http://www.care2.com/greenliving/silver-cleaning-w-household-basics.html
Clean Your Silver with Household Basics
By Annie B. Bond, Care2 Green Living
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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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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10 comments
add your comment »I HAD A GIRLFRIEND A LONG WHILE AGO,THAT CLEANED SILVER WITH LEMON JUICE AND SOMETHING ELSE. ANYBODY KNOW THAT RECIPE?
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I tried the baking soda and aluminum and hot water method and it ruined a piece of my ss jewelry. Turned it a bit grey.Be careful.
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this method didnt help me at all. it got my silver perfume bottle badge all sticky. and now its ruined people out there dont fall for the trick i did and my perfume badge was ruined. maybe its only for tableware...
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Toothpaste works great! And no worries about leaving poisons on the eating utensils. I didn't have to scrub too much either - like washing the pieces, but with toothpaste instead of detergent.
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Check out How to Clean Silver It gives several suggestions for cleaning silver with natural products.
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just be carefull when useing home based recipe's for cleaning silver ? while some do work, some may not ! and may render your items worthless? example do not mix soda crystals with aluminium foil, this will create harmfull toxin's to the human body, such as hydrogen "found everywhere in the universe" but not released in vast amounts" untill you create the deadly mix with soda & ali.. just beware as there is an health issue here! trying to save yourself a few quid can cost you more
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The hot water, baking soda, salt and aluminum foil method is THE BEST. I have used it many times and it works great. If you have intricate pieces, you might have to use a little rubbing with toothpaste on those spots, but overall, this is the easiest, especially on your hands and dosn't take as much time. Glad you posted this!!
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Any tips for silver jewelry with semi-precious stones?
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Fill a container with hot water. Add 1cup baking soday, 1/2 cup salt. The proportions are not critical. Add a sheet of aluminum foil. Place tarnished silver in container, in contact with the foil. Voila! The tarnish disappears, without affecting the silver like a scrubbing method (see previous suggestions) does. This is how museums do it.
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I found using a biodegradable laundry POWDER works well. Make a paste with water. Using a damp cloth or fingers(do not use rubber gloves, promotes tarnishing)and spread paste onto silver pieces. Let set depending how tarnished an item is. Use a soft damp cloth and gently rub paste into badly tarished areas.Then rinse under warm water. Dry with a soft dry cloth. Pieces will sparkle without using unfriendly chemicals or polishes.
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