Homemade Cleaning Recipes for Metals

Homemade cleaning recipes for metals create simple non-toxic chemical reactions that eliminate tarnish.

Cleaning Sterling Silver

These homemade cleaning recipes are for cleaning sterling silver only, and are not for use on silver plate, hollow-ware, or silver jewelry: Put a sheet of aluminum foil in a non-metal container. Add 2 teaspoons each salt and baking soda, and fill with very warm water. Place your sterling silver in the container. The combination of the salt, baking soda and aluminum causes a chemical reaction that moves the tarnish from the silver to the aluminum. Remove your silver, rinse, and dry with a soft clean cloth.

Take either an aluminum pot or an enameled pan with aluminum foil in the bottom. Fill with enough water so that it will cover your silverware. Add 2 tsp each salt and baking soda and bring to a boil. Add the silverware and boil for 3 more minutes. Remove silver, wash in soapy water, and polish dry.

Cleaning Copper.

Salt dissolved in hot lemon juice, or rub in ketchup or Worcestershire sauce until clean. In either case, rinse well when done.

Soak a clean cloth with lemon juice, and dip in salt. Rub the metal and rinse thoroughly. If you want, use 1/2 a lemon instead of the cloth - dip it in the salt and rub the metal. Do not use this solution on brass-plating, only on solid brass.

Antiqued Brass

Polish with lemon oil or linseed oil Cleaning Brass

Soak a clean cloth with lemon juice, and dip in salt. Rub the metal and rinse thoroughly. If you want, use 1/2 a lemon instead of the cloth - dip it in the salt and rub the metal. Do not use this solution on brass-plating, only on solid brass.

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