aluminum pan
boiling water
1 Tbsp. soda
1 Tbsp. salt
Recipe
Bring this mixture to boil in the pan. Drop your flatware into it as it boils, doing only a few pieces at a time. Let them boil for three minutes, then take them out and let them drain on a soft cloth, drying them to a shine with a second cloth. Do not overcrowd the pot--it can be confusing to remember which pieces have already done their three minutes and which ones still have time to go; also, it can lower the temperature of the liquid, thereby lowering its efficiency.
Intricately patterned or pieces that are glued should probably be cleaned with a commercial cleaner.
A minute layer of the silver is removed each time you use these methods. However, the conventional method of polishing silver rubs off the same small layer.