How can you clean silverware? How to clean silver at home with baking soda and salt. Cleaning silver cutlery

29.06.2019

Silver items can be seen in every home. Jewelry and utensils are made from this metal.

Silver, like any other material, requires special care. Over time, products become dirty, begin to darken and lose their luster. To restore the former attractive appearance will help the cleaning procedure, which is easy to perform at home.

If you have darkened gold jewelry, find out how they can be cleaned from.

What silver can be cleaned at home

Products made from silver are diverse. They can be decorated with precious and semi-precious stones, openwork carvings, and other metals. Each type of product has its own cleaning features.

With stones

Cleaning silver jewelry with stones should be done carefully. It is best to purchase a cleaning solution from a jewelry store. As an improvised tool, you can use tooth powder and a soft toothbrush or brush. You can return the shine to the stones with the help of cotton wool moistened with cologne, and then polish it with a soft cloth.

Products with topaz, ruby, garnet cannot be cleaned when exposed to high temperatures, as the stone may darken. It is better to entrust the cleaning of jewelry with pearls, amber, ivory, coral to professionals.

Silver plate

The easiest way is to use regular dish detergent. However, in order to restore shine and produce the highest quality cleaning, it is also better to use special solutions for silver.

You can clean the darkened silverware with chalk and ammonia. A gruel is prepared from a crushed piece of chalk and 5 ml of an alcohol solution of ammonia. Moisten a clean napkin with the mixture, and rub silver spoons, forks and knives well. Clean appliances are rinsed with warm water and dried with a towel.

Another way to clean silverware at home is to use potato broth. Pour the potato broth into a container, for example, a plate, put a piece of foil there. When the water reaches room temperature, lower the dishes into it.

Jewelry and bijouterie

Egg yolks can be used to clean jewelry. To do this, moisten a cotton pad in the yolk, wipe the product and set it aside for a while. Wash the dried yolk with warm water.

A solution prepared from 150 ml of milk mixed with 2 tbsp will quickly and well clean silver rings, chains, earrings and jewelry. l. vinegar. Jewelry should be dipped into this mixture for 8-10 hours, then rinsed in hot clean water and wiped dry.

Another interesting way for girls is cleaning with lipstick. However, it is only effective on smooth surfaces. With a cotton pad smeared with lipstick, wipe the product. The blackness will go away instantly.

with gilding

Caring for gilded silver should be especially delicate, as it is easily damaged. Chemicals and other improvised means are not suitable for cleaning the same products. In this case, a cloth is used, preferably a piece of suede, with which the product is rubbed to a shine.

Soft gold plating is easy to scratch with abrasive products. Therefore, at home, you can use a simple recipe. For one liter of warm water, 1 tsp is taken. dishwashing liquids. It can be replaced with grated laundry soap. 6 drops of an alcohol solution of ammonia are added to the solution. Gold-plated jewelry should be in the mixture for no more than half an hour. After that, the products are washed with running water and rubbed to a shine with a soft piece of suede.

blackened

To remove dirt from such jewelry, a solution of soap and soda will help. It is necessary to lower the products into it for 20 minutes, and then rinse with water. If blackening remains, a regular eraser will help to remove them.

The following recipe will quickly relieve the blackening of the metal.

For a 0.5-liter saucepan of water, 3 tablespoons are taken. regular table soda.
The composition is mixed until the powder is completely dissolved. The resulting composition must be washed rings, earrings or cutlery.
The metal should be rinsed and dried with a soft towel.

A solution of soda is an effective tool - it saves silver from darkening.

Matte

Acids and abrasive materials are not suitable for such products. The best way is to use soapy water. Grate a bar of soap on a grater, pour in water. In this composition, hold the metal for a short time, rinse with water.

You can try using citric acid and copper wire.

For a 0.5-liter enameled pot of water, 100 gr. lemons. Jewelry is strung on copper wire, the chain can be wound on it.
Rings and earrings on a wire are placed in a saucepan, which is placed in a water bath. Cleaning time - up to 20 minutes.

Periodically, the wire must be removed and the cleaning process checked. An important role in the recipe is played by the contact of copper and silver.

