Don't be mad, but summer is winding down. It's a little early, but you may be contemplating your Thanksgiving and Christmas plans. This hack shared on TikTok will show you how to get your silver dishes and utensils ready for any occasion.
The scoop
SRB (@sarah.robertson.barnes) shares tips for living sustainably in the suburbs on her Instagram and TikTok. In one clip, she shows us an incredibly simple hack for cleaning tarnished silver.
@sarah.robertson.barnes #cleaningvideo #cleaningvideos #satisfying #nontoxiccleaning #howtocleansilver #yeahscience #science #kitchenchemistry #chemistryiscool #ecofriendlycleaning #ecocleaning #sustainablecleaning #zerowastecleaning #naturalcleaning #bakingsoda #antiquesilver #vintagesilver ♬ Silver Bells - Instrumental Christmas Music
The video begins with a tarnished silver serving tray next to sparkling silver candlesticks. To start, you will need a glass dish large enough to hold your tarnished piece. Next, line the dish with aluminum foil and sprinkle in a generous amount of baking soda. Place your tarnished item or items in the dish and cover with "not quite boiling water."
Finally, wait for your items to be nice and sparkly again. Rinse and dry your tarnished items, and they are ready to show off to friends and family.
This hack can be used for all types of silver, including utensils and jewelry.
How it's working
It's a great way to revive your silver and make it user-friendly again. It works through an interesting chemical reaction.
According to The Guardian: "The magic behind this hands-free silver polish is the way that the tarnish coating on the silver reacts with aluminum. Sulfur atoms, which adhere to the silver to create silver sulfide — that dark, tarnished look — are carried by the solution and transfer to the aluminum, forming aluminum sulfide and leaving your silver sparkling."
The best thing about this hack is you likely have all these ingredients on hand already. Many eco-friendly cleaning products such as baking soda, dish soap, and rubbing alcohol are affordable and gentler on the environment than alternatives.
Additionally, avoiding specialized cleaning products can save you money. Silver cleaner costs nearly $10 a tub and takes a lot of elbow grease. This hack is virtually free and takes almost no physical exertion.
What people are saying
Commenters were thrilled to learn about this quick cleaning method. "OMG this is life changing for me," one person wrote. "I used never dull & with all the fumes I swear I saw into another dimension. Hated silver polishing day until now."
Someone else said: "Just tried this and it worked so well! Thank you for sharing."
"Where have you been all my life!" another person commented.
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