Cutlery
Although its name suggests otherwise, stainless steel is not completely 'mark proof'. It is designed to be more resistant to marking or staining than other metals, but contact with certain substances will start the process that leads to staining and pitting. 
Never use silver polish on stainless steel as this will damage it. There are a number of common corrosive substances that will damage cutlery if care is not taken to prevent it; salt, acids such as vinegar and lemon juice, mineral salts which are present in tap water, bleach, harsh detergents, fats and meat juices. Direct heat can also mark metal.
If you follow these simple recommendations you can keep your cutlery in the best possible condition to give many years of beauty in use. Properly treated, cutlery will last a lifetime.

Handwashing
We recommend that you hand wash your cutlery to keep it looking its best. However, it's worth noting a few dos and don'ts:
 
Do wash your cutlery as soon as possible after you have finished using it. The salts and acids present in food will start the staining process if they are left on the cutlery for any length of time.
Do dry your cutlery immediately to clean off any detergent traces and avoid watermarks. Dry with a soft cloth before putting away (If you leave to air-dry, watermarks can form on the metal surface). If water marks do occur, they can be polished off with a proprietary stainless steel cleaner. 
Do wash your cutlery a few pieces at a time, so that you minimise scratching as the pieces move against each other in the bowl.
Do not leave your cutlery to soak, as a means of getting off food residue. There are mineral salts in tap water, which are very corrosive to metal, and the damage that can be caused by an overnight soak is considerable.
Do not use scourers or abrasive detergents on your cutlery - these will erode silver plate, and leave tiny scratches all over stainless steel, dulling the shine.

Dishwasher use
Follow your dishwasher manufacturer's advice on detergent use, and keep the salt and rinse aid compartments topped up.
Ensure than dry detergent does not come into contact with cutlery. For safety reasons, load knives with the blades pointing down.
Mixing the spoons, knives and forks within the cutlery basket will maximise the exposure of the cutlery to the detergent solution.
Remove cutlery from the machine as quickly as possible after cycle completion or open the door after drying.


Silver plated cutlery
Sulphides in the atmosphere cause the surface of the silver plate to oxidise, giving it a tarnished appearance. To keep the cutlery looking its best, it needs to be cleaned regularly (perhaps two or three times a year) with a proprietary silver cleaner. It is very important to only use polishes made specifically for cleaning silver. Other metal polishes may damage the silver plate.
When cleaning your cutlery, always use a clean, dry, soft cloth. Dust particles or hard cleaning fabrics can scratch the surface of the cutlery. Never leave the cutlery in a silver dip solution for more than 10 seconds. Also, do not put the knife blades into a silver dip solution, or polish with silver cleaner - it can damage the stainless steel. After cleaning with silver cleaner, the 
cutlery should be washed thoroughly before being used. As silver is a soft metal and marks quite easily, it is inevitable that it will pick up some scratches and marks. Over time these little scuffs and scratches will develop into the characteristic patina that is found on all silver plate, and the cutlery will lose the brilliant shine that it has when first purchased.
To reduce the scuffing and scratching that appears on your cutlery, we recommend that when not in use it is kept in a canteen. Keeping cutlery in canteens also helps to extend the time between silver cleaning as pieces are not exposed to the air.