How Do You Remove Tarnish From Silver Without Losing Any Of The Silver?
Tarnish occurs because surface molecules of the silver react with sulphur from the air, or certain foodstuffs such as eggs, to form a compound called silver sulphide. So when you polish it off, you are actually removing some of the silver. For silver plated items, this means that with repeated polishing over many years there is a danger of wearing completely through the plating and exposing the base metal. The only solution then is to have the item re-plated. So a better idea is to remove the tarnish by converting the silver sulphide back into silver. This is quite easy to do and doesn’t require any sophisticated equipment. You will just need a bowl large enough to allow the silver item to be completely submerged, some hot water, some aluminium foil and some baking soda. Line the bottom of the bowl with aluminium foil and put in the silver item, making sure it is in contact with the foil. Boil enough water to immerse the item and pour it over. Sprinkle the baking soda into the water, u
