Here’s an easy and quick method that shows how to clean silver naturally and in about 5 minutes. Use to clean silverware, serving pieces & more!
Several years ago, I inherited a set of vintage twin silver urns or as they are sometimes called, ice buckets. They belonged to my in-laws and when I brought them home, they were dirty and tarnished. I briefly considered leaving them as is but that thought was short-lived. I know it’s trendy to display tarnished silver, but I just couldn’t. Call me crazy but I wanted them to be shiny and clean. Here’s the method I used…
How to Clean Silver Naturally
- Place a piece of aluminum foil at the bottom of your kitchen sink, and fill the basin with HOT water.
- Add 1/2 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup baking soda. Swish the water around until the salt and soda are dissolved.
- Drop your silver pieces into the water.
- Allow your silver to soak for 3 – 5 minutes.
- Remove and rinse well.
- Buff dry with a soft towel or cloth.
Pictured below is the first urn halfway through the cleaning process. When I rolled it over, I was amazed at how quickly the tarnish and dirt had been removed.
Tips
- Use more salt for larger pieces, as you will need more water and a longer wait time.
- Loosely wrap the silver pieces in foil before you set them in the basin.
- Use toothpaste on a soft rag to clean stubborn spots and streaks.
- Badly tarnished silver may need to be soaked a second time.
I changed the foil and bath after the first urn but if your pieces aren’t badly tarnished, I think you could do more than one piece at a time. My kitchen sink has 2 sections, one bigger than the other. I used the small side which measures 15 x 12 x 6. If your sink is larger I would recommend using more salt and soda.
This method is for cleaning only. It doesn’t polish silver…but I’m not sure that’s even necessary. Polishes have chemicals and I read that sometimes silver tarnishes faster when it’s polished. I have no idea if that’s true or not…I only wanted to share the information.
Learning about this process has enabled me to bring my silver out of hiding. For years and years, I didn’t use it because I didn’t have the time to clean it. Now I can easily maintain it so it can be used and enjoyed.
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