Cleaning tarnished silver w/o a silver cleaner

[my name]

As the title says... I found a silver ring, however its old and tarnished. I don't have a silver cleaner. Is there any way to clean it with household things? Or should I just go out and get a silver cleaner.

[spartaalbion]

didn't you make a post about vodka a while back it seemed to do everything apart from make you coffee or run you a bath in the morning, so im sure it won't have problems cleaning a ring!!

[my name]

I don't know if I'm prepared to waste any though :p

[spartaalbion]

pah.

may i suggest baking soda mixed with water and left over night, brings it up all nice and sparkly.

[Scary Monster]

Or cola

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Have a look in the garage for some kind of abrasive car polish - anything that'll cut the paint back slightly to reveal a new surface should suffice :).

[RubberSkin]

Lemon juice. You need something acidic to react with the silver oxide. Vinegar may well work too, but lemon juice seems to work better.

[Glittery]

If it's real silver then put the ring in a bowl of water, add some salt and a bit of tinfoil scrunched up into a ball and leave for a few hours.

I wonder if tinfoil is called tin foil in America :chin:

[Kaff]

The tarnish on real silver rubs off pretty easily. Get a clean, slightly rough cloth and give it a good rub. I just rub them on the leg of my jeans.

[Miffy]

If it's real silver then put the ring in a bowl of water, add some salt and a bit of tinfoil scrunched up into a ball and leave for a few hours.

That's almost right.


Line a plastic bowl with aluminium foil, shiny side up and add a handful of soda crystals - not baking soda, washing soda - and some very hot water. Put the ring in, onto the foil and leave it for 5 minutes. The dirt jumps onto the foil, it's an electrolytic reaction.

Take it out, rinse it really well and then just buff it up with a cloth. This is how I clean all my silver jewellery.

[my name]

I had no idea there were so many different ways. Thank you all :)