How to Restore Severely Tarnished Sterling

A light coating of tarnish, known as patina, is considered good for some silver items.

Whenever silver objects, such as sterling silverware, come into contact with anything, they develop a chemical reaction and silver sulfide forms on the surface, darkening the silver and developing into tarnish. For a light coating of tarnish, wipe the item with a soft cloth. For severely tarnished sterling silver, take more drastic steps to restore the silver to its former shimmer.

Things You'll Need

• Sterling silver polish
• Soft cloth
• Aluminum roasting pan
• Baking soda

Instructions

Silver Polish

1. Use a commercial silver polish to remove the tarnish from your sterling silver item. Pour a small amount of polish onto a soft cloth, such as a microfiber cloth.

2. Gently rub the surface of the item with the polish. Repeat several times until the tarnish has disappeared.

3. Use a clean cloth to gently buff the item after removing the tarnish.

Aluminum and Baking Soda

1. Use an aluminum roasting pan or a deep aluminum foil-lined baking dish.

2. Place the tarnished sterling silver item into the pan so that the object touches the aluminum.

3. Add boiling water to the pan until the tarnish silver item is completely submerged.

4. Add one cup of baking soda per gallon of water used to the pan; for example, if you used half a gallon of water, add half a cup of baking soda.

5. Allow the baking soda to foam. Remove the item to see if the tarnish has disappeared. Repeat the step, if necessary.

6. Dry the item with a soft cloth.

References

• University of Wisconsin-Madison; Science is Fun; Put a Shine of It
• CBSNews.com: Tips on Cleaning Jewelry
• Dickie Lee: How Baking Soda Cleans Tarnish Off Silver - Tutorial
• OnlineSterling.com: Cleaning Sterling Silver Flatware

Resources

• Good Housekeeping: The Best Silver Polishes