I thought I would look around to see if I could find another place where I read this before and found this little bit of advice that I thought you may be interested in:
Here is the 'recipe' for the silver dip.
1. Place your silverware on some aluminum foil in a non-aluminum pan.
2. Add two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of table salt.
3. Pour boiling water into the pan - enough to fill it up and cover all the silverware. Take out (using tongs) after about five minutes.
Do not stack the pieces - lay them out separately.
All of the silver experts are now rolling their eyes in unison. Most experts do not recommend this or the amazing super incredible instant dipping chemical you see on late night. They claim the electrolytic method described above leaves the silver with a dull finish and the chemical dip, while in addition to being a dangerous chemical, actually removes a thin layer of the silver. This is bad, as plated silver items, have only that, a thin layer of silver. Most of the experts will agree that good old fashioned silver polish is by far the best route to take, and it will leave the most brilliant, and durable finish.
It is good to note that storing your silver in an anti-tarnish bag (ask your jeweler) will delay the appearance of tarnish. In a pinch, even a Ziploc bag will help protect your silver from external contaminants that will cause tarnishing.
So now what? Back to the good old rubbing the tarnish off.
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