Pretty Silver!

So here are some more pretty silver pieces to accompany last week's post. 

These are different silver plated items that I have acquired from different estates and auctions. 

Here is a picture of the condition of a silver pitcher I got from an online auction.

Yuck, huh?  But the good news is I only paid 3 bucks for this, another silver 'Revere' style bowl, and a whole big box of other silver looking items...I just know they will come in handy one day. 
Hopefully.

Here they are soaking in a homemade silver cleaner!  This is what I like to call Kitchen Chemistry. 

Which is my favorite, by the way!

Anyway, what you will need is:

baking soda,

table salt,

hot water,

aluminum kitchen foil,

some kind of baking dish or basin to put everything in (I just used my kitchen sink)

Here is what you do:

1. Fit your container (sink or other wise) with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure that it touches both sides of the container. 

2. Fill with hot water. 

3. Then put equal parts salt and soda in the container.

4. Place silver items in the container.  You will smell a slight metallic smell and see the bubbles from the reaction. Look at the pictures, that is why the water looks cloudy.

6. If your container is not big enough to submerge the piece completely, then turn after about five minutes.  You may have to repeat if they are really bad, like mine were.

5. Remove your pieces and buff with a clean and dry rag. 

And when you are done you will have cleaned silver without the harsh chemicals and little to no elbow grease!

Look how shiny they are...and this is all without scrubbing and no harmful chemicals. 

Then (because it was night time) I grabbed a flashlight and went to get some flowers to put in my newly cleaned silver pitcher!  And yes, my husband did think that I was crazy.

But doesn't it just look great on my window sill?

I love fall!