To stir the pot counter clockwise will stir up trouble,
    To make tea stronger than usual indicates a new friendship,
    To spill a little tea while making it is a lucky omen,
    If the lid is accidentally left off the teapot, you may expect a stranger bringing bad news,
    To put milk in your tea before sugar is to cross the path of love, perhaps never to marry,
    Two teaspoons, accidentally placed together on the same saucer, points to a wedding or a pregnancy,
    If two women should pour from the same teapot, one of them will have a baby within the year,
    Tea spilling from the spout of the teapot while being carried indicates a secret will be revealed,
    Undissolved sugar in the bottom of your teacup means that there is someone sweet on you,
    If the tag falls off the teabag while it's in your cup, you will lose something within a week.

The luster and beauty of well-kept silver is unmistakable. Properly cared for, silver will last for many generations. With a little maintenance and a few preventative measures, you can even cut down on the amount of time you spend polishing silver, as well.

NEVER let silver come in contact with rubber. This includes dishmats, placemats, silverwear holders, and rubber bands. Rubber contains sulfur, which will cause your silver to corrode.

DON'T expose fine silver to foods for long periods of time. Never leave flatware inside serving dishes containing eggs, mayonnaise, or mustard. The sulfur in these foods will corrode silver.

2. Hand wash each individual piece of silver.

3. Using a soft cotton dish towel, dry silver completely.

4. Dull silver can be buffed a little with a dry cotton cloth.

DISH WASHING SILVER

There are differing viewpoints as to whether silver should be washed inside a dishwasher. Most top-of-the-line modern washers provide enough protection to adequately clean silver without damaging its finish. If you choose to wash silver in a mechanical dishwasher, most experts recommendremoving the silver before the drying cycle begins. Remember, it's friction that creates shine. Therefore, rub each piece dry and store properly after the wash load has finished.

POLISH SILVER

Too much polishing can wear down the finish on some silvers. Items which are coated or plated should be washed by hand often and polished only once or twice per year. As long as silver is cleansed regularly and stored properly, there's no need to polish silver more than once a year.

1. Apply silver polish. You won't need much, so don't overdo it.

2. With a soft towel, rub the polish on the metal using straight strokes, as opposed to circular movements.

3. Using a clean, soft cloth, buff silver.

MAKE YOUR OWN SILVER DIP

When silver oxidizes, it tarnishes. Tarnish dips work to repair and remove tarnish from quality silver. Most commercial dips are used when heavy, dark colored tarnish cannot be removed with traditional pastes or polishes. Chemical dips are wiped on silver with cotton balls and specialized applicators, and then submerged in a chemical make up of acid and a complexing agent. You can make your own chemical dip by following these instructions:
2. Mix 2-tablespoons salt and 2-tablespoons baking soda in bowl.

3. Add mixture to sink of hot water.

4. Cut a small sheet of aluminum foil and push it to the bottom of sink.

5. Dip silver items. Most tarnish will slide off. For stubborn stains, allow them to sit for up to 5-minutes at a time.

6. Rinse well.

All silver objects should be stored in an area where they can remain free of dust, surface grime, and debris. To keep humidity levels low in your storage area, add desiccated silica gel to your storage drawer or cabinet. To keep your storage area free of gases known to cause tarnish, add a few capsules or small dish of activated charcoal. Silver should only be stored on wood which is sealed with lacquer or polyurethane, which will also help keep silver tarnish-free. Other steps you can take to retard tarnish development include:

PRETREATING each piece with a tarnish-retardant polish when storing for long periods of time. Specially treated cloth bags or anti-tarnish strips work well, too. When a cloth bag is not an option, you can provide further protection to silver and silver plated items by wrapping your prized pieces separately in plastic cling wrap.

USE white chalk. Add a single piece of white chalk to the drawer or cabinet where your silver is stored. White chalk prevents tarnish.

KEEP silver free of tarnish causing agents, including wool, felt, eggs, onions, mustard, rubber, latex gloves, paints and humidity.

TIPS AND TRICKS

CORROSION caused by food or salt can be removed by soaking silver in a mixture of hot vinegar and salt for up to 5-minutes at a time. Use two cups of vinegar for every tablespoon of salt. Rinse. Dry well.
 NEVER allow foods to "cake" on to silver. This can cause staining and corrosion. Remove from food items immediately and rinse well, until you are able to wash silver.