Natural recipes, some methods :

For fans of natural or grandmother's recipes, here are some methods that prove effective and can be used for jewelry, cutlery, dishes, candlesticks, etc.

1. Water + household alcohol (without perfume): mix 50% household alcohol to 50% water in a basin or container. Dip a soft cloth in it and rub your objects. Use a toothbrush for inaccessible details or carvings. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and dry carefully.

The method is effective for regular maintenance on objects that are not too oxidized or blackened.

2. Baking soda: brought back into the spotlight for many uses, it can also be effective for cleaning silverware. The gentle method consists of rubbing the objects with a soft toothbrush previously dipped in baking soda powder. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and dry carefully.
3. Baking soda and electrolysis: a super effective method for small objects or very dirty cutlery.

A. Take a large ceramic, glass or porcelain dish (not metal or plastic).

B. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom, shiny side up. This will allow electrolysis by causing the silver sulfide particles, responsible for the blackening, to migrate towards the anode in this case, the aluminum foil.

C. Place the objects to be cleaned on the aluminum foil without them coming into contact with each other.

D. Sprinkle evenly with baking soda (20gr/liter of water).

E. The silver sulfide particles settle on your aluminum foil which turns black.

F. Remove objects when they appear to have regained their shine.

G. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry thoroughly.

Other methods are also applicable such as the onion or the fireplace ash. The first will make you cry and the second will make you blacker than the silverware to be cleaned...

Commercially available cleaning products

Many products are also available commercially in the form of paste, powder, liquid or even cleaning wipes or cloths. To protect your silverware from oxidation, you can also store your cutlery, objects or jewelry in boxes or cases covered in anti-oxidant fabric that protect them and allow for less frequent cleaning sessions.

Who to trust and how to choose?

In order to make your life as easy as possible and to guarantee that your silverware always shines, major brands such as Christofle or Hargerty have developed a whole range of products which are on the one hand very easy to use and on the other hand guarantee you a perfect result with the assurance of never damaging your silverware.

If you choose to buy products on sale in stores, we strongly advise you to choose these from leading brands and remember that to obtain a beautiful result, your silverware deserves regular cleaning and sometimes a little elbow grease.