When I first started hitting yard sales as a newlywed, I noticed I was seeing two things over and over. Well, aside from the footbaths and old Easter baskets that you see at every yard sale, but I wasn’t interested in those things. I was looking for old things and specifically old things I could use in my house. The two things that caught my eye and I often came across were table linens and silver-plated dining and serving pieces. Most were starched with tight folds and lighting staining at the edges. Some of them were still in their packaging – wedding gifts that were never opened or things that have been passed down from one buffet drawer to another until they were finally surrendered to a yard sale. What it came down to was usefulness and maintenance. People didn’t want to do the polishing and ironing and, even if they didn’t mind that too much, most people weren’t using cloth napkins, tablecloths, dresser scarves, and such.
So, I collected silver-plated flatware, platters, pitchers, and napkin rings, along with linen napkins, tablecloths, and tea towels. I have sold many of those early finds over the years, but I still have some of them and I use them now and then.
For polishing silver, my favorite products are and . I use them mostly for polishing our silver flatware and the Wallace silver bells I use each Christmas. But, I thought I would try a silver polishing “hack” on my silver napkin rings that were a bit tarnished and could use some polishing.
I tried this natural silver polishing recipe…
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- boiling water
- tin foil
- baking dish
Since I only had a few napkin rings to polish I lined a glass dish with tin foil, then added the salt and baking soda…
I arranged the napkin rings…
…and then poured in boiling water until all of the rings were covered.
And, I wrapped the rings in the foil…
In hindsight, I should’ve done the napkin rings in two batches because the tarnish transfers over to the foil. A higher foil-to-silver ratio is going to be more successful.
So, of course, this method does work and, I’m sure, tweaking the method will yield even better results. The silver was cleaner, but there were missed spots and I knew I could get the silver cleaner polishing it by hand. I did go back to my favorite silver polish to get any spots the foil trick missed.
I can see using the foil trick when I need to polish a bunch of Wallace bells or silver flatware, but I think I prefer the results and method of simply hand polishing. It doesn’t take that long and the silver is cleaned more uniformly, which looks nicer and that is the entire point. It was fun to test out, though, and I’m sure I will return to it again.
As a side note, I love collecting silver napkin rings. Some of them are sterling and some are silverplate, but I just look for shapes, monograms, dates, and patterns that I like. I have a few that date back to the mid-1800s.
For those who do like the foil method, do you have any tips? Any other favorite polishing methods anyone would like to share?
HERE is a post (and video) of my favorite silver polish in action.
You can use Tide, baking soda and boiling water too!
…please please do not ever do this with sterling…and only rarely with plate…it will eat into the silver…
I use the foil trick for sterling silver jewelry- rings, a bracelet, earrings. One item at a time and I notice that you can add more hot water and a sprinkle more baking soda to keep the reaction going. Then I polish with a jewelry polishing cloth. Simple and non toxic. As long as the items make contact with the foil and are fully submerged I’ve never needed to fold over the tin foil
I agree! I would never use this on my fine sterling! Sorry!
I agree. This method can really harm silver! I use ONLY Herman’s Silver Polish on my good pieces. It’s safe, non-toxic like other polishes, and created by the master of silver care himself, Jeffrey Herman.
I have ruined silver with the aluminum method, and found Mr. Herman’s website in my search for answers on how to fix it. He is simply a font of knowledge on all-things- silver- care. I wish I had come across him before.
Commenting to correct my post: Herman’s Silver Polish is “not” toxic, as are many brands…
I did that many years ago and it was okay, but not the same luster as polishing it by hand, but to each their own.
I really didn’t like the foil method. It took more time to assemble, was not as calming & I constantly worried about pitting.
My mom collected silver napkin rings. She had them cut and used them as bracelets.
I found, by accident, that you can ‘rub’ the tarnish off silver just by using your thumb! OK for a small item, I cleaned my mother’s souvenir spoon collection in this way as there was no ther method available.
That’s called a “butler’s polish.”
A couple of years ago I had to clean out my mom’s china closet so that a leak in the wall could be repaired. I took the opportunity to organize it, and as part of that effort I polished a lot of silver before repackaging it. I don’t find that the tinfoil method works on its own, but it is brilliant as a first step for stripping the bulk off of deeply tarnished pieces. I do find that silver looks a little yellow after the tinfoil method, but it shines back up nicely. Have you tried Wright’s silver polish? How does Goddard compare?
Hi … I have a lot of sterling flatware and many unique silver serving pieces. My mom had an antique dealers license just so she could benefit from the discount at estate sales, auctions, etc. as she collected all things silver. I have her items and my own. The only way I keep some much silver clean (and I definitely use most things) is to clean using Tarn X – a liquid I paint on with a pastry brush and rise per directions. It’s so much easier, quicker and effective than any other way. If I want to really shine or get a high polish I go over the pieces quickly with Wrights silver polish in paste form. I buy both at our local grocery, Publix but hardware stores carry both also. Give Tarn X a try.
