Cleaning silver – this one’s a beauty

Silver tarnishes on contact with air, but shop-bought silver cleaner is pricey, smelly – and such a pain to use. Sitting around, dabbing at silver with gunked-up dusters, really isn’t the best use of anyone’s time. Also, that stuff makes your fingers really sore.

I used to clean my silver jewellery and photo frames with meths. It does the same job as the cream cleaners, and you use it in the same way: rub it on and off with cloths.

Then I found an even better solution: aluminium foil! I found it here, and it works really well. You fill a bowl with hot water, add a generous pinch of salt and a slice of foil, then submerge your silver item. Ten minutes later, your silver will be as shiny as new.

Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof:

Here’s a silver bangle of mine. As you can tell, I haven’t worn it for a while – and it’s looking pretty grotty.

I put it in a bowl of hot salty water, on top of a small piece of aluminium foil.

Ten minutes later: voila!