How to Clean Silver: Frugal and Green

There is no need to use expensive and dangerous chemicals to clean your silver jewelry or silverware. With only a few items out of your pantry, you can easily clean and shine your silverware and jewelry without scrubbing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aluminum Foil
• Table Salt
• Water
• Silver Jewelry or Silverware

1. Select a baking dish or bowl the size of the piece of silver you are cleaning. If a large quantity of silverware is to be cleaned, you can use your kitchen sink.

2. Line the container or sink with aluminum foil (with the shiny side up).

3. Add warm to hot water to your container so that it will cover the piece(s) of silver.

4. Sprinkle a liberal amount of table salt on the foil (about 2-3 tablespoons per cup of water).

5. Add your silver piece(s) to the container so they are touching the aluminum foil and are covered with water. Let set for 15 minutes.

6. Enjoy using your silver jewelry or silverware pieces!

Tips & Warnings

• If silver is heavily tarnished, you may need multiple cleanings.

Resources

• Frugal Patti - Additional Tips for Frugal Living

[chefpierre]

on 2/25/2009 I am an Executive Chef at a top resort in the U.S. and I have to agree with Cubbie. I have used everything from a $4000 burnisher to toothpaste and the aluminum and baking soda process did remove silver plate from our flatware. Aluminum and sodium bicarbonate ARE chemicals and cause a chemical reaction. That is what removes the tarnish. We have been a customer of Silvermate for 12 years and it is non-toxic and very easy to use. Don't knock it till u try it. Peace

[knowball]

on 2/16/2009 very interesting tip!

[patti80]

on 1/28/2009 Cubbie, I've used this process many times on my silver with no negative effects. I'm sorry you've decided to return to using chemicals.

[cubbie]

on 1/28/2009 Be careful doing this! This process definately removes tarnish but it does not polish the silver. Also, it can actually remove the silver-plate from your objects! I know because I used this process many times and they started looking grayish-black and I was told that over time, this process removed the silver-plate from my silver and the black I was seeing was the base metals under the plate. I had to have it replated. The replating company recommended that I buy silver cleaner and told me to buy a specific liquid cleaner called Silvermate. It requires no polishing so you will never polish through the silver. It only takes 20 seconds to clean and polish a piece of silver. I love it! Thanks for the tip Brian C.

[coachmac4]

on 1/9/2009 Thank you! I am off to clean my silver pieces!