“I’m a bit of a silver jewellery fiend” might be an understatement. I don’t remember how or when it started but I’ve somehow ended up with piles of the stuff from all over the place and it tends to tarnish and lose its lustre after a while. Quite a nice, first world problem to have I’ll admit.

Anyway, I recently discovered this easy method of cleaning silver jewellery that I want to share because it’s fun and takes me back to year 9 chemistry (and you don’t need a Bunsen Burner licence to do it!).

First you will need some aluminium foil (‘a-loominum’ to my Stateside friends) and bi-carb soda. Line a tray with the foil and put your silver pieces in (DO NOT use this method on gems or any other kind of stone or pearl, it could damage them!).

Next, dust your jewellery with the bi-carb soda and pour hot water from a kettle over the top. It should make a delightful sizzle sound as the bi-carb soda reacts with the hot water (chemistry!).  Let the jewellery sit there for a while and occasionally prod the jewellery with a wooden spoon to make sure all if it comes in contact with the foil.

Finally, take a soft cloth and use some elbow grease to polish your jewellery until it shines like moon beams on the ocean on a cloudless, crisp night. The result should look something like this:

Blinding!

Such a satisfying chore.