How else can you clean silver

There are many methods for cleaning silver items that have lost their luster. On the Internet you can find interesting recipes and watch videos. Among the recommendations there are both traditional cleaning methods and unusual ones.

soda

This component is offered for cleaning silver more often than others.

A thick slurry is prepared from soda and water. Products are rubbed with this composition. You can do this with a sponge or toothbrush.
Jewelry or cutlery is washed with running warm water. This helps to avoid divorce.
Clean items are wiped with a towel.

This method is not suitable for gilded silver. Soft gold plating may scratch.

foil

A piece of foil, 20x20 cm in size and 2 tbsp, will help restore shine to silver products. regular soda.

The powder must be diluted in a 0.5-liter cup of water.
When boiling, put foil and decorations into the solution. Keep on fire for no longer than 1 minute.
Remove metal products, rinse and dry.

Soda with water can be replaced with a decoction of 2 potato tubers. In this case, the cleaning time will increase to 5 minutes.

ammonia

Well-tarnished silver items are cleaned with a mixture of an alcoholic solution of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and laundry soap. You need to take 5 ml of liquids and 20 g of grated soap. Mix all ingredients in a liter of water. Put metal products into the composition for half an hour, then rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

ammonia

To clean silver with ammonia, you need to wear gloves. This substance is aggressive. This method cannot be used to clean jewelry with stones.

Products must be immersed in ammonia water for about an hour. The ratio of ammonia and water is 1:10.
After an hour, wash the jewelry from the solution and dry.

toothpaste

One common silver cleaning tip is to use toothpaste or powder. The powder has larger particles, they can scratch the surfaces of rings, spoons or knives.

Toothpaste is a milder remedy. In order not to damage the jewelry when cleaning, it is better to apply the paste on a napkin, and not on a toothbrush. Gently rub the products in a circular motion, and rinse with water. You don’t have to rub for a long time, the blackness is removed immediately. You can add one pipette of ammonia to the paste. This will enhance the shine of the products.

Salt

A mixture of soda and ordinary salt cleans silver jewelry well from darkening and dirt. Add both ingredients to a 0.5 liter pot of boiling water and place the decorations. Boil in the composition for about 5 minutes. Take out, rinse, dry with a napkin.

hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide does an excellent job of removing blackening on silver. Its action can be enhanced with ammonia. Equal parts of both liquids and grated soap are taken and added to the water. The composition must be brought to a boil, then the product is placed in it for about half an hour. Washed and dried products will shine again.

If there is a lot of black

To remove strong blackening from jewelry, you can use tooth powder, ammonia and plain soda, taken in equal parts. It is necessary to apply the gruel to the toothbrush, and rub the products in a circular motion until the darkening disappears completely. Rinse the earrings and rings thoroughly with water, then stains do not form on them, and dry with a soft cloth.

How not to clean silver

Silver jewelry and cutlery should be cleaned with care. Lack of knowledge and inept actions can lead to scratches. Hard toothbrushes and abrasive sponges can damage metal. Do not use harsh detergents for cleaning. Such "chemistry" will harm jewelry.

Special care must be taken when cleaning blackened metal. An excess of zeal will lead to the blackening disappearing. For their purification, ammonia is not used.

So that silver rings, bracelets, earrings, as well as cutlery do not darken and do not have to be cleaned, you need to follow simple rules:

it is better to remove jewelry during cleaning;
wet products must be dried quickly;
silver should be stored in a dark, dry place.

Silver jewelry will not darken if stored wrapped in foil.

Every housewife in the house has silver items, including jewelry, interior items, cutlery. As a rule, some time after the purchase, the metal becomes covered with a black coating and darkens. There are some tricks to make silver shine again.

First you need to know - why does silver turn black? There may be several reasons for this:

Moisture. When exposed to metal with moist air, moist skin, products from it begin to darken rapidly;
Features of the physiology of the human body. On different people, when worn, silver items darken at different rates;
Exposure to chemicals, especially those containing sulfur. When sulfur comes into contact with silver, compounds are formed that are black in color.

How to clean silver at home?

There are a huge number of ways to clean silver at home from black plaque. But products made from this metal (unlike gold) tend to oxidize when interacting with certain chemical elements. With a long history of silver cleaning, our generation can benefit from proven methods. By the way, these improvised means are much more effective than store-bought ones.

