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HOW
TO REMOVE TARNISH FROM SILVER
WITHOUT USING POLISH
You can also use a polishing
cloth impregnated with a tarnish-removing chemical.
Find a container large enough to completely immerse the items in
water. The container must not be made of metal (use a glass, enamel
or plastic bowl). Place in the container some crumpled alluminium
foil, salt and sodium bicarbonate. The quantities aren't critical,
approx. a quarter of a cup of sodium bicarbonate and a teaspoon
of salt per litre will do. Add boiling water and stir. Now place
the items in the container and watch the tarnish vanish.
NOTES
The items must touch each other and must touch the alluminium foil.
If you use a disposable aluminium container you don't need the alluminium
foil.
You can use a container made of another metal (e.g. steel or copper)
providing you very carefully line it with the alluminium foil so
that none of the silver touches the metal of the container. However,
it easier to use a non-metal container and it is more effective
to crumple the alluminium foil.
Some people hear the word 'soda' and use the wrong chemical. You
must use sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3 (also known as bicarbonate
of soda, sodium bicarb or baking powder). If you use sodium carbonate, CNa2O3 (also known as Soda , Washing Soda or Soda
Ash) it won't work!
The procedure is often presented as an experiment for schoolchildren,
in which case the method should be changed very slightly. Place
the bowl with the foil in a sink; mix the hot water, salt and sodium
bicarbonate separately and pour over the foil / silver; use oven
gloves to handle the clean (hot) silver; an adult must supervise.
This is to minimise the chances of the child spilling water everywhere
and / or getting scolded, there is no significance in the order.
You may have seen, at antiques or craft fairs, stands selling
a 'magic' metal plate and a 'chemical' - the metal plate is a piece
of aluminium and the chemical is salt and sodium bicarbonate. If
you are a silver dealer who has to clean large quantities of silver,
there's no harm in buying one of these plates rather than having
to use huge amounts of alluminium foil.
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