Hi Ho Silver........Cleaning Up This Town!

I was cleaning up the kitchen & frowned over my continuously crumbling sweetener jar on my counter. Now we don't use artificial sweeteners nor refined sugar but I am THAT anal ....I like to have it on hand in case a visitor needs it. Anyway, I have housed them in a terra cotta jar that Don & I bought in Mexico when we were first married. Alas, the jar has started crumbling over the past year and I decided I needed to switch it out.

I went through my cabinets and came across a lone sugar bowl that was my Mother's (part of her sterling silver place settings from her 1st wedding)...I don't have a matching creamer so I never really use it. I decided this was just the piece to replace my terra cotta jar. Only thing - it was horribly tarnished. I mean the whole thing was grey-black. I decided it had to be polished. So in light of my trying to be more environmentally conscious, health conscious and having a goal of not leaving the house today (to buy silver polish) I decided to try a new approach. As a child my job was to polish the sterling silver flatware every time we had holidays or company & believe me I hated it. But that was "old" style polishing. I found a great, safe alternative. Wanna know what it is? Sure you do!

First, here's the piece "before".



Put a pan or pot on the stove (size depends on size of item(s) you are polishing). Line it with aluminum foil. Fill it with water so it will cover item(s). Add baking soda - anywhere from 3 tbsp to 1 cup depending on how big item is & how badly tarnished it is. Bring pot to boil.



As soon as it comes to boil, turn off heat and add item...submerging it. If you can't totally submerge it, turn the item over after a few minutes to make sure all sides get under water.



Now just wait. It can take from a few minutes to 10 minutes...it's dependent on the piece. But right away, I can see the difference. The baking soda, boiling water & aluminum foil create a chemical reaction and draw the tarnish out.




Next remove the item with tongs - I used non-stick tongs so not to scratch it. Rinse under cold water and wash with gentle dish soap & water. Dry well. Now you just need a tiny bit of polishing to bring it to a high shine. Voila'!



I used this on a sugar bowl but think of the applications - from household items to jewelry. No caustic chemicals. No bad smell. Nothing hard on your skin and nothing bad for the environment or your drain pipes! What do you think?