how should I care for sterling, silverplate, or gold-plated flatware?
When not in use, keep these types of flatware in a closed drawer or chest lined with tarnish-resistant cloth. We do not recommend any of these three metals to be put in the dishwasher. If you choose to place them in a dishwasher, ensure that you do not mix metals in the same load. Remove flatware before the drying cycle and hand dry. Also, many automatic dishwashing detergents contain bleach that may remove the oxidation that was used to highlight pattern detail. Sterling and Silverplate do require periodic polishing with high-quality silver polish.
