The Sun May Not Be Shining . . . But The Silver Is!

Probably the second week I was married

I decided that I wanted a silver punch bowl 

for my 25th Anniversary

And I never wavered!

In 1994, a month or so before the anniversary

we were "junking"

And came across and F. B. Rogers silver punch bowl, tray, ladle and 19 cups

for like $100

Husband Jim bought it instantly

It was almost our anniversary

It was what I wanted

(and had wanted for almost 25 years)

And we were hosting a party that evening

So we could put it to immediate use!

I can't believe that it was so long ago

That I was gifted with the punch bowl.

It is pretty

But there is a downside . . . 

Polishing

For some reason the bowl and tray don't seem so difficult

It's those little punch cups

All 19 of them!

Those seem to be a pain!

I had the cups stored in the punch bowl

(you don't seem to see the tarnish quite so much)

And decided that today was THE day!

Very tarnished punch cups awaiting a good clean.

Years ago, I bought an aluminum plate and some "magic" crystals.

You put the plate in the bottom of something non-reactive (like enamel), add the magic crystals and hot water and your silver goes from black to silver!

A few years later, a church friend who happened to be a House Mother for a sorority at KU was telling me that they cleaned all of the silver in a sink lined with aluminum foil and instead of magic crystals they used Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

Everything ncluding their big silver punch bowl was cleaned that way

And you know sororities have lots of silver.

Once my "magic crystals" were gone, the aluminum plate disappeared

But then I tried the foil trick with the washing soda!

Bingo!

The Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

Available at almost any super market

(which means that if it is available at a super market in my little town, it should be available everywhere!

And then I became friends with Cass from That Old House Blog

And she posted about "The Lazy Lady's Silver Polishing"

Similar theory, different ingredients . . . 

Plain old baking soda

and

An aluminum steam table pan!

(which I always have a supply of in the basement!)

My life was changed forever!

So the pan and soda were brought up from the basement,

the water heated

And unlike Cass, I put the soda in the water and then put the silver in

Just make sure that the silver touches the aluminum

You can see here that some of the silver is losing it's tarnish

right before your eyes!

And after, all bright and shiny!

You rinse well and then dry . . 

And you have 19 perfectly shiny punch cups

To place around the silver punch bowl

(which was polished the old fashioned way -- with cloth and a polish!)

It and a silver serving piece reside on the bottom shelf of my old

walnut dining room server

The punch cups are quite shiny

And on this dreary day, the dining room is a sparkle!

There is a downside to polishing silver this way . . . 

It turns quicker for polishes usually have an anti-tarnishing agent in them

But no black fingers and it is kinder on the silver

For polishes do take off a wee layer of silver whenever you polish!

I use this method mostly for the punch cups and the napkin rings

And sometimes for the silver if (heaven forbid) I'm having company and

I forgot 

to polish the silver!

It's Tuesday and I'm joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage and Marty at A Stroll Thru Life