Your favorite sterling silver pieces deserve to shine—especially in the summer sun. But let’s be real: sweat, sunscreen, and everyday wear can leave silver looking a little dull. The good news? You don’t need fancy cleaners or harsh chemicals to bring back that beautiful glow. and BONUS: You can clean a ton of jewelry all at once and it's all natural!
Here’s a simple, science-backed trick that works like magic using things you probably already have in your kitchen.
What You’ll Need:
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A glass or ceramic dish
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Aluminum foil
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Baking soda
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Boiling water
The How-To:
1-Begin by heating your water to boiling. I use a tea kettle which makes for easier pouring later. While you're waiting for that to boil:
2-Pull off enough aluminum foil to line the bottom your glass dish (I use a flat long baking dish.) It helps to crinkle it up a bit.
3-Lay your jewelry out in the dish on top of the aluminum foil, making sure that as much of each piece touches the foil as possible.
4-Sprinkle baking soda over all of the jewelry in a heavy coating.
5-Once your water is boiling, slowly pour it over the baking soda covered jewelry. Lean back a bit otherwise a stinky cloud of sulfur will rise up into your face...
6-Try to dissolve all of the baking soda with the boiling water because this is where the reaction happens. You can even sprinkle more baking soda over particularly stubborn areas of tarnish and follow that with more boiling water over it. Just make sure the water is still boiling hot.
7-After I've sprinkled and poured and sprinkled and poured some more, I let it sit for about 15-30 minutes in the solution. Then rinse everything off with clean water and let it dry!
A Few Quick Notes:
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Avoid this method if your jewelry has pearls, opals, or other soft gemstones.
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Don’t use it on silver-plated pieces—this process is best for solid sterling silver.
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Always dry completely before storing your jewelry.
Now that your jewelry’s looking fresh, keep it in a cool, dry place when not in use—and consider storing it in a small zip bag or anti-tarnish pouch.
Looking for light, easy-to-wear summer pieces? Start with our Simple Summer Jewelry collection—because effortless looks better when it shines.