A silversmith once told me that the only polish he used was Wright’s. It works well for me!
Wright’s is the only kind, besides Tarn-X that I have ever seen! I guess I’ve never looked for silver polish beyond the grocery store though. All I have is a bunch of silverplate flatware (my own from my first marriage – sterling prices were out of sight in the early 80’s and I felt guilty even choosing a pattern), and also a lot of Paul Revere silver bowls in various sizes. I’m sure they all need polishing right now too! And my mom passed away last summer and no one except my daughter (bless her precious “old soul”) and I wanted anything she had that was silver or old. I have boxes I packed from her home that I haven’t even unpacked yet but I know there are lots and lots of silver and glass coasters as well as small bowls (more Paul Revere, I think), plus platters, in those boxes that are going to need attention. My heart has just not been in it yet but I’m getting there. Baby steps. Miss her so much.
love love silver napkin rings!!! I found my first three that are sterling silver at a garage sale in a plastic bag for a dollar. Since then I have found more here and there…my collection isn’t just limited to napkin rings…I found this incredible set of silver cutlery with forks, knives, spoons, small knives, small forks, small spoons and various serving pieces that are ancient at Value Village for thirty bucks. Fortunately I love polishing silver…I found this incredible side board for fifty dollars at another thrift store with drawers lined with felt to store the silverware… I love setting the table with vintage linens, napkin rings and cutlery. Silver candlestick holders are another find!
Your sideboard sounds marvelous! I miss having a formal dining room in my home. There is room in my living room for a table and a china cabinet, but it just isn’t the same.
I like the way these turned out — not too polished. It seems to give them more character, especially the way you’ve displayed them.
I damaged a couple of old pieces of English silver-plate using the foil method. I think it is very harmful, and would never do it again, unless it was something I truly didn’t care about. Maas silver cleaner is good, and doesn’t hurt the silver. Even heavy rubbing can damage old silver. As for some who put their silver in the DW, that’s a bad idea, too. Once I really made a mess of some sterling pieces that way. I had to take them to an expert to get the oxidation corrected. I don’t know what they did, but I would never try that again, either. Best just to use a mild polish and a soft cloth.
I had the opportunity to go to the silver factory overseas when my company was in the home decor trade. (Alda’s Forever) No foil for me, and the cream seems to be the best. Call me crazy but there is something about the immediate gratification by polishing silver. I use my silver daily for it is useless, if not used. …my motto! …. Using your “Best” on those that mean the most.
Enjoyed all the comments. What is your go to for chrome?
I have used this method frequently on some of the many silver and silver-plated serving pieces and napkin rings I have. I use an entire box of soda and boil water in my largest stew pot so that the water totally covers the items. I have a stainless steel sink so can put the foil in the bottom of the sink, sprinkle it with the soda, place my silver items on top and pour the boiling water over the lot. I’ve never attempted to wrap the items with the foil. It works, but since I have read that this method is hard on silver, I only use it on items I’ve purchased at thrift stores. I’ve put the two silver polishing products you mentioned on my Amazon shopping list!
Growing up, my family owned a jewelry store and we polished all of the holloware at least once a year, in the summer. We started with a product called Ellanar Dip (it may have been discontinued), which is very much like Tarn-X. Both of them smell to high heaven. Shew! But this gets rid of the deep oxidation caused by exposure to air. (Note- Don’t pour used dip down the drain- it is a corrosive and will damage your pipes.) We ALWAYS followed with silver polish because once the tarnish is removed it leaves the silver a yellowish color and lack luster. We used Hagerty’s silver polish, wash, or foam to bring back the shine that we all appreciate. Dipping or the boiling water/soda trick are pretty much the same (soda and water doesn’t smell)! But you must polish in some way to protect and preserve the silver after dipping. Remember that every time you remove tarnish you are removing a little bit of the silver, so using Tran-X or other dipping methods will eventually take plated silver to the base metal.
At home we always used our sterling flatware every day! Mom even put it in the dishwasher, but the heat can eventually cause problems for the knife handles that are hollow and filled with a type of clay. Dad said that Electrasol was best for silverware in the dishwasher because it wasn’t as harsh, but, today, I put some silverplate in my dishwasher and use Cascade, so far so good.
Warning- Very ornate silver pieces have deep grooves and peaks to create the intricate designs. You do not want to remove the tarnish in these grooves because the silversmith actually puts something in these areas to darken and enhance the pattern (it creates the patina). Those grooves can be cleaned with your chosen polish and still maintain the integrity of the pattern. Tarn-X will remove this design tarnish, so use sparingly on ornate patterns.
I love my silver and use it very often! I also love to polish my silver- most people don’t. I hope my information helps in some way.
