Silver-plated jewelry must be cared for properly or it may tarnish or rust. Caring for it means cleaning it regularly. While you can have it professionally-cleaned, it is less expensive to clean silver-plated jewelry at home. You don't even need silver polish or dips to do it. All you need are a few items you probably already have in your kitchen pantry.
Mix together equal parts baking soda and water to form a thick paste. Dab this paste liberally onto your silver-plated jewelry and let sit for an hour.
Scrub the jewelry gently, using an old toothbrush and the paste. Rinse the paste off completely, and let dry.
Place a sheet of aluminum foil in a shallow plastic or glass bowl. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of baking soda and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt onto the foil.
Put your silver-plated jewelry on top of the foil. Pour hot water into the bowl, on top of the jewelry.
Cover the bowl and wait 5 minutes. Remove the cover and take out your jewelry. The foil, baking soda and salt (which must be dissolved by the hot water) creates a reaction that removes the tarnish from the silver.