Visiting my aunt in Charleston, I saw her silver napkin rings in a bowl of water

Faith Singh · 2026-03-09T22:05:08.2928+00:00

She said her grandmother's trick for cleaning tarnished silver without harsh polish was to soak it overnight in a mix of warm water, baking soda, and a piece of aluminum foil. I tried it on a tarnished locket from 1910 and the tarnish just wiped off. Has anyone else tried this method on really delicate, old pieces?

the_nathan7mo ago

Actually saw a video where someone tried it on silver plate and it worked pretty well (not perfect, but way better). The science-y bit is that the reaction needs real silver to work, so plate with worn spots might come out patchy. Still, for a quick clean on the cheap, it's worth a shot before buying the fancy polish.

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milalopez7mo ago

Wait, does it work on silver plate too?

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elliotk117mo ago

So does it work on silver that's not flat, like a detailed picture frame?

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