Cleaning Silver and other Antiques

Years of professional homemaking have taught me that there is always a way to salvage something. Recently, a friend needed a way to clean some antique linens which she planned to repurpose. This brought to mind a great recipe I have for just this purpose…

Cleaning Antique Linens:

• 1 gallon distilled water
• 1/4 C. Snowy non-chlorine bleach (liquid or powder)
• 1/4 C. Lemon Joy liquid dishwashing soap*

Now for the final ingredient: Wisdom & Patience

Do not set valuable linens directly into this solution. I like to put my delicate fabrics between two towels and then place them in a large baking dish and let them soak for a while. Resist the urge to swish it around or agitate; just let it be for a bit and the stain should release. Rinse by running the layers through cold water. Repeat, if necessary.

*I’m not sure why the brand Lemon Joy, but it is essential to the mix.

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Cleaning Antique Silver:

Additionally, I had a pair of sterling silver earrings that were covered in tarnish. Since I eschew all forms of toxic chemicals next to my body AND I couldn’t remove the tarnish by just rubbing, I needed another solution. Hence, the recipe below for removing tarnish from silver…

1. Line the bottom of a glass baking dish with aluminum foil
2. Set the tarnished item directly onto the foil (it must be touching)
3. Bring 1 qt. of water to a boil
4. Slowly add 1/4 C. baking soda to the water (do this over the sink since
   it might spill over)
5. Pour the water and soda over the tarnished item. The tarnish should
   disappear in a few minutes (depending on amount of tarnish)
6. Rinse with cool water and dry off any spots.

So, there you have it ~ clean linens and sparking silver.