When starting the procedure for cleaning silver, you need to remember the main principle: before using any chemical substance, for example, soda, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, you must definitely hold the product in soapy water. Use shampoo or dishwashing liquid instead of soap. The surface and recesses of the products can be cleaned with an old soft toothbrush. Then everything must be rinsed well in clean water.

Silver cleaners

Now you can proceed directly to cleaning silver with chemicals. The first remedy is ammonia. In a pharmacy, you need to purchase 10 percent ammonia and soak a silver product in it for no more than 15 minutes. This is a very effective method, besides it does not take much time and effort. Then the product just needs to be washed with water and dried.
The next remedy is sulfuric acid. From it you need to make a 10 percent solution, by diluting it with water and boiling silver in it, and then rinse the product with water.
Lemon acid. You need to take a glass liter jar, pour 0.7 liters into it. water, pour 100 g of citric acid there and put it all in a water bath. Then take a piece of copper wire and throw it there, bend the tip and hook it on the edge of the can so that they can get the product. Boil silver in such a solution for 15-30 minutes, and then rinse with water.
Coca Cola. Boiling the product in it for 3 minutes well removes the dark film from its surface.
Salt. You need to take any container and pour 200 ml of water into it and add 1 tsp. salt, mix and put the product there for several hours. To speed up this cleaning method, silver can be boiled in this solution for 15 minutes, and then rinsed with water.
Lipstick. You need to take a toothbrush and lipstick and start polishing the product with it, and then rinse with water.
Dentifrice. Dip a wet bracelet, chain or cross into tooth powder and rub with a thick fleecy cloth.
Tooth powder can be used in tandem with ammonia - mix the components to the consistency of a liquid slurry and apply a piece of cotton to the product. After drying, the item should be wiped with a dry cloth.
Folk remedy - water from under boiled eggs. After boiling any number of chicken eggs, you need to let the water cool until it becomes warm. Then silver items should be placed there. It's amazing, but this method really works!

cleaning silver with baking soda

One of the most common ways to clean silver at home is to clean it with baking soda. To do this, you only need a soap solution, soda solution and a clean, dry cloth. Immediately before the cleaning process of the product, it should be held in a solution of soapy water so that the silver surface is ready for contact with soda (sodium bicarbonate), and then rinsed thoroughly.

It is necessary to prepare a soda solution as follows: in 0.5 liters of water, dissolve 2 tbsp. l. soda and put it all on fire. When the solution boils, a piece of food foil should be thrown there, and then the product itself. Keep the silver in this solution for 10-15 seconds, then pull it out and rinse well.
If the product is too dark, then another method will need to be applied. Dilute the baking soda with water to the state of gruel, apply on a soft cloth or fingers and wipe the product. In this case, you need to be extremely careful, because silver can be scratched!
If several silver items are to be cleaned at once, then the following method can be applied: put a sheet of food foil on the bottom of the pan or any other container, securing it by the edges. Pour 0.5 liters of hot water there, add 2 tbsp. l. soda and 1 tbsp. l. salt. Lower the items to the bottom of the container for a few minutes, then pull them out, rinse and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

How can darkening of silver products be avoided?

After contact of silver with wet or wet skin, it should be wiped dry, preferably with a flannel cloth.

When doing household chores, such as washing dishes, floors, washing, etc., it is better to remove rings and bracelets, so they will remain clean, they will not cause visible damage.

When using cosmetics (ointments, creams), jewelry should also be removed, especially if these products are based on sulfur.

It is better to store silver items in special boxes, in a dry place, if possible, it is better to store them separately from each other.

If your house has products made of this metal that you rarely use, then it is better to wrap them in foil during storage, so they do not oxidize and do not darken.

If you do not want to spend your time and energy on home cleaning methods, purchase special impregnated wipes or liquids from a jewelry store. One of the advantages of such products is that they cover the product with a kind of protective film that will help protect it from darkening.

Keep silver properly and try to properly care for products made of this noble metal, then they will delight you with their impeccable appearance for a long time! But if your favorite thing has darkened, use proven homemade recipes to clean it or buy special care products at a jewelry store.

