I sell a lot of silver/siverplate on Ebay. Jewelry, silverware, serving sets. Silver polish and dips tend to remove some of the metal. The foil method doesn't work that great and still leaves a grey film that still needs to be removed. I use white toothpaste (not gel)and a damp toothbrush. For large items I use a damp cloth. Also works on copper, brass, gold, porcelain, ceramics, sneakers, plastics, etc. For my sales I needed one product for cleaning everything.
I've tried the foil method and I agree with William, it just doesn't work that well. I used a metal polish that is a cream and it worked the best of any other diy method.
I use a jar of silver polish I’ve had forty years. It takes so little! I bought it in a jewelry store that sold silverware and punch bowls, as well as rings. Of course, I keep my silver plate covered in plastic, in boxes, until I need it. I used to have these sheets of foam paper with tissue on one side that were packed with the silver plate, but they gradually got torn and thrown out. I wish I knew what magic powers those sheets had. 😇
Because silver plate will wear off I use a gentle polisher that won't scratch like some DIY products. I'm 73 and still have some of my grandmother's silver that I keep polished. It's well over 100 years old. I only use Wright's Silver Cream. Beware of the liquid polish - it is very strong, and will take a layer of silver off.
Tried many cleaning solutions but can't get black stain on inside of tea pot and coffee pot. Silver cleaner. lemon juice and baking soda with aluminum foil does not r...
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These are many ways to clean your silver, try one of these:
No more tarnishing with aluminum
Boil 4 cups of water, a tablespoon of baking soda, and some aluminum foil. Place silverware in for 10 seconds then remove with kitchen tongs.
Ketchup isn’t just for eating
Tarnished silver can be polished with ketchup using a paper towel – for silver that has crevices, use a toothbrush.
Kill two birds with one stone
When using Windex to clean your windows, spray some on a rag and use it to scrub your silver.
Brush your silver with toothpaste
Use circular motions to brush non-gel and non-abrasive toothpaste onto silver. Leave on for five minutes before washing off with water.
Use soda for tarnished silver
Fill a plastic bowl with lemon-lime soda and place slightly tarnished silver in it for one hour. Rinse and dry with a paper towel.