DIY Monday: Polishing Silver

A couple weeks ago I posted about finding this lovely silver pin for 25 cents at a local community yard sale. I like the "patina" (darker, aged look) of the piece, but wanted to polish it up a bit. The only problem is that the many nooks and crannies make it difficult to effectively polish. So I turned to the aluminum foil method to get into all the tight spaces!

First, find a container in which you can completely cover your object with water. Cover the bottom of the container with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Pour in 1 Tbsp. of baking soda and 1 Tbsp. of salt and then cover the item with boiling water. The boiling water is important because it speeds up the molecules that help remove the tarnish quickly (someone really smart figured that out, not me). You should smell a bit of a sulfuric smell and see the foil start to turn a darker color.

I don't leave the silver in for a long time as I worry about the salt pitting the silver, but it works wonders in a pretty short period of time. Don't forget to use tongs to take the item out of the water - both will be hot! Next week, I'll show you a non-chemical way to finish polishing up your pieces if there's any tarnish left!