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toothbrush cleaning silver jewelry

How to clean tarnished silver jewelry with pantry items

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“Um, is this silver bracelet supposed to be GRAY?”

We’ve all been there…jewelry that should be a brilliant shine, but due to the air or our skin, our jewelry turns a dull, flat gray as gloomy as a stormy afternoon. 

If your jewelry is only mildly tarnished, you can try a simple scrub of dish soap with a soft toothbrush. 

But for jewelry that’s really lackluster, or where the soap just won’t work, I recommend you try this method.

It’s kind of like doing a middle school science project, and surprisingly exciting to watch the bits of tarnish flake off and rise to the top of the water. And what I particularly like about this is that it doesn’t require any harsh chemicals — just a few items you already have in your pantry!

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here. 

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The low-cost (and eco-friendly) way to clean your jewelry with pantry items

one tarnished and one clean bracelet

If your jewelry is especially tarnished, use this method!

Prep Time 1 minute
Active Time 3 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 24 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • Aluminum foil
  • Baking soda
  • Salt

Tools

  • Plastic or glass container with flat bottom

Instructions

  1. Line the container with aluminum foil.
  2. Fill the container with warm water and equal parts baking soda and salt (use at least a teaspoon of each, though depending on the size of your container you may need more.)
  3. Place the tarnished piece on the aluminum foil and let it sit for at
    least 10 minutes. You will see bits of tarnish magically float to the top. Depe

Notes

Be careful if your pieces contain other elements, such as beads or pearls. I recommend this method for jewelry that just contains
silver and no other embellishments.

Depending on how tarnished your jewelry is, you may need to do an additional cleaning with the first method.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Bob's Red Mill Pure Baking Soda -- 16 oz (Pack of 2)
    Bob's Red Mill Pure Baking Soda -- 16 oz (Pack of 2)
  • IF YOU CARE 100% Recycled Aluminum Foil Roll, 50 Sq. Ft. Roll
    IF YOU CARE 100% Recycled Aluminum Foil Roll, 50 Sq. Ft. Roll

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bowl of soapy water with toothbrush and hand cleaning silver bracelet

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