Many can boast of having silverware at home. It can be both jewelry and silverware and even interior items. Unfortunately, this metal has one significant drawback: it darkens over time. In order to return the original appearance, it is necessary to clean it periodically. Of course, you can always give your products to the master, but it is useful to know how to clean silver at home.

Although it is resistant to most alkali and acid solutions, hydrogen sulfide, which is in the air, has a significant effect on the color of silver products.

Darkening silver chain

There is one interesting fact. For some people, when worn, silver products darken faster, while for others they retain their original appearance for a long time. And although there are many superstitions and prejudices associated with this phenomenon, in fact there is an explanation for this. It has been proven that silver products darken faster in people whose sweat contains an increased amount of sulfur. With an excess of nitrogen in sweat, silver, on the contrary, retains its original appearance longer.

Therefore, there are several main reasons for the darkening of silver. At higher humidity in the room, products from it darken faster. Darkening of silver can occur at an accelerated rate due to contact with cosmetics that contain a lot of sulfur in their composition. It starts the process of contact with such substances: rubber, onions, household gas, egg yolk, some detergents and salt.

Before cleaning silver at home, the product must be prepared. This means removing grease and dirt from the surface of the product. To do this, take warm water and dissolve soap in it. You can simply add dish detergent, liquid soap, and even regular shampoo.

We wash the silver product under running water

You can wipe the products with soapy water using a cloth or sponge, but it is most convenient and effective to use a brush with soft bristles. Especially if the jewelry has knots, notches, recesses. After such cleaning, rinse them thoroughly in water. This pre-treatment will enhance the effect of cleaning.

Cleaning silver with toothpowder, baking soda and salt

When it is required to give the original look to products, they can be divided into two groups - with and without inserts. The cleaning method depends on the type of your gold product. For example, how to clean a silver cross?

One of the simple and effective ways to clean silver is with tooth powder. Let's figure out how to wash their black plaque. This can be done in two ways using only powder, as well as with the addition of ammonia. For the first method, you need to take a fleecy cloth and dip the product in tooth powder, then wipe it thoroughly.

You can clean silver at home with the second method by mixing tooth powder and ammonia. In a pharmacy, ammonia can be purchased under the name "Ammonia solution". Instead of tooth powder, if it is not available, use crushed chalk. We get a liquid slurry by mixing all the ingredients, after which we apply the mixture to the product with a piece of cotton wool and let it dry. Wipe with a dry cloth.

Silver cutlery after cleaning

Baking soda is best for cleaning silverware. One or two st. l. soda for this must be diluted in half a liter of water and brought to a boil. In a boiling solution for 15 minutes, lower the product along with a piece of foil. After that, the silver will look like new. You can also apply a solution of soda, only with a higher concentration, on cutlery and wipe it with a soft cloth after a few minutes.

Salt is also suitable as a cleaning agent. It will need to be diluted in the proportion of one tsp. to a glass of water. It is necessary to soak silver items in such a solution for several hours or boil for 15 minutes.

There is another universal way using soda and salt. It is usually used when the rest have failed and the silver is left unrefined. We take 10 g of soda and salt, as well as 10 ml of dishwashing liquid for half a liter of water. Mix it all up and pour into a bowl. We put on fire together with the product and boil for 30 minutes. After that, with the help of a cloth, remove all unnecessary.

Citric acid, vinegar and ammonia

To restore the look and make your ring and cutlery shine, acid will help. Prepare a solution of citric acid as follows: dilute 100 g of powder in half a liter of water and put in a water bath. A silver item should be lowered there along with a piece of copper wire. After 30 minutes of boiling, rinse the product with water.

How to restore shine to silver with vinegar and can it be done? A solution of vinegar (6%) will help no worse. Before using it to clean silver, it must be heated. Then wipe the metal using a cloth. Some advise boiling silver in Coca-Cola, but this is unlikely to give a result. The fact is that the phosphoric acid contained there is in a very low concentration.

Silver jewelry before and after cleaning

Ammonia can be used not only for cleaning products without stones. Its aqueous solution is suitable for removing darkening from products of any complexity. To prepare a cleaning solution, you need to take 10 liters of alcohol in half a glass of water.

However, this method is only suitable for slightly contaminated products. With an average degree of pollution, silver can be cleaned by putting it in a solution for 30 minutes. If the blackening is already strong, then silver products are cleaned in pure ammonia. This procedure should not exceed 10 minutes.

