Homemade Silver-Cleaning Solution

Silver items are often heirlooms.

Silver adds a classic elegance to your decor. Whether you have silver heirlooms or recently purchased a silver item, you will need to clean your silver on a periodic basis. Homemade silver-cleaning solutions work just as well as commercial products and will save you money. Cleaning your silver items only takes a few minutes and will allow the pieces to shine and grace your home for many years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Aluminum foil
• Pot to boil water
• Soft cloth

Instructions

1. Crush a sheet of aluminum foil (about a foot to a foot and half in length) and place it into a sink with the shiny side up, according to The Ohio State University website.

2. Arrange small pieces of silver or cutlery in the bottom of the sink. Make sure the pieces do not touch each other. If you have large pieces, such a silver teapot or silver serving tray, you may need to do the items one at a time.

3. Pour boiling water over the items in the sink.

4. Add 2 tbsp of baking soda for every quart of water you used. You can find baking soda in your grocery store on the same aisle as the flour, cornmeal and other baking goods.

5. Allow the silver items to sit in the sink for five minutes and then remove and dry them with a soft cloth. Do not use this method on silver items that are glued together, as the boiling water will loosen the glue.

References

• The Ohio State University: Recipes for a Healthy Home

Resources

• Floramex: Caring for Your Silver