How To Clean Old Sterling Silver

For trays that are heavily tarnished you can leave the ketchup on for about 15 minutes.

How to clean old sterling silver. To clean sterling silver that is lightly tarnished rinse the piece with warm water using your hands to wipe away dirt and debris. You might be surprised at how much of the tarnish comes off. To clean silver start by applying some silver polish to a cotton ball or q tip. Just squirt some of this condiment onto a paper towel and gently rub at the tarnished areas of your antique sterling silver trays. Here s what you need to do if your silver is in a similar state.

Rinse the pieces under warm water and dry them with a clean cloth. This method isn t suitable for silver pieces that have porous stones or gems such as pearls shells or turquoise or for antiques such as candlesticks or jewelry that are affixed with glue. Next scrub your silver in a back and forth motion with a cotton ball or sponge dipped in soapy water then rinse the silver in warm water and dry it with a soft cotton cloth. First line the bottom of your sink with aluminum foil with the shiny side up. Rub with the silver polishing cloth until the discolorations lift off the jewelry.

How to clean silver naturally. Next add in as much tarnished silver as will fit and sprinkle it all with about a cup or even a bit more of baking soda. To make your jewelry or silverware sparkle line a medium sized bowl with aluminum foil and fill it with hot water. Place your silver jewelry on top of the foil. Mix in one tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent then soak your silver for.

Next you ll need some really hot water. Then rub the silver with the polish using a straight back and forth motion. Slowly add enough hot water to cover the top of the silver items. To clean sterling silver with baking soda you will need a bowl or dish that can withstand boiling water like a glass baking dish or bowl. The electrolyte method for cleaning silver uses a basic chemical reaction with baking soda salt water and aluminum foil to clean and polish sterling silver.

Tear off a piece of aluminum foil large enough to line the inside of the dish or bowl. Once you ve gone over all of the silver rinse it off with water and then dry it with a soft clean cloth. Restore your silver pieces with foil and baking soda. Add the baking soda along with the salt to the dish. I hate cleaning silver with those messy creams.