Were the spots mainly on the fork tines? Egg yolks will cause spots as will vinegar, mustard & other acidic foods, although I think of egg when I see spotted silver. Wiping off food residue with a paper towel until you can wash should help. I've never tried the baking soda paste but usually silver polish & elbow grease will take care of the problem.

Also, I don't leave my flatware in the sink while it's waiting - too damp & too much chance it will be pushed into the garbage disposal or have something heavy set on it.

Was it touching any other metal utensils or implements?

Yes, I've had that problem with salad dressing. If I get my act together, I rinse the utensils off before loading in the dishwasher (I don't put the hollow-handled knives in, however). If they get the black spots, silver polish and a LOT of elbow grease works, as antique said. I'll have to try baking soda next time, though -- much cheaper!

Just slide the flatware into a glass bowl or pyrex loaf pan of warm water with small amount of dishsoap while you finish the meal. If you have hollow handled knives, rinse those blades quickly and set them some place out of the water. it won't hurt the solid sterling pieces (forks, spoons, butter knives, etc.) to soak. Don't combine non-sterling items with the sterling while soaking.

You're lucky you got the black spots off so easily, sometimes vinegar or salt or eggs left on will create really deep marks that require professional polishing to get off.

I only use sterling flatware for every meal, every day and I often soak it if I have to leave it in a hurry before I have time to wash up.

L.

Be careful, too, when loading the dishwasher if you put in your sterling. If it loads where it is touching other metals such as your stainless flatware, then it will leave those same black marks where they were touching during the cycle. It's tricky with the knives where the handles are sterling and the blades are stainless.

What liriodendron said, especially about the Pyrex loaf pan. That is exactly what I do! I don't put sterling in the dishwasher, although many here do. I use Hagerty's Foam on spots.

I keep a little crock full of soapy water beside the sink, and the sterling (and only the sterling) goes in there as soon as it's used. Pieces that have had salt, egg or vinegar on them get wiped with the dish cloth first.
And as everyone else said, keep the sterling and the steel far apart in your dishwasher! That includes exposed steel in the dishwasher interior itself, when the rubber coating wears off.

Oh, and something I just learned is that dishwasher soap with lemon in it isn't safe for your silver. Makes sense, since lemon itself isn't safe, but I wouldn't have figured it out on my own.

Laura

I don't know if you use your silver for everyday use, but if you keep stored away for special occasions put pieces of chalk, ordinary chalkboard chalk in the silver drawer, to keep it from tarnishing. It really works! Any acid, tomatoes, lemon, vinegar or very fatty foods like egg yolk, mayo, etc.. can leave dark spots.

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This post was edited by stacieann63 on Wed, Mar 20, 13 at 3:49

Well, my mother has always told me to wash ALL the sterling on the table, regardless of whether it has been used or not, as salt from people's hands can cause pitting. I also put my sterling in warm, soapy water to soak until it's time to wash.