How Do You Polish Silver Plating Without Toxic Chemicals?
Silver plating, whether on silverware or on jewelry, should never be cleaned with caustic or abrasive chemicals. Caustic chemicals harm the environment, and abrasives remove silver plate just as easily as tarnish. Here’s how to clean your silver items easily, using a few ingredients you have around the house. Turn the burner on the stove on high, and boil a few cups of water – enough to cover the silver items you want to clean later. Tear off a large enough piece of tin foil to cover the bottom of your mixing bowl. Press the tin foil into the bottom of the bowl, shiny side up. Lay your pieces of silver on the tin foil, making sure it fully contacts the aluminum. Lay any chains or necklaces as flat as possible. When the water boils, take the pot off the burner and let it cool a bit. While it’s doing that, pour a generous amount of baking soda over the items in the bowl. Pour the hot water into the bowl. It will fizz up nicely. That’s the tarnish being lifted off the silver in a complete
