While each polish has its uses, always invest more time and use one of the least abrasive silver polishes rather than getting quicker results with more abrasive polish! Be sure the object is clean before you polish, rinse and dry immediately after polishing.
Before polishing: wash silver with diluted Dawn dish soap or any non-lemon scented phosphate-free detergent using a cellulose sponge.
Least Abrasive:
Herman’s Simply Clean Collectors Silver Polish is gentle, and does not have a tarnish protectant making it ideal for anything you eat off of.
Blitz Silver Shine Polish is one of the most popular among collectors as it one of the least abrasive while depositing an effective tarnish inhibitor. This polish can also be left to dry and then buffed, rather than having to be rinsed off and left to dry.
3M Tarni-Shield Silver Polish is among the least abrasive that also offers a polish inhibitor, and can be found locally more commonly than some of the other least abrasive options.
Mildly Abrasive:
Goddard’s Silver Polish can be found in foam or liquid versions. It is a long-trusted and effective polish with tarnish inhibitor.
Weiman Silver Polish is another that can be left to dry and buffed, rather than rinsed and dried. It also leaves a tarnish inhibitor and is locally available more often than other options.
Town Talk Silver Polish is formulated for heavily tarnished silver, but is less commonly found in the US. This polish also leaves tarnish-inhibitor.
Most Abrasive:
Wright’s Silver Cream is one of the most abrasive silver polishes on the market, but still has many uses. Great for the most stubborn tarnish, cleaning stainless steel components, or to polish out shallow surface scratches on silver that may have been hastily-polished in the past.
Hagerty’s Silversmiths’ Wash is unique for its use of R-22, a refrigerant, as a tarnish inhibitor. It is said to repel tarnish significantly longer, but is a hazardous material. It is also among the most abrasive silver polishes and should be used accordingly.
Do not use ALUMINUM foil to polish silver
Aluminum foil and baking soda combined with hot water create an electrochemical (galvanic) reaction and, like chemical dips, are best avoided for many reasons.