How and how to clean silver with stones?

How can I clean the product if it contains stones? The best option in this case is the use of special fluids. They will not only cope with the task, but also cover your jewel with a protective film.

You can also use this method: add shavings of laundry soap and a few drops of ammonia to the water. Bring to a boil, but do not boil. Apply to silver with a soft-bristled toothbrush and remove blackening. Around the stone, we use a cotton swab dipped in a solution for this.

It is better not to resort to such methods if your product contains corals, amber or pearls. These stones are sensitive to cleaning solutions. It is better to give products with them to the master instead of figuring out how to properly clean silver with such inserts.

blackened silver

Blackened silver also needs care. However, all of these methods can damage the protective layer that is easy to clean. Therefore, the cleaning procedure must be carried out carefully. The easiest way is to put a piece of silver for 20 minutes in a soapy solution with a small amount of soda.

We clean silver with starch. Another option for cleaning such silver at home is to use potato starch. It will be necessary to soak the silver there for three hours, then rinse the products with water.

So that things made of silver do not darken and do not have to figure out how and with what to clean them, follow these recommendations:

Remove jewelry when in contact with water or cosmetics.
Place silver in a jewelry box before storing.
If the product gets wet, wipe it with a flannel cloth.
Jewelry wrapped in foil will be protected from the effects of hydrogen sulfide.

It lay in the kitchen cabinet for a long time and decided that everyone had forgotten about its existence. From this thought, the silverware saddened, began to fade and gradually lose all its attractiveness. But still the hostess remembered him! And I seriously thought: how to clean silver at home?

The sad story has a happy ending - a wise hostess has found ways to properly clean her favorite products and return them to their former glory! How did she do it?

Without leaving the kitchen...

At home, cleaning silver is best in the kitchen. Why? Everything you need is already at hand!

Baking soda

To clean your favorite silver items from heavy dirt, use ordinary baking soda. For a liter of boiling water, you only need a tablespoon of the product. Soak everything in the solution for a while.

If the contamination is strong, cleaning becomes more difficult. Then you can boil it, just add 4 times more soda. Put a piece of food foil on the bottom of the container. Rest assured, you won't have to clean again!

You can make a paste. Dilute the soda with a small amount of water, very carefully try to clean the surface of the blackness with the resulting mixture. To do this, take a toothbrush with cut bristles or a piece of soft cloth. Remember that baking soda at home is considered an aggressive abrasive, so you should not clean silver with it often!

Salt

How to clean silver at home with salt? Boil! Pour a teaspoon of this product with a glass of water and “boil” the decoration in the solution for a quarter of an hour. Some experienced housewives also add soda for reliability. After boiling - water procedures, followed by flannel drying.

Lemon acid

You can also clean with acid. The most affordable at home is lemon. Dissolve a tablespoon of acid in 100 ml of water, gradually bring to a boil in a water bath. Lower the decoration and boil for about 20 minutes. Half done! Gently pull out and rinse in a solution of baking soda, and only then in running water. Dry with flannel.

Vinegar

If there is no citric acid, do not rush to the store! Try cleaning with vinegar. To do this, warm it up a little, lower the decoration. When it gets rid of blackness, take it out and rinse thoroughly, and then dry it in the way you know.

Can you see the bathroom

To clean a small amount of dirt, it will be enough to soak the jewelry in soapy water and gently go over it with a soft toothbrush.

Toothpaste (but not gel) is also a good solution to the problem of how to clean silver at home. Cut the bristles on your toothbrush, apply some toothpaste on it. It is necessary to clean until the silver begins to delight you with its brilliance again.

Try to clean strong contamination with a mixture prepared at home from ammonia, soda, the same toothpaste (take everything in equal proportions). With a soft brush, apply to the surface and gently rub the object of interest. Be sure to rinse and dry!

What's in the medicine cabinet?

Hydrogen peroxide

You can use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol. Mix these components in equal parts, lower the product into the solution for 20 minutes. Wipe with soft wool or flannel. Some experts do not advise getting carried away with peroxide, although this method is considered the most popular to clean black plaque from silver.

Ammonia

Cleaning silver at home with ammonia occurs in several ways. Choose!

