# A silver cleaning method ala heloise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 28, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337 "2002-11-28T14:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/1 "2002-11-28T14:00:18Z")
I cought something the other day on PBS, but I only caught the end of it… It appeared to be a man cleaning some tarnished silver by placing them in a pan of steaming water that had a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of it. He had added some things to the water, but I missed what it was. I believe one of the items was salt, but I don’t know for sure, and I don’t know what else was used. It was cool… he just dipped the item in the water, made sure it touched the sheet of foil and _poof_ gleaming silver. He called it something like “Electrolytic cleaning”. It wasn’t an infomercial either. Can any of you esoteric knowledge havers help me out? And Happy Turkey Day, BTW, to our US Dopers… ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/2 "2002-11-28T14:20:24Z")
Don’t do this to sterling silver. It will work fine on what is called “German Silver,” which is a silver alloy with (I think) nickel. Sterling is pretty much pure silver and will pit if you do this. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/3 "2002-11-28T14:36:46Z")
He probably added baking soda and salt, in equal amounts, to the hot water. It is pretty cool, although I don’t know how tarnished his silver was to begin with if he just dipped it in – I’ve found that you do have to let the stuff soak. It could be me, but I don’t think it works exactly as good as polishing the old fashioned way. It’s definitely easier, that’s for sure. Another silver tip, as long as we’re talking about it – wrap your pieces in Saran Wrap before putting them away, and they won’t tarnish (lack of air). Then, you have no cleaning to do for the next holiday. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/4 "2002-11-28T14:47:29Z")
equal amounts of baking soda and salt. And for some reason it works best if the foil is crumpled up first. I use this quite often on jewelry and the silverware that has a lot of ornate patterns. It cleans the crevices that you can’t get to with regular polishing. Follow it up with a normal polish, and it looks brand new. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/5 "2002-11-28T15:03:00Z")
alternatively used washing (caustic) soda crystals, without the salt. works much better, but you need to rinse well or you’ll poison yourself. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/6 "2002-11-28T15:27:15Z")
I thought he used dry water softener & salt & very hot water? He used water softener stuff for a lot of things on that show. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/7 "2002-11-28T15:47:29Z")
> [@](#): > > And for some reason it works best if the foil is crumpled up first. That cracks the oxide layer on the Aluminum foil and exposes fresh aluminum for the chemical reaction. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/8 "2002-11-29T04:19:44Z")
one of many sites that turned up by Googling “remove silver tarnish aluminum”: [http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/TARNISH.html](http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/TARNISH.html) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/9 "2002-11-29T06:06:46Z")
Not Baking soda, not salt. Warm water and BORAX. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/10 "2002-11-29T06:37:54Z")
I watched that PBS show (Haley’s Hints, or something like that) and took notes on some of the concoctions. Here 'tis: Silver cleaner: Quart of hot water 1 T salt 1 T water softener Sheet of tin foil Rinse well afterwards, and dry ---
**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/11 "2002-11-29T13:37:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by irishgirl \* > **alternatively used washing (caustic) soda crystals, without the salt.** I am sure Irishgirl does’nt mean Caustic Soda. Washing Soda and Caustic Soda are two different things. You may burn your hands with Caustic Soda and pit your silver. Caustic Soda is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3). Baking Soda is Sodium Bi-Carbonate (NaHCO3). ---
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/12 "2002-11-30T05:28:40Z")
And there is also something called “silver cloth”, a brown cloth with sliver embedded into it. You wrap your special silver ware in it, and it will not tarnish. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/13 "2002-11-30T06:22:44Z")
If you want to polish silver more or less the regular way, but with something non-toxic, toothpaste works wonderfully well in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/14 "2002-11-30T06:26:14Z")
Try a little toothpaste on a soft cloth. It actually works! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/15 "2002-11-30T06:28:38Z")
Hey, that’s some interesting info above, folks. I’ve a set of gold-plated flatware. What’s the best way to clean that? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/16 "2002-11-30T12:49:54Z")
I don’t think it matters much if you use salt or baking soda or another electrolyte since the only purpose is to make the water conductive. The reaction is very simple, AgS + Al —\> Ag + AlS (I don’t actually know the valence of Al in this reaction, so keep your flames to yourself). But you need an electrolyte to carry the electrons around. Maybe there is an intermediate Na2S formed. I would hesitate to use salt actually because that is fairly corrosive. Baking soda is a mild base and that is what I have always used. BTW, someone said tin foil and I assume he meant aluminum foil because tin wouldn’t work (even if it existed). It is not sufficiently reactive to pull the sulfide off the silver, or would do it slowly. Silver polish dissolves the AgS and then you wash it down the drain. For solid silver, this is not important, but for plate, you will eventually dissolve all the plate and be down to bare metal. My grandmother had lots of silver plate like that. Ugly. I have usually simmered it slowly for a half hour and it shines up real nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/17 "2002-11-30T13:50:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Hey, that’s some interesting info above, folks. I’ve a set of gold-plated flatware. What’s the best way to clean that? \*\* Rub with toothpaste. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/18 "2002-11-30T14:33:29Z")
I’ll try that today, Annie, and let you know how it worked. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/19 "2002-11-30T15:54:58Z")
“Rub with toothpaste.” Isn’t that a little too abrasive? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/20 "2002-11-30T15:55:24Z")
By the way, plain white toothpaste is the type that’s recommended for silver cleaning - not gel or striped. I’ve also used a paste made of white toothpaste and baking soda to get water marks out of my wood furniture. Seriously. Rub it on the spot, let it sit for a little while, then take a soft cloth and scrub it away. You may need to reapply for tough spots. Then just get out the furniture polish, and it’s good as new. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337.md?page=2)