Great information! Thank you for sharing your expertise. We use our set of family sterling silver for our everyday flatware, too. I love the pattern Kirk Steiff Repousse) and felt it was sad to just use it a few times each year. We just wash it by hand, which isn’t a big deal.
Thanks, everyone! All this info has been very helpful and is encouraging me to start using my silver plate flatware every day, something I’ve been thinking about doing anyway.
I have heard people refer to that pattern as Repossessed…which I think is so funny.
I agree, Marian. Not a big deal to wash by hand. I’ve shied away from anything other than hand polishing with Hagerty’s, though I do use the Tarnx for the trays, etc. that can be so hard to polish. I find the silver polishing therapeutic – my husband said I looked like a “miser”….I have no idea how he’d even know what one looked like. HA! Loved this post. Enjoying your renovation.
Any advice on copper cleaner? Same silver creams for copper. I use what my Mom used: Wenol
Has anyone heard of that one? Old school?
I use Barkeeper’s Friend for cleaning copper, brass, and stainless steel.
Fantastically helpful!
Marian, I read your book, “Inspired You” many years ago, and you “gave me permission” to use my grandmother’s silver everyday! I can’t tell you how often I’ve enjoyed a bowl of cheerios in my brown transferware bowl, eating with my grandma’s silver spoon. And I’ve told so many friends to bring the linen out, don’t save things for a special day, every day is special! You deserve to eat your Wheaties, Oatmeal, mashed potatoes…. and ice cream with a silver spoon! I still use Wrights polish every now and then, I was also told by a jeweler and vintage silver seller not to use the tin foil method. I don’t polish often and have found a little tarnish doesn’t affect the taste of my Cheerios. 🙂 Thanks for all the inspiration over the years
I use the foil/baking soda/boiling water method to polish my sterling jewelry. It works like a charm and they look new again. The boiling water must cover the silver.
Traci
Please take care and don’t use this method for anything you care about. I have some beautiful 18th century desert forks. I bought the forks for a bargain because someone did too good a job cleaning them with this method. They removed all the background tarnish that shows off the design in the clevises.
I use a silver polishing cloth. Works great!
Wow, pretty surprising to hear that everyone is using all these toxic polishing products all of the time. And on things that people eat off of? Not healthy. The foil/baking soda/water is far less toxic to people at least.
As for the remaining tarnish in the crevices of designs, I think this looks fantastic, it causes the design to stand out all the more.
I used this method on silverplate from my mother in law. it was the kind of silver you were given after each military tour of duty as a farewell gift. The quality isn’t the greatest but some of the pieces came out with pitting and are a sad loss unless I’m able to find a reasonably priced place to replate it. Also, I don’t know how that might affect the engraving.
Be very careful if you choose to try this. I followed directions to a T and was sad.
Your blog and the comments brought back sweet memories of sitting at an old enamel table in my Nannie’s kitchen, polishing her silver “everything”, when I was a little girl. I’m sure she paid me something, even though I wouldn’t have cared if she didn’t. My sister and I just loved spending time with her and our great aunt, who lived with our grandparents. We learned a lot of life skills in that kitchen and in that home. Even at 60 years old, I can remember the smells of her wonderful cooking while we shelled butterbeans or peas, shucked corn, peeled peaches, cracked and cleaned pecans, all so she could “put them up” in the freezer so that we could enjoy them all year long. I don’t remember her doing much canning, although I’m sure she did that too at some point. She just kept us busy while she worked and I suppose we helped her. Hopefully she didn’t have to go back and polish the silver over again after we left to go home! I have her silver sandwich platter and quite a few glass pieces that belonged to her (a juicer and some very old glass storage containers as well as very old Pyrex cookware) and I am so proud of that.
A good trip down memory lane! And a reminder that I have some (a lot) of silver that needs polishing! Maybe my granddaughter, who is almost 6, will help me. Ha!
Wrights silver polish does a fine job on the silver baby cups that I collect. I find most of them at thrift stores,
I also collect silver napkin rings. I love the ones with the previous owners’ names and initials. I have one that says “Minnie Moore” and the birthday person gets that one (“..and many moooorrre…” get it? haha). It is fun to compare what we have engraved on our napkin rings…I have a couple sets of anniversary ones, with the sweet bride and groom’s names on them. I will stick with silver polish as I am not sure whether the foil method is safe?
I have some real silver pieces in my two boxes. One was bought by a family member in 1950 for my now deceased great aunt. It has Ice Tea Spoons and lots of family pieces. The other was gifted to me by my mother in law. It had belonged to a deceased relative who bought a complete set while working in a jewelry store who never married. I got a few of her rings along with the never used box. I take good care of both sets. I also have my great great grandmothers Limoge China which was a popular style in 1905. I hand wash all of the silver and the old china. It is in surprisingly good shape despite decades of wear and tear.