This cup is what we use for silver polishing. It sits in my daughter's room on her shelf. Usually she fills it with a collection of pebbles or pine cones and when we start to notice it loosing it's shine, it is time for a polishing on cleaning day.
I haven't found an all natural silver polish yet (at least one that is not too abrasive), so we use some store bought polish.
A little polish, scrubbing, a rinse and a little more scrubbing in the water...
Instant gratification. Polishing wood, silver, mirrors, or glass always provides such a sense of satisfaction.
5 comments:
I always want to do this activity, but worry about the toxicity of silver polish. What brand do you use?
Teach Mama used baking soda and vinegar. Have you tried that combo?
http://teachmama.blogspot.com/2010/02/presidents-day-coin-polishing.html
A couple safe substitutes for sliver polishing:
1. toothpaste! I used this in the classroom, and the kids liked that it smelled good! I placed a small amount in a jar, and then it was applied with a q-tip.
2. a paste made of baking soda and water (allow to dry, then polish off)
I have a list of safe polishes for other materials as well, which I'd be glad to share if you're interested.
I use Hagerty Silver Foam. I researched a little on line and found that both toothpaste (plain not gel) and baking soda are too abrasive and can (over time) leave scratches. Although, they are fine for pieces that aren't valuable, I didn't want to use them on the keepsake cup. I did read that windex w/ vineger or purell (w/o aloe) hand sanitizer can both be used with cotton balls and dried with a towel to remove a light tarnish. (Maybe we'll try one of those next time.)
Jess- I would be interested in a natural cleaner for brass.
Amy -
Brass (and copper) polishing options:
1. 2 tbsp salt + 2 tbsp flour + vinegar to reach desired pasty consistency
2. simply vinegar & salt
3. worcestershire sauce
4. toothpaste
5. ketchup
p.s. I received this list during my training and have not tried them all to know whether the suggestions are credible. It's nice to have options and try different things, though. Hope this helps. Have fun!
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