120. It Works! It Really Works!

We discovered something really wonderful while we getting things ready for our trip to Pomona for the class reunion.  Bob always likes it when I wear my old charm bracelet and it was getting so tarnished that it would get my clothes dirty.  Trying to clean it with a toothbrush and silver polish was just a mess and not very successful.  Then I remembered that our son, Bud, had told me about cleaning a silver ring with vinegar and foil and I couldn't remember what else.

I got on the internet and googled "clean silver/vinegar" and there were pages and pages of results.  This was so simple and worked like magic!  Oh, the wonders of vinegar!  Don't let Heinz know because they will charge more for such a miracle worker.  I'll bet there are more than 101 uses for the fine, fine liquid.

Cleaning Silver With Aluminum Foil and Vinegar

Aluminum foil and vinegar can be used to clean tarnished silver because of a chemical process called ion exchange.  A vinegar and salt solution transfers some of the silver molecules to the foil, removing the tarnished surface and showing the bright silver beneath.  Since the process uses common household items, you can avoid the expense and potential risk of keeping commercial tarnish-removers around the house and clean silver whenever you need to.  This process may clean tarnish from the crevices of raised designs also, so watch the cleaning process and remove the item before the the crevices are clean.  That way you don't risk losing the dark areas which emphasize the design.

1.  Pour 1 cup of warm water into a 2 cup glass or ceramic container.  Stir in 1 T. salt and 1 T. vinegar until they are dissolved.
2.  Add a 3-inch square piece of aluminum foil.
3.  Submerge the silver that you want clean so that it weighs down the foil.  Make sure both the silver and the foil are completely under the water and the item rests on the foil.  Let everything soak for an hour.
4.  Remove the silver and rinse it in clear water.  Rub it with a soft cloth to remove the remaining tarnish and dry it with a dry cloth.  Discard the vinegar solution.

Solution can be doubled or even larger keeping the ingredients in proportion.

ie: 2c water/2T. salt/2 T.vinegar/ larger piece of foil, etc. Simple.

 Here you see my very old, very dirty silver.









                                                                            Here you see the same silver only now  sparkling clean after the 60 minute soak.  I have to say I was impressed and it couldn't have been simpler.             

I don't own too many large pieces of silver, but I assure you I will use this recipe when I need to clean anything silver.  It works!  It really works!  Kudos to the not so lowly vinegar.  Long may she reign!