You can safely clean your Sterling Silver items, including jewelry, with this simple recipe that you can do at home. It works wonderfully and will give your Sterling Silver sparkle and shine. This method of cleaning is good for all Sterling Silver including silverware and other house wares. If you are cleaning Sterling Silver jewelry, you can use this method for all jewelry that DOES NOT include gemstones or pearls.

The following recipe is for a container the size of a Cool Whip container. If you need a bigger container, you can double or triple the ingredients. Aluminum pans from the dollar store work great if you want to clean your larger Sterling Silver items. *Please note: There are many recipes that use the pan/boiling water method. We do not recommend that method, nor do we use it.

 

Materials:
container - a plastic container the size of a Cool Whip container is suitable for jewelry
Aluminum foil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon liquid dishwashing detergent
hot water

 

Turn on the faucet and let the water get hot while you are preparing your cleaning solution. Line your container with aluminum foil, with the shiny side facing up. Make sure you line the sides of the container too. Put in the container 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon liquid dishwashing detergent, and then fill the container with hot water. Mix with a spoon. Drop your Sterling Silver jewelry into the container. Let soak for 20 minutes. When done, rinse all your items with warm water and dry on a paper towel. Plug your sink while rinsing so nothing falls down the drain.  You can also rinse your jewelry in a strainer to be extra careful that nothing falls down the drain.

 

You can also use this recipe for cleaning Sterling Silver house wares.  There is no need to polish your silverware, bowls, or other larger items, as this recipe will leave all your Sterling Silver sparkling.  Double or triple this recipe if you have larger items than jewelry and you need a bigger container. Your Sterling Silver will look as good as new!

 

We created this recipe after many requests from customers asking for a do it yourself way to clean Sterling Silver at home, without spending a lot of money on store bought cleaners that do not work very well.  It also eliminates the laboring that is done with a polishing cloth.  We use this method for cleaning Sterling Silver and highly recommend it.