These days, most stainless steel flatware is dishwasher safe and rarely needs polishing - a few types are even resistant to corrosion, rust, and discolouring. Cleaning it properly, however, will help keep it sparkling with beauty for years.

To begin with, always rinse food from your flatware as soon as possible. Stubborn, stuck-on food should held under hot running water and then gently brushed off. Wash your stainless silverware in hot soapy water, using a good-quality, non-abrasive soap or detergent.

It is perfectly safe to wash most stainless flatware in an automatic dishwasher, but if you find some pieces are not being completely cleaned, you may need to adjust the settings on your machine. As well, if they come out with spots, your dishwasher may lack a drying agent . If your water is particularly hard, using a water softener (which can be bought as a soap-like powder) may also solve the problem.