HOW TO CLEAN SILVER

I have more silver in my jewelry box than in my dining room hutch. Do you ever notice that silver is more prevalent in the South and Midwest?

I have a theory. When the settlers decided to move west  in search of land , gold, and a no-humidity climate.  riches they had to leave behind the non-essentials.

But thanks to Pinterest and Instagram I discovered the charm of vintage silver. And, my southern blog friends assured me a little heirloom silver goes a long way in the decor.

 Over the years I  inherited random pieces of sterling or plated silver. My heirloom pitcher needs a chemical peel to remove the tarnish. 

Unfortunately, the silver cleaning products are gag-inducing. They smell like the back alley behind a bar the morning after St. Patrick’s Day.  

If you search for how to clean silver there are a lot of options, but here is my go-to for sterling or plated silver. I have buffed out the stubborn tarnish “hot spots”  with the chemical agents but in small amounts.

 HOW TO CLEAN SILVER 

My favorite piece, a sterling silver water pitcher from my grandmother had more tarnish than sparkle.

I decided to give it a try. My rationale was the aluminum foil method would not add more tarnish. As with any cleaning, project do a test with a small spoon or flatware. 

This how-to tutorial requires a low boil of water. Once the water begins to boil, turn off the heat. Add the sterling piece(s). My sterling pitcher took up the entire pot. Tuck crumpled balls of aluminum foil around the sterling pieces. The aluminum foil acted as the cleaning agent. 

SUPPLIES

• VINEGAR
• WATER
• BAKING SODA
• ALUMINUM FOIL 
• LARGE POT 

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 Tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of hot water. 
2. Let the silver soak two- three hours 
3.  

How to Clean Heirloom Silver

Add approximately a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the pot of water. I found this box in bulk and keep it under the sink. 

It was like a high school chemistry lab in my kitchen. 

The aluminum foil acted like a magnet and pulled the grime and oxidation buildup onto the foil. That concludes my knowledge of chemical reactions. 

I love the results. As with any cleaning agent and process start with a smaller piece. I used a silver-plated ice scoop as my test piece. And, then I just went all-in with my sterling pitcher. 

Thank you for stopping by today. Do you have a product recommendation? Please leave in comments and I will add them to this post. For other DIY ideas please visit me on Hometalk!

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DID YOU SEE THIS PROJECT?

HOW TO ADD STORAGE IN THE KITCHEN HOW TO MAKE A BOLSTER PILLOW