How do you keep silver from tarnishing between holidays?

Tarnish is silver sulphide, caused by sulphur gases such as hydrogen sulphide in the air. The Canadian Conservation Institute recommends sealing each piece in a polyethylene bag, ideally with a tarnish-inhibiting cloth, and keeping humidity between 35 and 55 percent. Keep silver away from rubber bands, latex gloves, wool and felt, which give off sulphur compounds.

Is it safe to use a silver dip?

Use it sparingly, if at all. Conservators at the Canadian Conservation Institute warn that dips can pit the metal and should never be used on pieces with sealed hollow parts, such as candlesticks with hollow feet. For good pieces, a silver-specific polish, used gently, is safer than a dip or a general metal polish.

Can crystal glasses go in the dishwasher?

Waterford, the crystal maker, says no: hand wash in warm soapy water and dry with a lint-free cloth, because dishwasher heat, friction and detergent can dull or scratch the surface. Libbey, a glassware maker, explains that the permanent cloudiness called etching can't be reversed once it has happened, while a mineral film from hard water can be soaked off with vinegar.

How do you get creases out of velvet ribbon?

Steam it; don't iron it. New Mexico State University Extension says velvet should be steamed rather than pressed, with the iron held about half an inch above the surface. If you must press, lay it face down on a towel or a needle board. To store velvet, roll it face down in the direction of the pile instead of folding it.

Is mercury glass made with mercury?

The antique decorative kind usually isn't. The Corning Museum of Glass describes 19th-century silvered glass as made with a silver nitrate solution sealed between the double walls of a vessel, and says it is sometimes known, mistakenly, as mercury glass. The seal keeps the silvering from oxidizing, so a chipped or cracked piece should be kept dry.

Elegant Holiday Decor: Silver, Crystal, Velvet and Care

The short answer: elegant holiday decor comes from a few real materials in good condition, not from more of them. Silver tarnishes from sulphur in the air: store it sealed in polyethylene with a tarnish cloth at 35 to 55 percent humidity, and skip dips on anything hollow. Brass may be lacquered, and polishing lacquer ruins it. Crystal is hand-washed; dishwasher etching can't be undone. Velvet ribbon is steamed from half an inch away, never pressed. And a linen tablecloth survives red wine if you start with cold water.

Most "elegant Christmas" advice is a shopping list: gold, white, crystal, velvet. The trouble is that a shelf of new gold baubles doesn't look elegant, and a single tarnished candlestick next to them looks worse. What reads as expensive is restraint plus condition: three silver pieces that shine, glasses without a haze, a ribbon without creases. (For a palette with no color at all, see our neutral holiday decor guide.) That's a matter of care, and museum conservators have published exactly how to do it.

For the table itself, from cloth drop to the one-metal rule, see our holiday table settings guide. For dating old glass ornaments, see the vintage Christmas decorations guide.

The Materials and What Damages Them

Material	What damages it	What to do
Silver	Sulphur gases, rubber, wool, dips	Seal in polyethylene, 35–55% humidity
Brass	Polishing lacquer, ammonia, harsh polish	Check for lacquer, wax after cleaning
Silvered glass	Moisture through a broken seal	Keep dry, handle by the body
Crystal	Dishwasher, temperature shock, twisting	Hand wash warm, dry lint-free
Velvet	Pressing, folding	Steam from ½ in, roll face down
Linen	Hot water on stains, the wrong tissue	Cold water first; buffered tissue is fine

Silver: Tarnish Is Chemistry

The Canadian Conservation Institute's notes on silver care explain that tarnish "consists mainly of black silver sulphide," and its notes on storing metals name the cause: "sulphur-containing gases, such as hydrogen sulphide." Some of those gases come from inside the house. The same notes list rubber (including latex gloves), certain paints, and "some textiles (e.g. wool or felt)" as sources, and recommend keeping relative humidity between 35 and 55 percent.

So the felt-lined drawer and the rubber band around the napkin rings are part of the problem. What works, per the CCI:

Seal each piece in a polyethylene bag and close it; add a tarnish-inhibiting cloth embedded with silver particles for the best result.
Use silver polish, not a general metal polish, which the CCI says is more abrasive.
Go easy on dips. "Silver should be exposed to the dips as little as possible to avoid pitting the metal," and they "should never be used on objects that have sealed hollow components, such as candlesticks and trophies with hollow feet."

The US National Park Service's conservation guide to silver and copper alloys adds two details. Avoid gloves processed with chlorine, which "have been found to tarnish silver after only a short period of contact." And a thin coat of wax after polishing "should provide good protection for at least a year or two," which for a pair of candlesticks used once a year means polishing every other December instead of every one.

Brass: Find Out Whether It's Lacquered

Brass candlesticks and trays are the other half of the classic elegant palette, and they come in two kinds. The CCI's notes on brass and copper say polished pieces "are sometimes lacquered to protect them," and that "polishing, or even cleaning with a solvent, could remove this varnish from the high points, thus disfiguring the piece." If a brass piece is bright and hasn't darkened in years, assume lacquer and just dust it.

For unlacquered brass, the CCI's warnings are about the polish. "Many metal polishes contain ammonia, which can dissolve copper in some conditions," and products for car or stainless steel cleaning "often contain very hard particles which can scratch the softer alloys of copper." After cleaning, a wax coating gives some protection, and it comes off with odorless mineral spirits.

