Ideally silver should simply be washed in hot soapy water, rinsed in hot water and thoroughly dried, before buffing with a soft cloth. However, this will not remove tarnish, for which there are various commercial products available. You can choose from impregnated cloths, creams, foam paste and liquid polishes. Perhaps the best solution is to use a long-term silver polish that leaves a protective layer on the surface. Silver polishes are abrasive, so use them as little as possible. To preserve the polish on domestic silver wrap it in dry, acid-free tissue paper and put it into a plastic bag to seal out the air.