How to Polish Sterling Silver Using Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil reacts with baking soda to clean sterling silver without polishing.

Sterling silver is easily tarnished from daily use. Exposure to water, air, chemicals and oil from our skin can dull the silver. It is possible to clean small pieces of sterling silver using aluminum foil and baking soda. The foil reacts with the baking soda and attracts the tarnish from the sterling-silver items. While you will still have to polish larger items, this cleaning method is ideal for small items such as jewelry, cutlery and other small trinkets.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Water
• Aluminum foil
• Casserole dish or large bowl
• Baking soda
• Lint-free cloth

Instructions

1. Boil a pot of water.

2. Line the bottom of a casserole dish or a large bowl with aluminum foil while waiting for the water to come to a boil. Lay the foil with the shiny side up if one side of the foil is dull and the other is shiny.

3. Lay jewelry, utensils or other small items on top of the aluminum foil. Separate the items so that they don't overlap, which could leave some portions of the silver tarnished.

4. Pour boiling water over the sterling silver items, covering them completely.

5. Add 1 heaping tbsp. of baking soda, sprinkling it over the surface of the water so it spreads out over the tarnished items.

6. Let the items soak in the baking-soda solution for 30 minutes.

7. Remove the items, rinse them with warm water and dry them with a lint-free cloth.

References

• Sterling Silver Jewelry Site: How Do I Care For My Sterling Silver Jewelry?
• Think House-Cleaning: Cleaning Sterling Silver