I’ve been on a minimalist kick lately, so am trying to get rid of some things. As I was going through my jewelry to decide what to keep and what to get rid of, I came across some of my silver jewelry (including my favorite bracelet) that I would totally wear, but they were a bit tarnished, because it had been awhile since I last used them.
I decided that I wanted to keep these pieces, but I would need to get some silver polish…then the light bulb in my head went off, and I decided to google how to make your own silver polish! Sure enough, there were tons of DIY silver polish tricks and recipes. They all were a little bit different, but it was the same main idea. I decided to try a little bit of each of them to come up with my own process.
I don’t mean to brag, but this little concoction/procedure turned out FANTASTIC! I’m pretty sure Harvard will be calling soon in hopes that I will accept an honorary P.h.D. in Chemistry, but I probably won’t accept. Hey, I’m just a humble gal trying to salvage some of her favorite jewelry pieces!
The great news is that all that you need to clean silver is probably in your kitchen cupboard, and oh my gosh, guys – this stuff WORKS! I was skeptical because it seemed so simple, but by golly, it worked!
It’s completely safe and non-toxic, and the way that I did it keeps the mess to a minimum. It doesn’t just work for jewelry either! You can use it for silverware, silver figurines, etc…plain and simple, it works! Seriously, guys – you need to try this stuff! You will feel like a mad scientist in your kitchen as you watch the tarnish magically disappear, and you will be left with beautifully shiny and brilliant silver!
DIY SILVER POLISH
Materials Needed:
- A large bowl (big enough to fit whatever you are cleaning)
- Aluminum Foil
- 1 Tbsp. Baking Soda per 1 cup of boiling water
- 1 tsp. salt per 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- boiling water (enough to cover whatever you are cleaning)
Directions:
1.) Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. While the water is heating up, line your bowl with aluminum foil.
2.) Place the baking soda and sea salt in the bottom of the lined bowl. Slowly add the vinegar and watch it bubble and fizz – this is where you will feel like a brilliant chemist. Once the water is boiling, add enough of it to the bowl so that whatever you are cleaning will be completely covered. Once again, embrace your inner chemist and watch as the baking soda and salt that hasn’t yet dissolved in the vinegar magically dissolves completely.
3.) Gently drop your silver into the bowl. You will see the tarnish just melt away – it’s really quite neat! Let the silver soak for about 10 minutes.
4.) Carefully use a spoon to take the silver out of the bowl, and use a rag to dry off and remove any spots that haven’t come off yet.
5.) If it is not yet as pretty as you would desire, you can repeat the procedure to get it even cleaner, but my guess is you won’t have to! I’m still shocked at how well this worked and how easy it was!
Loving and Laughing 