do not have at least one interesting piece bequeathed by a maiden aunt or commemorating some retired colonel’s military success. Unfortunately, these days few of us have time for laborious polishing and cleaning, and so our precious silver languishes forgotten in that other great British institution, the cupboard under the stairs.

Before rushing off to Get Cleaner Quotes ahead of the arrival of the maiden aunt or retired army colonel, here is how you could refresh your silverware yourself. The trick to keeping silver looking good is managing the tarnish, which develops in contact with the air

o To Clean: Forget about expensive pastes that wear your silver thin. Mix two tablespoons of salt and two tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl, and add this to a sink-full of steaming hot water. Put a small sheet of aluminium foil in the bottom of the water and find a way to keep it there. Dip the silver items one by one – hey presto the tarnish will slide off, although you may have to soak stubborn pieces for five minutes more. When satisfied, rinse well, dry with a soft cloth and either store away, or display again.

o To Maintain: Wash silver once a week, and every time you use it. Soak it in warm water with mild detergent, hand wash each piece separately, rinse and dry it with a soft cloth. That is all you need to do, unless you want to buff a special piece up with a dry cotton cloth.

That was easier and cheaper than you thought. Now you can display and use your silver every day, without ever needing to Find a Cleaner with Silver Expertise. Your neighbours will be jealous, and who knows, that maiden aunt might leave you all her silver in her will – assuming that you really want a bucket-load to clean.