Several people commented on my post about my thrift store silver, asking me what my favorite silver polish is….

It seems that many of you out there love your own thrift store silver as much as I love mine….but hate polishing it…..ME TOO!

I have learned not to stress too much about the tarnish on the items on the display shelves….hey they are vintage after all…and a little tarnish is kind of charming….right?
Still….when it is time to get the glitz on or use the silver for an event….
I need to polish…and polish I do!

 My standby polish is Wright’s Silver Cream from Weiman Products.  You can get it at the grocery store or at Amazon.
It comes with a nice little sponge applicator and it doesn’t have that awful sulphur smell that a lot of polishes have.

I usually get the sponge a little wet to make it easier to use….it is fast and does a great job!

Some pieces I find at the thrift store are virtually BLACK with tarnish!

When that is the case….I start with Tarn-X Tarnish Remover….
Warning….get out the nose plugs and send your family away!
This stuff really stinks…..odor wise….but it works like magic!

Another warning….I get the feeling that if you use this too much you will actually take the silver plate off the item!

And…..it leaves a sort of golden tint to the silver…so you need to finish with the silver polish for that soft silver glow that we love so much!

Another quick tip….If you have a silver item with lots of black tarnish “pitting” and nothing seems to work….

Try a solution of Bar Keeper’s Friend and water on a cloth…
It has enough abrasive quality to get rid of the “pits” and polish as well….
BUT…if you rub too hard there is a danger of scratching the piece.

Still….it is a great “quick fix”!

I don’t worry too much about this because my stuff is NOT an heirloom but is from the thrift store and cost less than some plastic tray from Target!!!

I decided to do what any good librarian would do when faced with a question….
RESEARCH!
Here are some things I found:

This site has some recipes for homemade silver polish.  I am definitely going to try these!

http://tom2011.blog.com/2011/10/20/homemade-silver-polish/

Interesting info here!

http://askauntpatti.com/blog/2011/its-time-to-polish-the-silver/

 Good Housekeeping recommendations are never too far wrong!  Glad to see that the polish I use made their list!

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/home-products/silver-polish-reviews/best-silver-polishes

Happy Polishing….
Let us know if you try any of the homemade polishing ideas….
or comment with your favorite polishing tricks…

Have a Bright and Shiny Day!

Take a look at the Thrifty Goodwill Silver Post

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