Silver in the Dishwasher? Of course!
March 26, 2009
One of the most frequent questions we are asked is “Can I put my sterling in the dishwasher?” OF COURSE YOU CAN!
Sterling silver flatware may certainly go in your dishwasher. We do recommend a few modifications to your typical washing procedures to make sure your silver stays as bright as the day you bought it:
- Rinse your silver under the faucet before you put it in the flatware basket. This removes remnant food particles (particularly damaging substances like vinegar, lemon, or salt!) from your pieces to prevent any marring prior to the wash cycle.
- Keep your silver flatware separate from any stainless pieces as they can scratch your silver.
- Use a SMALL AMOUNT of detergent–and one with no lemon or citrus additives. Pre-measured tablets tend to have too much. A tablespoon (not even filling the cup designated) is plenty to clean your silver and dishes, while not causing them to yellow.
- You may leave your silver in the dishwasher to dry with its drying cycle. Opinions differ on this, but it is safe to do so.
- KNIVES: If your knives are old–pre-World War II– wash them by hand. Knives are formed from two pieces, the silver hollow handle and a blade. The heat from the dishwasher can melt the resin used in older knives to seal the two pieces, causing your knives to break apart.
If your silver is turning yellow… you could be using too much detergent. The bleach in the detergent may cause the discoloration. Polish your silver to remove the yellow coloring and use less detergent next time!
So use your silver everyday! And let your dishwasher do the work for you.
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Thank you for this column! We inherited our flatware from my husband’s mother; it was Kirk’s Repousse, her wedding silver from the 1920s. When she got a dishwasher in the late 1950s, that’s where she washed it. I followed her lead: it’s gone into the dishwasher–even the knives–since 1966. Never a problem.
I think one reason silver fell out of favor is the myth that it requires a lot of care. I’ve had jewelry store clerks tell me it should nevernevernever go into the dishwasher. Such a shame to hear that.
I polish our silver once or twice a year, that’s it. We use it every day for every meal and I never stop appreciating its beauty and history.
Thank you for this info! I have silver from my wedding 27 years ago and have never used it! My family has grown and I am greatly in need of more flatware! I will pull it out and use it now!
Reponse to Janet Jameson’s comments! I thought I was the only person on earth that had flatware from her marriage (1970) and NEVER used it! I have an odd number of place settings and numerous serving pieces and have been grappling with whether to sell it or purchase a placesetting to even out the number. After speaking with the VERY helpful salesperson (Julia) at Beverly Bremmer, I’ve finally decided after all these years to purchase the needed placesetting and use it every day of my life. Being recently retired, the days of “I’ll use it some day” are over – “some day” is NOW! Plus through Julie as well as the website I learned it’s perfectly OK to wash silver flatware in the dishwasher! Especially glad to get THAT resolved in my head since I had previously spoken with someone who was very into silverware and said oh my no, NEVER wash it in the dishwasher!
Use it, enjoy it, wash it anyway you like. What good is it in a drawer, and even though we like to think it has great value, if we had to sell it, it is never worth what you paid for it. The kids won’t appreciate it. Enjoy!
Sorry, but from experience I am in the camp which says, “Do not put it in the dishwasher.” My silver flatware turns whiteish when I put it in the dishwasher. Unfortunately the nice dark patina in the design turned light colored also. And I do NOT put in too much detergent. It does not come off that easily with polishing, but the nice darker patina in the design comes back only with many, many, many polishings. What is the problem? Thanks. Linda
It is so interesting that there are such opposite opinions on this. I wonder if it is possible to find a mild dishwasher liquid to use in the machine.
I, too, am retired and have a lot of silver and no one to leave it to. Just remodeled my kitchen and am now thinking, “What the heck,” let’s use it everyday. So here I go!
I have washed my Repousse in the Dishwasher for 40+ years without a problem and all of a sudden all of the wonderful patina is coming off. I am using a low phosphate gel has anyone else had a similar problem.
Is there an easy way to get the patina back on. Originally I had it all sent back to Kirk to have the Patina put on it.
Is your low phosphate gel a recent change? We recommend using a granulated detergent without lemon. Try not using a heated dry in your dishwasher cycle, if you are doing so.
Discoloration from a dishwasher can be removed by polishing each piece (which we can also do for you!), and a patina will return again with use.
Good for you for using your sterling every day!
I HAVE SILVER FROM MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER {1863} IT IS MARKED “A.A. MEAD COIN”.
CAN THIS TYPE OF SILVER BE PLACED IN THE DISH WASHER? AND WHY CAN I NOT USE LEMON DISH DETERGENT?
I heard that you shouldn’t let knives soak in water since that way water seeps into gaps between the stainless steel blade and the silver handle. That causes the SS to rust & loosens the bond between blade & handle. Is that true? How does that apply to a dishwasher?
I washed my silver in the dishwasher for forty years as well, we lived in different parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and never had a problem, we even lived overseas and again no problem… Until we moved to San Jose, CA and my silver turned white! I think strongly that it was the water because our glass shower door also got spots that could not be removed! Now we live in NC and I am giving it a go again in the dishwasher and it looks gorgeous!