A popular home remedy for cleaning tarnished silver uses hot water, baking soda, salt and aluminium foil. The method can help remove tarnish from some silver items, but it should not be used indiscriminately, particularly when jewellery contains sensitive gemstones.
The cleaning method works through a chemical reaction involving the tarnish on silver. Tarnish is largely made up of silver sulphide, which forms when silver reacts with sulphur-containing compounds. In the presence of aluminium, hot water and an electrolyte such as salt or baking soda, a reaction can help transfer the sulphur away from the silver and onto the aluminium.
This can make heavily tarnished silver appear cleaner without the need for conventional silver polish.
However, the method is not suitable for every piece of jewellery. Pearls and opals are particularly sensitive because they can be affected by heat, chemicals and prolonged exposure to water. Other porous, delicate or treated gemstones may also require more careful handling.
Jewellery with glued stones, intricate finishes, antique surfaces or intentional patination can also be unsuitable for aggressive cleaning methods. The reaction may remove not only unwanted tarnish but also finishes that are part of the item's design.
For valuable or sentimental jewellery, checking the manufacturer's care instructions or consulting a professional jeweller is safer than experimenting with a viral cleaning hack.
If the silver item contains pearls, opals or other delicate stones, avoid putting the entire piece into a hot-water cleaning solution unless a qualified professional confirms that the treatment is appropriate.
The kitchen method may have a sound chemical basis, but that does not make it a universal solution for every silver ornament or gemstone.