Silver tarnishes when it is exposed to air, and it happens even more quickly when silver is exposed to damp and humid air. Silver needs to be kept covered in treated paper, plastic, or cloth. Silver has many different enemies that you need to try to keep it from coming into contact with. These include rubber, table salt, salad dressing, olives, eggs, vinegar, and fruit juices. Store and serve these items in glass, plastic, and china containers. Also, avoid using your silver pieces to store or show off flowers or fruit. The acid that these items produce as they decay can etch the container and damage it forever.1)Make a paste with water and baking soda and coat the item with the paste. Rub the item, rinse the mixture off, and then dry well. This should make your silver beautiful and shiny!2)Put a sheet of aluminum foil in a pan and put 2-3 inches of water on top of it. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the baking soda, and bring to a boil. Add the silver that needs to be cleaned and boil for 2-3 minutes, making sure that the pieces are covered by the water. Rinse, buff, and dry!3)Toothpaste and water works really well. Just take an old soft toothbrush, spread some toothpaste on the necklaces and brush away to make a foam. Leave it on for sometime and then rinse with warm water.* to the user below...the baking soda and salt undergo a chemical reaction due to the heat from the water....the compund formed due to this will have properties that are completely different from its parent components.....basic chemistry....