If you ever want to get rid of tons of useless stuff in your life, just move. We don't even have much stuff but I can't tell how many trips to the Women's Coalition (of St. Croix) and Goodwill (of Indiana) I made in the process of our move. But the other great thing about moving is finding great old stuff that you haven't seen in a while.
For me, this came in the form of some old silver jewelry. Nothing of any monetary value but worth everything to my heart. Gifts and old stuff, some from my favorite jewelry stores of all time, IB Design, Crucian Gold and I can't forget Nyah's first Cruzan hook bracelet from Sonya's. St. Croix really has some great jewelry stores. Check them out if you're in the market.
So I found all this old jewelry that hasn't been worn in ages and it was lifelessly dingy, some tarnished beyond recognition. I recently read about eco friendly silver cleaning technique on Lil Blue Boo (click here for tutorial). It looked easy enough so I decided to give it a try.
And let me just add that I have payed my dues in the silver cleaning department. Many days of my youth were spent polishing silver with Nan with the stuff from the blue bottle, rags, and some elbow grease. And I of course loved every minute.
But this is a much easier way and if you haven't clicked on tutorial link above, I will give you the run down on the quick silver cleaning technique.
I started by lining a pan with aluminum foil. I added two cups of water and one tablespoon of baking soda (my ratio was off but it worked anyway) and turned up the heat. Oh yeah.
I stirred the baking soda until it dissolved.
Once the concoction started to lightly bubble, I added the jewels one batch at a time and let them sit for about two minutes. The tarnish disappearing almost immediately as the chemical reaction did its thing. Immediate gratification is my friend.
I then grabbed the tongs and pulled the hot little guys out and admired the shininess. I did have to polish up a few of the pieces that had more textured surfaces but the tarnish came right off.
So there you have it, two minutes to shiny silver.
Will I try this with the family silver? Highly doubtful. I think I will stick to the old fashion way. Plus, Nyah will totally be into it and she needs to be initiated.
For me, this came in the form of some old silver jewelry. Nothing of any monetary value but worth everything to my heart. Gifts and old stuff, some from my favorite jewelry stores of all time, IB Design, Crucian Gold and I can't forget Nyah's first Cruzan hook bracelet from Sonya's. St. Croix really has some great jewelry stores. Check them out if you're in the market.
So I found all this old jewelry that hasn't been worn in ages and it was lifelessly dingy, some tarnished beyond recognition. I recently read about eco friendly silver cleaning technique on Lil Blue Boo (click here for tutorial). It looked easy enough so I decided to give it a try.
I started by lining a pan with aluminum foil. I added two cups of water and one tablespoon of baking soda (my ratio was off but it worked anyway) and turned up the heat. Oh yeah.
Once the concoction started to lightly bubble, I added the jewels one batch at a time and let them sit for about two minutes. The tarnish disappearing almost immediately as the chemical reaction did its thing. Immediate gratification is my friend.
Will I try this with the family silver? Highly doubtful. I think I will stick to the old fashion way. Plus, Nyah will totally be into it and she needs to be initiated.
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