How To Clean Tarnished Silver

Do you need to know how to clean tarnished silver that you have at home? Silver is something that lasts forever so you definitely want to take care of it by keeping it polished and making sure that it is stored properly. Tarnish develops when silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide in the air, producing silver sulfide also known as tarnish. If you continue reading, you will discover everything you need to clean your tarnished silver.

In order to clean tarnished silver you need the following:

• Silver item to clean
• Pan
• Soap & Water
• Baking Soda
• Aluminum Foil
• Stove
• Cloth

1. Begin. First, begin by washing your silver with plain soap and water to remove any dust and debris. Next, you want to line a metal pot or pan with aluminum foil. Add enough water to the pan so that it covers the tarnished silver you want to clean.
2. Baking Soda. Next, stir baking soda into the water in the pan. A couple of tablespoons normally work well to clean tarnished silver, but increase the amount for large quantities of silver. Turn on the stove and let the water begin to boil.
3. Removal. As soon as it starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat and immediately place your silver into the water. The silver should be in contact with the aluminum foil to remove the tarnish or loosen it. Within a few minutes you will see tiny, dark flakes in the water or you will see that the foil is turning brown or black. You will notice that the tarnish is being removed from the silver. The sulfur is literally being transferred to the aluminum foil from the silver. Use tongs to move the silver around in the pan for a while.
4. Dry. When it is clean, remove it and rinse under water to remove any baking soda left on it as a residue. Next, dry the silver with a soft cloth that is clean. To finish cleaning the tarnished silver, focus on rubbing it with the cloth.
5. Storage. Always store unused silver in a clean, dry place where it will not come in contact with dust or dirt.

Source:

How to Clean and Polish Silver