Some people love brass darkened with age, and it goes with warm, layered rooms. Elegance doesn't require a mirror shine; it requires that the pieces look cared for, and that the brass on one table isn't bright in one place and brown in another.

Silvered Glass: Keep It Dry

Silvered glass ornaments, vases and candle holders, often sold as "mercury glass," give a room that warm, reflective shimmer. The Corning Museum of Glass defines the 19th-century original as glassware made by introducing a silver nitrate solution between the walls of a double-walled vessel through a hole in the base, "which was then sealed to prevent the silver from oxidizing," and notes it is "sometimes known, mistakenly, as 'mercury glass.'"

The practical rule follows from that seal: moisture and air are what dull the silvering. Don't wash old silvered pieces in water, don't put fresh flowers in water directly inside one, and retire any piece with a chipped seal or cracked base to a dry shelf. Our vintage guide covers how to tell old from new, and the ornament storage guide how to pack glass so it survives eleven months in a box.

Crystal: Hand Wash, Warm Water, Upright

Round dining table with a dark green damask cloth, clear glass candlesticks with white tapers, cut crystal stemware, white china cups and a centerpiece of red and cream roses — Clear glass candlesticks and cut crystal only look like this if they're hand-washed: dishwasher etching turns them faintly frosted for good.

The crystal maker Waterford's care guide is plain about it: "Crystal and glass should be hand washed separately in warm soapy water, rinsed thoroughly and dried with a lint free cloth," because "dishwasher heat, friction and detergent can dull or scratch the surface." Three other rules from the same guide:

No temperature shocks: don't pour hot liquids into cold crystal or ice-cold ones into warm.
Don't twist the bowl against the stem while washing or drying.
Store upright: "The finely made rims are the most fragile part," so don't turn glasses upside down to dry or store.

If your glasses have already gone cloudy, it matters which kind of cloudy. The glassware maker Libbey explains that etching is "a permanent eroding or pitting of the surface," most often caused by soft or softened water, and that it shows as shades of blue, purple, pink and brown when held to the light at an angle. There's "no practical method to restore its luster." A film left by hard water is different: soak the glasses in vinegar and it comes off.

Velvet Ribbon: Steam, Never Press

Velvet ribbon on a wreath, a garland or the back of dining chairs is the textile that says "elegant" fastest, and the one most often pulled out of the box crushed. New Mexico State University Extension's pressing guide is plain about it:

“Corduroy, plushes, velveteen, and velvet should be steamed rather than pressed.” — New Mexico State University Extension

Hold the iron "about 1/2 inch above the surface." If it needs pressing from the back, lay it face down "over a Turkish towel, a piece of self fabric, or a needle board and steam press lightly," then brush it and let it dry.

For storage, the CCI's notes on rolled textile storage apply neatly to ribbon: roll pile fabrics "with the right side face down," "in the direction of the pile so that it does not become crushed," on a tube; the CCI notes that paper towel and toilet paper tubes are ideal for smaller items. A spool of velvet ribbon wound face-in and squashed flat in a bin is how next year's creases start.

Linen Tablecloths: Cold Water First

A white or ivory linen cloth is the base of most elegant tables. For storing it, the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute notes that buffered acid-free tissue papers "are considered acceptable for cotton or linen textiles, but potentially harmful to silk or wool," so the same tissue shouldn't wrap a silk runner.

For the red wine that will happen, Kansas State University's Johnson County Extension gives the order: "First, blot the wine stain with cold water. Then, blot it with dishwashing liquid and flush with cool running water." If it's still there, repeat with white vinegar, then 3 percent hydrogen peroxide if the fabric can take it. Candle wax on linen or on the table underneath is covered in our guide to decorating without damage.

Taper Candles: The Dripless Question

Tall tapers in silver or glass sticks are the classic elegant light. "Dripless" on the box doesn't mean the wax can't run: a taper maker, Mole Hollow Candles, describes its dripless burn as all the melted wax at the top being "consumed" by the wick before it has time to drip, and says it depends on keeping the candle completely upright and out of "drafts or vigorous airflow." A leaning taper or one by a door drips whatever the label says. Wick trimming and burn times are in our decorating without damage guide, and how far candles belong from greenery in our coffee table guide.

Five Elegant Rooms by Style

Timeless: a white linen cloth, polished silver candlesticks with ivory tapers, cut crystal, green foliage only.
Vintage-modern: a cluster of silvered glass vases in three heights on a lacquered tray, deep green velvet ribbon on the wreath.
Cottage: age-darkened brass candlesticks, a creamy linen runner with a visible weave, one velvet bow on each chair.
Coastal: clear glass hurricanes, white linen, silver-rimmed plates, sprigs of eucalyptus.
Mediterranean: unlacquered brass, olive branches, amber glass, a rust velvet ribbon.

The Short Version

Silver: sealed polyethylene bags, a tarnish cloth, 35–55% humidity; no rubber, wool or felt; dips rarely and never on hollow pieces; wax lasts a year or two.
Brass: find out if it's lacquered before polishing; no ammonia or car polish.
Silvered glass: keep dry; retire chipped pieces to a dry shelf.
Crystal: hand wash in warm water, don't twist, store upright; etching is permanent, film comes off with vinegar.
Velvet: steam from half an inch, roll face down with the pile.
Linen: cold water first on wine, then dish soap, then vinegar.