Cleaning Pure Silver With Baking Soda and Aluminum Foil
Silver is a Remarkable metal. A better electrical conductor than Copper, it has been prized for millennia.
While it's surface is remarkably resistant to the growth of bacteria, thus the benefit of the fabled 'silver spoon', it is notorious for its tendency to tarnish over time. Tarnishing is a chemical reaction in the case of silver where the atoms react with sulfur compounds in the air and form a blackish substance something akin to rust.
This is my Pure Silver Torc. Quite in need of a cleaning!
The need for silver to be constantly polished to maintain a shine has been long noted. Indeed, one of the most important privileges of the job of head butler in the past was to have access to the family's collection of silver, and the job of keeping it well polished. This was among the primary reasons servants would wear gloves when handling food services; to avoid fingerprints and the tarnish that comes from being handled.
Their many hours of toil with cloth and polish was not ideal for me, however, and I wanted to see what other methods I could find to clean my Torc.
I happened upon a rather interesting method I decided to try involving Aluminum Foil, Baking soda, and boiling water. What could be easier?
-Placing the aluminum foil in a pot of water
-Adding a tablespoon of baking soda per liter of water
-Bringing the water to a boil
-Inserting the silver to be polished for 10 seconds
-Removing with tongs and wiping clean
Sounded fairly easy, and I was anxious to try!
I added the water, baking soda, and foil to a large pan, and then put my Torc in when it began to boil.
Once in the water, there seemed to be a reaction. Whereas the water had simply boiled before, it now began to build a head of Froth!
Unlike normal boiling froth, this seemed a bit metallic in nature. It was hard to control despite adjusting the heat, and it SMELLED!
The bubbles seemed reluctant to pop normally, and the suds carried with then a nasty brown rust-like residue. I had to open the windows despite the cool temperatures.
Once I removed the silver, the reaction seemed to stop, and the froth died down, but the silver seemed less than gleaming despite the eruption...
Substantial rubbing with a cloth proved much of the remainder came away, and there was no doubt an improvement, but I decided another round was required.
Discarding the first batch of liquid, I made up a new one and brought it to a boil yet again.
While this one did not react as violently as the first, I was prepared for the mess this time and took things more slowly.
Noticing the difference some buffing had made, I thought the crevices of the Torc could use something more adept at cleaning cracks than a rag. So, I fetched an old toothbrush and proceeded to soak bits at a time while scrubbing as I went.
It made for a far more controlled cleaning, and gave me time to go back over problem areas.
As a final measure, and to clean away all remaining residue, I used some old toothpaste (a nice gentle abrasive) to buff the outside of the metal and smooth away any remaining grit.
By the end, I could see quite an improvement! The grime had clearly loosened and come away. No doubt a regular cleaning would see even a stronger difference!
When cleaning things away this time, I noticed the tarnish that had apparently transferred to the aluminum foil. So That's where it had gone!
Ultimately, I think this is an interesting and effective method to clean silver...
However, it is also a messy and smelly method in the event of heavily tarnished items.
I had not seen or worn my Torc in several years and it would have been difficult to clean no matter what the method... But this was certainly a cheap, easy, and effective way to cut through the grime!
I think, if you are aware of the potential messes, this can be an easy way to keep up with the task.
I would especially recommend using this method on items that are irregular or oddly shaped as the water submersion allows for penetration into tight spaces. You will need to wipe down the object afterward though, so some sort of brush or rags will always be required. This method just cuts down on the Elbow Grease involved!
TIP - Submerging items in sections also seems to be a good way of approaching larger jobs. It controls the reaction and allows you to see when areas will need more soak time.
Cleanup, while more than I expected, was a simple task of paper towels, soap and water.
Well worth it!
