How to Clean Tarnished Silver Cutlery

Use a chemical reaction to clean tarnished silverware.

With age, silver tarnishes and takes on a dull, unattractive finish. Fortunately, this finish can be removed to yield an even, attractive appearance. Many types of silver polish are available, but the traditional method costs pennies and involves a chemical reaction between baking soda and aluminum foil. The tarnish jumps from the silver to the aluminum foil in the process, leaving silverware that is tarnish-free.

Things You'll Need

• Glass dish
• Aluminum foil
• Baking soda
• Kettle

Instructions

1. Tear off enough aluminum foil to line the glass baking dish. Line the dish with the shiny side up.

2. Set all of the cutlery in the dish so each piece is touching the foil but not one other.

3. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of baking soda and pour the solution over the cutlery.

4. Allow the solution to sit on the silverware for 10 to 15 minutes, recommends Good Housekeeping. If the tarnish sn't completely removed, repeat the entire treatment with new aluminum foil, baking soda and hot water.

5. Dry and polish silver with a soft cloth.

References

• Science Fun: Put a Shine on It
• Good Housekeeping: How to Clean Flatware
• John Hopkins Gazette: Dr. Kruger's Silver Solution