Cleaning the house isn’t always a task everyone is eager to tackle, especially if you’re trying to stick to a tight budget. Many of us prefer to do it ourselves, even when it comes to cleaning our kitchen utensils like silverware. While it might not seem like the most exciting way to spend a day, there’s something satisfying about polishing and restoring them to their original gleam. The good news is, if you do it right, you won’t have to worry about it again for a long time. With just a few simple items, you can quickly get your silver shining like new.
How Do You Maintain a Silverware at Home?
There are various ways to clean your silver with these cheap and common cleaners that can be found at home. Here’s how to maintain, clean, and polish your silverware so it always looks its best.
Our Silverware Maintaining Tips
1. Clean Silverwares With Baking Soda
Baking soda is known as one of the best cleaners of all time. In a kettle or big pot, start some water boiling first. A glass baking dish should be lined with aluminum foil and placed in the sink while you wait for the water to heat. Pour your water into the baking dish once it has boiled. For each cup of water used, add one tablespoon of baking soda.
Make sure your silver pieces are in an even layer in the baking dish and that they touch the aluminum foil before adding them. When silver, baking soda, and foil come into contact, a chemical reaction transforms the tarnish (silver sulfide) back into silver. After placing your silver in the baking dish, give it up to 10 minutes to sit. In deep cleaning your silver, you might need to carry out this procedure more than once if it is severely tarnished.
Use tongs to take out the silver after letting it sit. If you don’t have tongs, you can reach into the mixture while wearing gloves because baking soda can dry the skin. Clean, soft cloths should be used to dry and buff your silver after rinsing it with warm water.
2. Use Dish Soap to Clean Silverwares
Dish soap and warm water may be all you need as a cleaner if your silver if it isn’t severely tarnished. Rub a gentle cloth with a drop of soap and little warm water to emulsify the soap. Then, using the cloth to touch the tarnish-prone areas of your silver gently, clean it. Rinse with cold water after you’re done, then dry with a fresh cloth.
Did you know that the trick to utilizing a dish soap solution for cleaning and keeping silver is to make sure there is only a small amount of dish soap in the solution?
3. Can Lime-Lemon Soda Clean Silverwares?
Although it may sound strange, you may use fountain soda for various housekeeping activities. Put your silverware in a glass baking dish or a sizable basin, add baking soda as your cleaner, and let it sit for an hour to clean it. You should thoroughly wet the silver to prevent it from becoming stuck, then dry it with a soft cloth.
Three Proven Methods for Silver Polishing
Numerous efficient and affordable silver polishing products are available at the mall. But as a wise housekeeper, you may use products you already have at home to remove the tarnish and leave your silver sparkling.
1. Hand Sanitizer
Nowadays, the majority of people keep hand sanitizer close at hand. You can also use it to buff silver. Rub any tarnish or dirt on your items with a dry cloth and a few drops of sanitizer.
2. Cornstarch
Cornstarch isn’t just for cooking like baking soda, it is also used as a cleaner. Make a paste out of 3 parts water and 1 part cornstarch in a small basin. For this technique, apply the paste to the tarnished portions of your silver goods using a moist cloth. When the mixture has dried, rub away with a terry cloth towel or another more abrasive material (though nothing that might scratch your pieces).
3. Toothpaste
Another item from home that you can use in housekeeping that serves two purposes is toothpaste. It may polish your silver the same way it shines on your teeth. However, a word of caution: Be careful whatever toothpaste you use, as some varieties are quite abrasive. A tartar-controlling toothpaste should be tried since it contains hydrated silica, which cleanses your teeth. Avoid whitening products since they could include overly harsh substances.
After deep cleaning your silver with toothpaste and a dry cloth, rinse it with warm water and pat it dry with a soft cloth. Use this technique less frequently than others, and test a small area of your silver beforehand to ensure it won’t get scratched.
Three Ways to Care for Silver
1. Avoid storing silver in plastic.
Your silver jewelry will become permanently discolored due to the chemicals in plastic. Make sure to wrap your silver in tissue, paper towels, or fabric before placing it in a plastic bag if you must store it that way.
2. Never put silver in an oven.
Your silver won’t become cleaner if you believe this will do so. If you leave your silver in the oven for too long, it can melt, leaving you with a huge mess.
3. Be considerate of it.
Silver is readily scratched, so test the polish on a small area if you’re unsure. When deep cleaning, be gentle with your silver so that it will last a lifetime.
Maintaining your silverware doesn’t have to be a time-consuming or labor-intensive task. By following these quick and easy methods, you can keep your silverware always looking new for years to come. If you’re on a tight budget but still want to spend your weekend with family and friends, binge-watch your favorite movie, or engage in your hobbies, hire a Maggy Maid house cleaner. Request for an obligation free quote today.
