polishing silver

the gruesome 'before' picture

It isn't like I use fancy silverware everyday. Far from it! My kids each received a silver baby cup when they were born and each family member has a silver napkin ring with our initials (also gifts). The napkin rings have been incredibly useful since we switched to cloth napkins last year.

So it isn't like I am well versed with polishing silver. They few times I did it I used silver polish in a bottle. It was messy and I was a little worried about cleaning and rinsing it all off before letting my kids use their cups again.

Now that our silver pieces have turned a dark, almost black color, I decided to see if I could find a safer method. Not only is the technique I found safer, it is a pretty fun and easy process!

To do this you'll need: aluminum foil, boiling water, baking soda and salt.


Line your sink or a bowl with aluminum foil, and drop in tarnished silver.


Pour in boiling water, a cup of baking soda and a dash of salt.


Let sit for a few minutes. The tarnish will transfer from the silver to the foil.


Voila!