Caring for Silver

I appreciate the advice of experts who are preserving silver for the sake of museums and galleries. This is not about the upkeep of super fine, don't-touch-it 15th century teasets. Besides, your jewelry will get more wear-and-tear from normal use than cleaning it.

That being said, there are bad and then there are BAD ways to clean silver. From chemical dips to silver polishing cloths, there are dozens. For the most comprehensive silver care guide I have found, see this fantastic resource. There is a section just for chainmaille. I strongly recommend following his instructions to the "T" if you are concerned about preserving silver as best as possible. What I present here is a "working man's" version.

Other than that, the easiest way to keep chainmaille jewelry fresh is to wear it daily and clean it with blue dishwashing liquid, phosphorus-free (Dawn) the best. Dry completely using a microfiber or cotton cloth. Store it in anti-tarnish silver fabric when not in use. Silver cloths work great though this is entirely impractical for some items.

A quick dip in unscented ammonia can clean some tarnish and filth. It is quite effective at removing the greenish hues often left in salt containers or other oxidized surfaces (brass and bronze can be cleaned by this method). However, this is only appropriate for very fine tarnish as the chemical reaction can sometimes produce nasty by-products.

Brushed finishes can be maintained with a fine brass wire brush.

It is best to avoid harsh chemicals, jewelry dips, salt, and chlorine. With pure silver, it is not advisable to wear it in contact with other jewelry or metal. If you are intent on stacking, put the silver one at the end and buffer it with a rubber or plastic piece. Do not use mechanized equipment to polish chainmaille as the links can be caught, torn open, and damaged (or worse, injure someone with a flying link).

So, in order of preferred cleaning:

Dawn and water, washed by hand
Hand sanitizer free of additives
Silver cloth (great ones are here
Ammonia (unscented kind from the grocery store shelf, but use gloves!)
Proper silver polish, but not too often (good choices are Herman's Silver Polish and Blitz Silver Polish

Cleaners and cleaning methods to avoid:

Steel wool or sandpaper (professional use only)
Chemical dips
Commercial metal polishes
Baking soda, though it cleans remarkably well

Other things to avoid:

Salt and chlorine (sweat, pools, ocean, jacuzzi)
Dusty pollutants (sand, dirt, mud, smoke, etc.)
Contact with other metals or abrasive surfaces

To prevent tarnish after the fact, store it wrapped in anti-tarnish fabric or in a plastic bag with an anti-tarnish strip. Surface protectants will provide an additional barrier. Most are not food-safe and some can irritate sensitive skin. See Herman's silver website for additional information.