How to Polish Silver Naturally

by Melody Thacker, in How To (No Comments)

Silver cutlery, jewelry, serving and decorative pieces are beautiful and durable. However, taking care of them isn’t always easy. Silver polish is messy, requires elbow grease and may contain toxic ingredients. Here’s how you can polish silver naturally and more easily.

First, determine how much silver you’re going to clean to decide whether to use your sink or a large bowl. Small items can be cleaned in a heat proof bowl; larger items or quantities will require your sink.

Tear aluminum foil off the roll and cover the entire bottom of a bowl or in your sink. Place it shiny side up or the process won’t work as well. Fill the container or sink half-way or with enough hot water so the silver will be totally submerged. Add two tablespoons of salt per each cup of water. Be sure the salt all remains on the aluminum foil if didn’t cover the entire bottom.

Then place the silver pieces into the water, ensuring each piece touches the aluminum and is covered with water, allow the items to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

Presto, the tarnish will magically transfer from the silver to the aluminum foil due to ionization. It may take longer to soak to remove heavily tarnishing. If this is the case, you’ll want to change the water, salt, and aluminum foil between cleanings.

Finally, remove each piece from the water, wash in warm soapy water, rinse well and dry it with a soft cloth. Enjoy your sparkly silver!

Reduce tarnish from forming on your silver by storing it with a few silica gel packages or wrap it in special flannel clothes.