Tuesday Tip | Fix tarnished jewelry with foil + baking soda
Ok, plus salt and vinegar too. But the post title was getting a bit long. 😉
If you've got some tarnished jewelry, you should really give this Apartment Therapy tutorial a try. I've done it multiple times, and as I was polishing a batch this weekend, I was reminded that I should tell you guys about it!
Here's some of my tarnished stuff.
To polish it, you just line a dish with aluminum foil, add baking soda, salt and vinegar, pour boiling water over top, and add in the jewelry.
Almost all of the tarnish disappears in the matter of a few minutes.
(That necklace always had dark parts on it, even when it was brand new.)
Whenever I do this, I always sort of wish that I had more tarnished stuff to clean because it's awfully fun to watch the tarnish disappear.
Anyhoo! Step by step instructions are over at Apartment Therapy.
I've done this with silverware (although I leave the knife blades sticking out to avoid damage to the joint between blade and handle) but I don't use vinegar and salt in it. All I can ever remember using is the foil, soda, and boiling water. It sure is easier than sitting around polishing it and I agree, it's fun to watch the tarnish disappear like magic.
Question for the readers: I have a bracelet of opals set in silver that was given to me by a loved one who never noticed I never wear opals. 🙁 The silver is quite tarnished now, but everything I read about opals is that they are very delicate and can't be cleaned with anything strong. Has anyone ever cleaned silver with opals, successfully?
Please, please take that to a jeweler! Opals, especially opals that haven’t been worn in a long time, are very prone to damage.
Also, if you’re more likely to wear it in a different setting, it’s worth having it reset. Opals are a gem that need wearing, according to my best high school friend, who has a black opal in her engagement ring. Something about the oils in your skin keeping it hydrated.
Is it odd that I find that creepy? That the opal needs to be "moisturized"?
I had no idea opals were so high maintenance!
Pearls also need to be worn regularly, or they kind of dry out.
Here's a good resource for both opals and pearls: https://www.gemsociety.org/article/clean-pearls-opals/ My dad did lapidary work (putting gem stones in settings) as a hobby for many years. He loved opals and I have inherited a few pieces that he made. I remember him saying that opals were a more delicate stone and you needed to treat them gently. I agree with EngineerMom--a jeweler is your best bet, and having your stones reset may be wise.
Thanks everyone! I guess I'm off to a jeweler's!
Opals are insanely delicate. You can - CAREFULLY - polish the setting with a polishing cloth, working carefully to avoid the gem itself.
I'm not sure about needing to wear them frequently, though. My mother has an opal necklace that is in great condition despite being worn infrequently.
I have to try this with jewelery and silverware, and an ice cream scooper that needs some attention!
Huh...I'll have to try this! Be careful though not to get vinegar on your granite counter tops as the acidity will eat the surface of the granite.
Good tip! But I've noticed that most new sterling silver jewelry is rhodium-plated (that's also how they turn yellow gold into white), which I love! It gives sterling the look of white gold, and it's always shiny without any special maintenance or need to polish away tarnish. It is a slightly different look than traditional sterling, though.
Does this only work on silver, or other sort of less expensive silvery stuff, as well?
Does this cleaning method deteriorate or wear away the metal at all? I'm thinking of the trick about cleaning silver with catsup, which does wear away the metal over time.
I have no idea! I've done this several times with these earrings, and they've been fine. But I might do a little more digging before trying any method with really old and valuable silver pieces.
I'm anxious to try this! Thanks for sharing!
Whaaaaaat?!? Way cool!!!
Love this tip - but I believe you need to use baking SODA, not baking powder.
Ohh, geez. I put baking soda in the title but then typed powder in the actual post. Thank you! I fixed it.
I've used the combination of a foil lined glass pan, washing soda and boiling water with good success. If you've ever made your own laundry soap, you'll know all about washing soda.