Gail McQueenProfessional Home Economist |
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© Gail McQueen 2010. Contact Gail for reprint rights.
Cleaning Silver The Easy Way (Eco-Friendly Too)!Cleaning silver is such a chore, and then once it's done you are afraid to eat from it for fear of consuming the lingering cleaner. Here is an easy way to make your silver sparkle again without the use of harsh chemicals. 1. Cover the bottom of your kitchen sink with a sheet of aluminum foil. 2. Set the silver items to be cleaned on top of the foil. 3. Heat a kettle full of water until it boils and pour the boiling water over the silver. 4. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of baking soda over the water and watch the magic! The mixture will froth a bit and the silver will instantly brighten up. Large items that are not totally submerged should be repositioned with kitchen tongs so that the whole object eventually comes in contact with the liquid. Just make sure that part of the object is still touching the foil. Add a little more baking soda and if there is no further bubbling, the reaction is complete. Very tarnished pieces may need several treatments. Once treated, silver needs only to be rinsed in water and dried and buffed to a shine with a soft cloth. Silver tarnishes when it combines with sulfur in the air or sulfur containing substances like eggs, onions, mayonnaise, spinach and wool. This method of cleaning actually causes a chemical reaction that transfers the sulfur atoms from the silver to the aluminum foil. This method is not recommended for valuable antique silver, silver jewelry, silver items with glued parts or flat wear with hollow handles. |
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