How to Clean Silver – Easy DIY Silver Cleaners (No Harsh Chemicals)

As a homeowner, mom, and wife, I like to share tips on how to clean your household items. This post is a guide on how to clean silver. You will learn different ways of cleaning silver with coke, ketchup, vinegar, toothpaste as well as other household products. It’s easy to get your silver shiny again using a few household items.

Depending on your item and how much silver it contains, there are many different methods for cleaning tarnished silver. In this post, you will find some of the best ways to clean and polish silver and remove tarnish without using harsh chemicals.

Using products you have around the house, you can make your sterling silver look beautiful again. It’s easy to get your antique silver jewelry shiny using simple and inexpensive ways.

How To Clean Silver Naturally with Green Ingredients

If you are concerned about your exposure to chemicals and using environmentally friendly products for cleaning, here are a few homemade silver cleaner and silver polish cleaning methods.

Cleaning Silver With Vinegar

There are so many uses for vinegar. Vinegar can remove tarnish from old silver.

• If you want to clean your silver items with vinegar, start by soaking your silver in a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar and 4 tablespoons of baking soda for two to three hours.
• Then, using cold water, rinse the silver. 
• Rub gently and dry with a clean soft cloth, paper towel, or microfiber cloth.
• If you can’t stand the smell of vinegar you can add a few drops of lemon juice to help offset the smell

This method works great for silver items such as silver necklaces, rings, and silver pieces.

How to Clean Silver With Baking Soda And Aluminum Foil

This method is great for cleaning items like a silver plate, silver cutlery, and silver flatware.

• First, line the bottom of your sink or a pot with with aluminum foil. Have the shiny side of the aluminum foil up.
• Then, add your silver items
• Add baking soda
• After that, pour very hot water or boiling water until everything is covered
• Let it sit for about 30 minutes
• Then, pull the pieces out one-by-one and dry with a soft cloth or a paper towel. Obviously be careful if it’s still hot!

The aluminum foil is important here. When combining aluminum foil with tarnished silver, baking soda, and water a chemical reaction occurs that releases the silver sulfide (tarnish) from the silver. The chemical reaction releases sulfur atoms then leave the silver and attach to the aluminum foil. instead 

How Do You Clean Silver With Toothpaste?

You can clean tarnished silver using toothpaste.  This is one of the easiest, handiest ways to clean your silver jewelry.

• First, get a soft toothbrush and brush that toothpaste on your silver piece.
• Then, rinse off all of the toothpaste with warm water.
• Finally, wipe and dry with clean paper towels.

Cleaning With Coke

Recently, I found out you can clean a toilet with Coke, so I figured there are probably other items you can clean with Coke as well.   I was right.

You can clean silver with Coke.  According to this CNet article, you can use Coca-Cola to restore shine to coins and jewelry.

Be careful with your antique silver pieces because this method can be risky for jewelry since Coke can cause rust and strip paint if left on too long. Lemon-lime soda also works.

Cleaning Tarnished Silver With Ketchup

You can clean your silver using ketchup.

• Put your silver pieces in a bowl
• Squirt enough ketchup to cover the silver
• Let is sit for 15 minutes
• Take the jewelry out of the ketchup and put it into a clean bowl with mild dish soap and cold water
• Use your hands to massage the ketchup away from your silver item
• Take a soft dry cloth and gently rub and buff dry

What Is The Best Home Remedy To Clean Silver And Silverware?

The best way to clean your fancy silverware with a home remedy is by using vinegar and baking soda, according to silver cleaning tips from Merry Maids.

Follow the directions for cleaning silver with baking soda, but add vinegar before you add the hot water.

How To Store Silver Pieces

Consider storing your silver items in an anti-tarnish bag to help slow down oxidation and try to prevent tarnish.

Did you know you can also use vinegar to clean your Keurig and steam clean your microwave? Make this oven baking soda cleaner with vinegar too. Find out how easy it is.

For more cleaning ideas, hacks, and guides check out Green Cleaning.

As parents to 3 little kids, we are always on the hunt for non toxic/eco-friendly products.  We found one we use daily called Force of Nature, It's a little appliance that uses electricity to turn salt, water & vinegar into a multi-purpose cleaner, EPA registered disinfectant and deodorizer. It's strong enough to kill bacteria and viruses just like bleach, but it has no toxic chemicals whatsoever!  It's also EPA approved for use against Covid-19.  They have a promotion right now for 40% off & free shipping if you use coupon code SAFESUMMER40 (for bundles) or 30% off using SAFESUMMER30 (for starter kits).  Give it a try:  Force of Nature  See our full review of Force of Nature.