Sneaky Hack to Polished Silver in less Time and with less Heartache

We stumbled upon this gorgeous vintage set of silver flatware the last time we were antique shopping in Roanoke. It was a total steal, and the best part? It came with 23 teaspoons, 12 seafood forks,…you can see where I’m going with this.

After a half hour into a football game and eight spoons later (marriage is about compromise, after all), we were ready to throw the towel in.

Then, a little productive searching online lead us to this fabulous lifehack. We were skeptical. Well, I was skeptical. But, y’all…just wait and see the results.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Pot to boil water

Large heatproof mixing bowl (we used plastic)

Tongs

Aluminum foil

Baking soda

 

The Before:

The Process:

  1. Line your large mixing bowl loosely with the aluminum foil.
  2. Once your water has boiled, slowly pour it into the foil-lined mixing bowl.
  3. Toss in roughly 1/4 to 1/2 cups of baking soda per half gallon of water.
  4. Place your tarnished silver item(s) into the bowl. It will start to bubble. Don’t worry. This is normal, and actually a good sign!
  5. You’ll see the tarnish wash away in seconds (seriously, guys!). Carefully lift them out with tongs, and voila!
    If you’re having trouble, try adding more baking soda and balling up additional aluminum foil so that your silver pieces have more contact with the foil. 

Before:

After:

Crazy, right?!

We even tried it with a slightly larger item – what I think is a gravy boat that I found at a thrift shop ages ago. We dipped it halfway so y’all could see the difference.

We tested it out and it was a total hit. Get ready to make your holiday prep that much easier with this super simple hack!

(this fabulous tarnish-resistant Reed & Barton drawer liner fits perfectly in our buffet; other options for silver flatware storage here and here)