Cleaning AG the "Green Way"

We get many request for cleaning Sterling and Argentium Silver.  Most of us know about Tarnax but in a recent decomstration we learned of a "Green" method.  It is listed below and we hope you find it helpful.

Things you need:


Aluminum foil

Container to hold the silver and water in. (Casserole dishes work great!)

Baking soda

Water

Pot

1. Line the bottom of the container with aluminum foil.

2. Place your tarnished silver on the aluminum foil in the container (the silver needs to be touching the foil)

3. Boil the water (the hotter the water is, the better the reaction).

4. Add approx 1 cup of baking soda per gallon of water. (Do this slowly as the baking soda will fizz as you add it to the water)

5. Add the baking soda & water mixture to the container (be mindful, it's hot!) You should see an almost instantaneous change in the silver.

You may need to move the silver around on the aluminum foil a bit.

While the visible effects of the removal are instantaneous, you probably want to leave it in for about 10-15 minutes.

If you start seeing black flecks in the water and it starts to smell like rotten eggs, don't worry. That's the aluminum sulfate precipitating out of the solution, and it is normal.

After you take the silver out, it is wise to rub it with a soft cloth to help remove the excess dirt/aluminum sulfate off. Don't just let the silver air-dry.

You may need to do this treatment a few times to get all of the tough spots (or not, depending on how bright and shiny you want it to be)

Best part is, no silver gets removed in this process!