Using Science to clean your Silver.
How to clean Silver utensils etc. Using a sheet of aluminum foil, hot water, baking soda, table salt and a pan to do this in.
- Place a sheet of Aluminum foil on the bottom of any baking pan. Put your tarnished silver on the sheet. The silver must be touching the aluminum sheet.
- Heat some water (in a kettle or souse pot) enough to pour into the pan, covering the silver. Add a small amount of salt.
- Add a cup or two of fresh baking soda to the hot water (add baking soda before it gets to hot or your solution will bubble over) and salt solution.
- Once dissolved and quite hot, pour this over the item making sure contact is maintained between the item and the aluminum foil.
- Watch the tarnish disappear, this process is sure to impress small children or anyone who did not pass middle school science.
- Remove when water is cooler and polish dry. It works well and is far less time consuming and expensive than using a silver or metal polish.
Check out the website of scientist B. Shakhashiri for a scientific explanation of the process. Or just go with what works like I do and not worry about the reasons why. http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu
