Image via The Stir
Pull out your silver platters with confidence this holiday season! We found 10 easy ways to clean tarnish from silver that you can do with everyday household items!
1. Toothpaste: The abrasives in toothpaste are just right for silver. They work, but they won't damage the polish. (Avoid using a toothpaste with whitening ingredients, which might cause damage.) To use this method, apply the toothpaste to an unused brush and scrub as you would your teeth: gently, but with purpose! Be sure to rinse completely clean and then dry thoroughly.
2. Hot Foil Bath: This one is a goody - and fast! Line a pan with aluminum foil, put your silver inside, and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for five minutes, and your silver? It will be shining! The aluminum and boiling water both draw away the tartar-causing dirt.
3. Buffing: In between big cleaning days, keep your silver shiny with regular buffing. Using a jewelry or auto sham will do the job nicely! It's like a massage to keep it sparkly.
4. Baking Soda: Gotta love baking soda. Make a paste using baking soda and water, and then proceed the same way you would with toothpaste. Presto! Clean silver.
5. Salt: Only use this for very tough stains. Salt is really abrasive - we're using it here as we did in option 4, as a paste. So try it if there are stains that won't budge, but go carefully. You don't want to scratch the silver.
6. Laundry Detergent: Laundry detergent contains a lot of the ingredients we've used so far - baking soda and salt, to name a few! An overnight soak in detergent and water can sometimes do the trick.
7. Ketchup: Weird but true! Use it like you would any of the pastes we've discussed. The natural acid of the tomatoes eats through the tarnish and leaves your silver sparkling. It doesn't get more natural than that.
8. Citrus Soda: The carbonation of Sprite or any natural soda containing lemon can bust away stains with their bubbly, acidic powers!
9. Hand Sanitizer: If you're in a pinch, hand sanitizer and the chemicals and alcohol therein can definitely get the job done.
10. Hair Conditioner: In the way conditioner protects your hair, it also protects silver. Use a little bit before buffing to keep tarnish from resurfacing. A little bit of coconut oil also works - and smells great!
Originally posted on The Stir