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.

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

STEP 1 Read directions

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

STEP 2 Rinse silver

Rinse the silver item in warm water.

STEP 3 Spread paste

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

If the item is large, polish it in sections.

STEP 4 Don't overpolish

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

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

STEP 5 Rinse silver again

Rinse the silver in warm water again.

STEP 6 Dry item

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

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