http://www.care2.com/greenliving/silver-cleaning-w-household-basics.html
Clean Your Silver with Household Basics
By Annie B. Bond
Sparkling clean silver is a delight on any table. Even better is knowing you didn’t use any harsh, toxic chemicals to get them that way.
It shimmers in the light, and dresses up any decoration. You can clean silver very successfully using kitchen cupboard ingredients instead of
products with synthetic chemicals.
The secrets of silver cleaning using household basics may surprise
you, but the techniques are easy, tried, and true!
If you have a small job, the best silver polish is white tooth paste. Dab some on your finger, and rub into the tarnish.
For bigger pieces, use baking soda and a clean, damp sponge. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Scoop the paste onto the sponge, and rub the paste into the silver. Rinse with hot water and polish dry with a soft, clean cloth.
For badly tarnished silver, leave the baking soda paste on the silver for an hour or so, before cleaning off with the help of the sponge and hot water.
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Better Basics for the Home
Natural living has reached the mainstream: we are now far more concerned about the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the chemicals that surround us, and recognize that government regulations all too often fall short of safeguarding our health. Enter Annie Berthold-Bond, whose Better Basics for the Home is a compendium of practical information -- recipes, tips, and guidelines -- for creating a simpler, cheaper and environmentally safer lifestyle.buy now
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24 comments
add your comment »Silvermate is a great product and has been around since 1952. I requested a document that told of the ingredients because I have very sensitive skin and it says its 96% water! Wow! I'm surprised because it works in seconds and is so mild.
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I just ordered SilverMate and the label on the bottle says it contains a cancer-causing substance. I'm returning mine.
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Wow! I cleaned my silver so easily w/ Silvermate silver cleaner! There is no polishing at all. I followed the directions and all my silver looks brand new. Thank you Johann!
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Johann, I bought a silver cleaner in a spray and found out it was poisonous from the Silversmith website! Then, I used a paste and it hurt my hands too bad for me to use. I decided to buy Silvermate but I haven't tried it yet. Thank you for the tip! Rose
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Silver cleaner is a tricky subject. I use Silvermate because its a non-hazardous liquid that cleans and polishes your silver in less than 30 seconds without scrubbing your hands off. What kind of cleaner have you been using, Rose K?
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I buy a silver cleaner but it hurts my hands. Johann, can you tell me more about Silvermate?
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Being an Executive Chef at a Marriott, I buy silver cleaner. It is a liquid called Silvermate and I can honestly say, I have never rubbed dirt on or stuck our 11,000 pieces of silver plate in the ground to clean them. It very well could work but it does seem like it would scratch your silver. I just found Pam E. comment very interesting.
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I have found various ways to clean silver. My jewellery I put into a mixture of household amonia and hot water - 1 dessertspoon to 1/2 a litre, then swirl it round with an old toothbrush and rinse. I also use this when making jewellery before and after using the polishing wheel. Now, another old and tried method is to go out to the garden and rub the soil on the silver item and then rinse. I clean the silver fork prongs by pushing them into either the garden or the lawn. Silvo polisher is my last resort. Brass clean with soapy warm water and a cut lemon. Always good to know how they did things before the invention of the modern cleaners.
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Hey,
I read Jeffery H.'s comment, and then I went to his site. My thoughts are, that he is an expert, and I am sure he is right. However, the silver I bought was old, and it was already a little scratched (not bad, just normal wear), and I have no intention of having it restored. So, cleaning it with the tooth paste didn't damage it anymore then it already was. AND it did work. The spoons (it was 3 baby spoons for my kids) were almost black, and had very intricate design! I kinda like the "worn" look, it makes it look antique (I don't know if it is. It looks like it is, and the detailing looks old fashion and it was VERY tarnished). Anyway, just my thoughts.
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I had some silver jewellery that I LOVED and could not live without. It was getting tarnished with time. I was terrified to try anything on it for fear that it would damage the jewellery. Finally, I decided to use the baking soda/salt dip tecnique. It worked wonderfully. Even in the tiny nooks and cranies that I could never reach with a cloth.
Another tip ... store your silver with a piece of chalk or charcoal. It will absorb moisture and help avoid the tarnish in the first place.
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