How to best care for your silver cutlery

From dark and rustic to light and shiny. Are you ready to embrace your heritage? We give you our best tips – and bust some myths along the way.

Silver is a living metal and beautiful in all its facets. Don't leave it hidden in the back of the cupboard until next Christmas. Instead, put it in the cutlery drawer, on the table and in the dishwasher. Silver can withstand a lot – it just needs a little care now and then.
Did you know that silver can be sprayed, dipped and polished? Watch how the metal changes between your fingers as you run a polishing cloth over it. The expression changes dramatically and the cutlery regains its shiny elegance and splendor.

Show off your heritage

As a symbol of a long life of good experiences, like fine lines and wrinkles on a face well lived. It is your family's history that shows in every little nick and scratch. Show off your heritage and keep it around you. It is yours and can never be replaced.

But even though we love our silver, not many people have it on hand and use it in their everyday lives. Maybe you're unsure whether silver can withstand everyday use or are afraid it will add flavor to food? We've taken a closer look at the most common myths about silver.

7 myths about silver

1. Silver becomes ugly if it is not wrapped in plastic or boxes.

This is not correct. Silver stays just as good if it is easily accessible and used and washed often. Then you actually don't have to polish it as often!
Silver does not react to being in contact with oxygen, as many people believe (and therefore it packs well in boxes and plastic). Discoloration of silver actually comes as a reaction to various substances in the air such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and chlorine (CI). Hydrogen sulfide can come from several sources; such as in the oil from a fingerprint or when there is hydrogen sulfide in the air, which is not uncommon.

2. Silverware cannot be washed in a dishwasher.

Yes, it can! And that's actually what we recommend you do. It's both gentle on the silver and easy on you. Our experience is that Sun dishwashing liquid works very well in combination with silver. Just make sure that the silver doesn't come into contact with steel. If you have very old knives (from before 1965), this is the only thing you should be a little careful about washing in the machine. Contact our silversmiths and they will give you advice if you are in doubt.

3. Silverware must be polished every time you use it.

No, not if you use it regularly and preferably every day. Then it will stay nicer for longer and you won't need to polish it more than occasionally.

4. Silver cutlery imparts flavor to the food.

No, in fact, silver is a metal that has no taste at all. So if you want the very best taste experience, you should eat with silver.
The exception that proves the rule: Avoid eating eggs and lutefisk with silver cutlery. These two foods contain substances that react with silver and discolor it.
By the way, did you know that silver is antibacterial? Good to think about when feeding babies and young children – we recommend silver cutlery for this reason.

5. It's difficult to keep silverware shiny and nice.

If silver is used and washed regularly, it will also stay shiny and beautiful for longer. If you wipe it down with a polishing cloth designed for silverware every now and then, this is mostly all that is needed. But if your silver cutlery has already become discolored, there are many good remedies to get it shiny again, everything from liquid dips to foams and creams.
And remember – it's easier to clean cutlery that is slightly discolored than to wait until it has become very dark, so make it a little routine to check your silver regularly (if you don't use it every day, that is...).

6. I can't use the silverware except at Christmas, because I'm afraid it will wear out.

No, this does not mean it is correct. Silver is a precious metal and it lasts almost forever. It does not wear out, but can of course suffer from wear and tear like anything else, the tines of a fork can become crooked and spoons can be bent by rough handling or ice cream that is a little too hard.

7. Silverware cannot be stored in the kitchen drawer with other cutlery, as it will become discolored.

No, this is not correct. Silver cutlery is not damaged or discolored by contact with other cutlery in drawers and cabinets. It can withstand it just fine, but of course normal signs of wear can occur on silver cutlery – just like on other cutlery.

See which products we recommend using for your silver cutlery.

For everyday use: Use your silver cutlery every day. Food tastes even better and maybe your everyday dinner will be a little more special?

If you have any questions for us, please contact us at shop@arven.no or call 55 55 14 40, and we will help you.