Polishing your vintage flatware from time to time is always a great idea—and luckily silver polish is usually easy to come by (one of our vendors suggests Wright's Silver Cream, which you can find at most grocery stores). You'll likely need to polish your flatware less if you're washing it by hand, and more if you're using the dishwasher.
You can also try this trick for polishing a large quantity of flatware all at once:
- Line a glass baking pan with foil and pour in hot water, plus a handful of salt.
- Place the flatware in the salt-water bath (you should see the tarnish lift right off).
- Dry with a flour-sack towel for maximum shine.