Do you have silver? Antiques, or maybe jewelry? A decade ago, my mom-in-law gifted me this beautiful silver coffee service. It was a wedding gift to HER in the early 1960’s.

Have I ever used it? NO.

WILL I ever use it? Not likely. 

However, it was a very meaningful gift, so I work to maintain it in good condition as she visits quarterly. If you have ever polished silver with that paste you can buy at the store, you understand what a chore this is. I often laughed to myself as if I were Cinderella … wealthy people with servants in days of old had a whole staff assigned to this undertaking.

I hadn't polished my gift in a while, and her visit was fast approaching. My silver polish/paste had dried up, and I was in no mood to go to town. I took to the internet to find a better, easier, less expensive (and maybe more old school) alternative. BINGO! I found a few articles and videos on using good old baking soda, hot water, and aluminum foil. I wasn’t holding my breath, but got set up and gave it a try.

It was AMAZING!!!

Line a NON-aluminum sink with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Put in your tarnished silver. Sprinkle about a half box of baking soda on them. Run the HOTTEST water you can get into the sink, covering the items. It puts off a rotten-egg smell, but you will start to see a difference within minutes. By ten minutes, you can pull them out. They look a bit cloudy, but using a soft cloth and minimal effort, you rub the silver dry, and it looks like new!!! The tarnish transferred to the foil. So interesting, no chemicals, cheap, very little effort!!