Restore your silver in just five minutes
If your silver jewellery, cutlery or keepsakes are looking a bit dull, restore their shine using this old school natural method.
This gentle, fast approach works especially well for lightly to moderately tarnished silver and is ideal for items like rings, chains, spoons and decorative pieces. And the best bit? You'll only need everyday household items, a glass dish, tin foil and baking soda.
What you’ll need
- A heat‑proof bowl or dish (glass or ceramic works best)
- Aluminium foil
- Baking soda
- Boiling water
- Soft cloth or microfibre cloth
- Tongs (optional, for handling hot items)
How to remove tarnish
1. Line your bowl with aluminium foil
Place the foil shiny side up. This helps the chemical reaction occur efficiently.
2. Add your silver items
Lay them so they touch the foil – contact is crucial for this method to work.
3. Sprinkle generously with baking soda
About one tablespoon per cup of water is plenty.
4. Pour in boiling water
Add enough to fully submerge the silver. You’ll notice fizzing as the reaction begins.
5. Wait 1–5 minutes
Heavily tarnished pieces may need a few extra minutes.
6. Remove and rinse
Use tongs if the water is still hot. Rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly using a soft cloth.
7. Buff to finish
A gentle buffing brings back that beautiful shine.
The Science Behind the Method
Silver tarnish is mostly silver sulphide, which forms when silver reacts with sulphur in the air. The baking soda and aluminium foil method works through a simple electrochemical exchange.
Here’s what happens:
- Boiling water dissolves the baking soda, creating an alkaline solution that allows ions to move freely
- Aluminium is more reactive than silver
- When aluminium touches the solution and the silver, a tiny electrical exchange occurs
- The tarnish (silver sulphide) gives up its sulphur, which bonds to the aluminium instead
- The silver returns to its original metallic state – shiny and clean
- The aluminium foil becomes dull or darkened as it takes on the sulphur.
The sulphur leaves your silver and attaches to the aluminium. No scrubbing needed!
Caution
- Only use this method for genuine silver, not silver‑plated items with severe wear
- Avoid using on jewellery with porous stones (like opals, turquoise or pearls)
- Dry thoroughly to prevent new tarnish forming.
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