By: Mrs. Mathis
Image by liz west Anyone who has ever worked with the harsh chemicals found in the commercial variety can appreciate the virtues of homemade silver polish. While most silver polishing tips recommend using commercial polishes, polishing silver naturally is an excellent alternative. Read on to learn how to polish silver with homemade silver polish, and how to clean silver with a polishing cloth.
How To Polish Silver With Homemade Silver Polish
Obviously, the first step is to make some homemade silver polish. Frankly, my favorite homemade silver polish is not homemade, but “home found.” I have found that polishing silver naturally with white toothpaste is just as effective as using commercial polishes. Not only is it more pleasant smelling, but you don’t have to be as worried about getting every trace of chemical off the piece before using it. That is why knowing how to polish silver with toothpaste is so great when dealing with items used with food.
Simply squeeze a little toothpaste only a soft flannel cloth and rub it into the piece you are polishing. Then use a clean portion of the cloth to polish the piece until it shines. Rinse the item and buff it again to a high shine.
Silver Polishing Tips for Polishing Silver Naturally
Use as little toothpaste as possible and rub it in well.
Rub very gently so as not to scratch the silver.
Don’t worry about darkness in the crevices as this actually gives character and value to the piece.
If you don’t want to use toothpaste, you can try soaking your items overnight in this homemade silver polish: 2 cups of milk mixed with 2 T vinegar. Rinse and dry well the next morning.
How To Clean Silver With A Polishing Cloth
You may have heard friends discussing how to clean silver with a polishing cloth as an alternative to using harsh chemicals. This is only partially accurate since there are chemicals in the polishing cloth that remove the tarnish. Still, a polishing cloth is definitely less messy than liquid or cream polishes.
To use, simply rub the piece well with the silver polishing cloth as directed by the manufacturer.
Summary
Today you have learned how to polish silver with homemade silver polish and how to clean silver with a polishing cloth. Hopefully one of these methods will make your life easier and make you more inclined to use your beautiful silver on a regular basis.
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