Dampen a cloth (flannel or wool) with ammonia and try to thoroughly clean the entire surface.
Dilute one part of ammonia in 10 parts of water. For more effective cleaning, add one part hydrogen peroxide. Leave for 15 minutes. Be sure to rinse, dry with a flannel.
If possible, completely soak the silver with ammonia (10% solution) for 15 minutes. Rinse and dry.
For economical housewives, this method is suitable. In a glass of boiling water, add ammonia and dish gel (literally a teaspoon each). In this solution, you can leave cutlery for 15-30 minutes (follow the result).

If you decide to clean with soda, ammonia or peroxide, before using these products, hold the devices in soapy water, rinse. Now you can clean with peace of mind!

For those who like to "cheat" at home

Cutlery can be cleaned of blackness with the help of sulfuric acid, which is filled with batteries. Place the products in a 10% solution for a while (look at the result). Do not be afraid, the acid will not dissolve silver, but it will eat all the dirt on the “five”!

Why silver is losing its appeal

It tarnishes and turns black as it oxidizes. Properly store, protect silver from a long meeting with aggressors:

High humidity;
Egg yolks, raw onions, household gas;
rubber surfaces;
Decorative cosmetics and medicines containing sulfur.

Use the right tools at hand, because effective cleaning of your favorite jewelry at home does not have to be expensive!

Vinegar

A dining room heated to 40–50 ° C will help to cope with darkening. Dip the jewelry in it for 15 minutes, and then rinse them and dry them with a soft cloth.

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toothpaste

Toothpaste, a brush and your perseverance will remove plaque from a silver chain or ring. A few minutes of careful polishing will make the metal shine.

ammonia and hydrogen peroxide

In a liter of water, dissolve two tablespoons of ammonia and the same amount of peroxide. Dip the jewelry in the solution for 15 minutes. The silver will react with the ammonia and the dirt will disappear without a trace.

Citric acid and copper wire

Pour half a liter of water into an enamel saucepan, add 100 grams of citric acid, and then put everything in a water bath. Put rings and earrings on the copper wire, wrap chains around it (contact of copper and silver is important). Boil the liquid for 15-20 minutes, periodically checking the cleanliness of the jewelry.

soda

Add water to the baking soda until you get a thick paste. Rub the resulting mixture on silver items with a toothbrush or sponge. Then rinse the jewelry with warm water to avoid streaks.

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Vinegar, salt, baking soda and foil

To clean silver with a spa treatment, you'll need half a cup of boiling water, half a cup of vinegar, and a tablespoon each of salt and baking soda. Place a sheet of foil on the bottom of the container, pour in the dry ingredients and fill them with liquid ones. Decorations are placed in the solution so that contact with the foil is maximum. Silver will become perfect in just 5 minutes.

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How to clean silver jewelry with stones

Sapphire, emerald and aquamarine are high density gemstones. Cleaning will not harm them, whichever method you choose.
Opal, malachite, turquoise and moonstone are not so dense: abrasive substances can scratch their surface. Therefore, choose mild detergents or baths.
Ruby, topaz and garnet cannot be cleaned in hot water: they can change color from high temperature.
Give items with amber, pearls, coral or ivory to specialists for cleaning. These materials are very sensitive to acids, alkalis and any solvents.

How to clean matte silver

The only caution for owners of jewelry made of such metal: do not use abrasive materials or acids. They will spoil the appearance of the product. Soap shavings dissolved in water are an ideal gentle agent.

When cleaning such products, be careful and delicate so as not to damage the unique top layer. Soap and soda solution will help you: soak silver in it for 20-30 minutes.

And here is another effective way. Peel a few potatoes, put them in a bowl of water and add your decorations to the same. After 3-4 hours, remove the silver and rinse with water. If the plaque from the metal is not completely removed, erase it with a rubber eraser.

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What to do so that silver does not darken

To make your silver shine brighter than the sun, follow these simple yet effective guidelines:

Remove rings and bracelets before cleaning or applying cosmetics.
If your jewelry gets wet, wipe it dry as soon as possible.
Store jewelry in a dark, dry place, ideally wrapped in foil.

Did these tips help you? Tell us in the comments about your experience of cleaning silver at home.