Cleaning Silver
Though silver isn’t prone to bad breath, for some reason it’s at its best when
cleaned with toothpaste.
The method you employ for cleaning silver will depend on the item that you
are dealing with, but most silver can be cleaned with either regular toothpaste
or a mixture of baking soda and water.
Cleaning Silver with Toothpaste
White toothpaste is best for cleaning silver cutlery or the detail on silver
serving dishes. Here are some simple steps to get your silver gleaming:
- Dampen silver that needs to be cleaned
- Spread toothpaste on an old, soft toothbrush
- Brush toothpaste onto silver
- Rinse
- Dry
Cleaning Jewelry
Silver jewelry can also be easily cleaned using items you have around the house.
Tarnished silver rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets can sparkle like new
with a simple combination of baking soda, tin foil and hot water.
Cleaning Silver with Baking Soda
If you'd like to save your toothpaste for your teeth, then try cleaning your silver with a bit of baking soda.
- Line a large bowl or a small bucket with tinfoil with the shiny side facing
outwards
- Place silver items into the foil-lined container
- Pour in hot water to cover the items that need to be cleaned
- Add baking soda to the water until it begins to fizz
- Allow the silver to soak for about half an hour
- Remove the silver from the water
- Rinse
- Dry
Baking soda can also be used to clean large pieces of silver without using
the dipping method that is explained above. For these larger pieces you will
want to combine baking soda with water to form a paste. Dip a clean, damp sponge
into the paste and rub it onto the silver. The longer you leave the paste on
the silver, the more tarnish you will remove. Finish by rinsing the silver with
hot water and drying.
Keeping the Environment Happy
There are many silver cleaning products on the market these days, but non-toxic
toothpaste and baking soda remain the most popular cleaning products for keeping
silver shiny and beautiful.
