Give your silver a bath

Commercial silver "dips" are available which can dissolve stains without rubbing the silver. Contrary to what the word "dip" implies, professionals rarely actually soak silver in these products, at least not for long. Dips are generally harsh, potentially dangerous chemicals (both to the silver and to yourself), so follow the directions carefully and consult a professional when in doubt. You can, however, make a gentle homemade silver bath that gets rid of stains and tarnish by an electrochemical reaction. Be aware that both dipping and electrochemical baths can potentially damage your silver, and they will remove desirable patina, so they're not recommended for silver with an oxidized or French gray finish.


Heat up an appropriately sized container of water and dissolve a large amount of table salt into the water. Use enough salt such that it takes at least a minute to dissolve in the hot water with constant stirring. Washing Soda (such as Arm and Hammer) works as well.
Shape a liner for the container from aluminum foil and place the foil in the container of hot water (danger--do not touch the hot water!).
Place silver that has been previously cleaned with soap into the bath (inside of the foil) for several minutes. Tarnish should dissolve away.
For stubborn spots, remove and clean with soap and a damp rag before reimmersing in the bath.
Warning: This will remove any tarnish, even the antique-y ones. Dispose of salt water down the drain after cooling. This is a simple reaction between the aluminum metal and the silver sulfide (tarnish). The table salt acts as an electrolyte to allow the reaction to happen.