Homemade Silver Tarnish Remover

Many years ago we made a trip to Casablanca and purchased this lovely Tea set. Over the years it has become extremely tarnished while in storage.

I cringed when we brought it out a couple weeks ago. I was almost ready to put it away and save the work for another time. I then thought why not search for a recipe for homemade silver tarnish remover. I found several recipes online and tried a few. They all seemed to work a little but since the set has been tarnished for so long the tarnish was not going to disappear without a fight. I then thought why not combine all the recipes together and see what might happen. So, this is the recipe I finally used. 

Tarnish Remover

Ingredients:

ceramic bowl lined with aluminum foil 

1 cup vinegar

2 tbsp baking soda

2 tbsp salt 

2 cups boiling water

Mix ingredients carefully as the vinegar and soda will foam up over the bowl if it is not deep enough. Also take care not to be burned by the boiling water. Dip the tarnished silver into the mixture. I waited a while letting it soak a bit. If your silver is precious you should probably purchase an actual silver cleaner. Or better yet have a jeweler clean your silver for you. Any way I decided to give this a try. After removing from the mixture I rubbed the pieces with a soft cloth. I then used a little toothpaste to finish the polishing. The paste I used was plain white without baking soda or whiteners.  

I still have some work ahead of me. But I think they are looking much better. Oh, if you decide to use tooth paste of which I do not recommend be careful not to scratch your pieces. 

Make Your Own Lavender Scented Bathroom Cleaner

We often have a problem with mold/mildew growing on the grout in one of our bathrooms. The bathroom I am having a problem with does not have a window for natural light and the only ventilation is the small ceiling fan. Using bleach to control the problem is not my favorite choice. I dislike using harsh chemicals in our home. I wanted to find a natural solution to the problem. I have often used vinegar as a mild household cleanser. Vinegar can be used to clean soap scum from shower walls and bathtubs and it can also kill mold. I first cleaned the bathroom and tile wall with diluted bleach making sure to remove all signs of mold.mildew. Frankly, I was in a hurry that is why I used the bleach first. To prevent regrowth of any mold or mildew I sprayed the shower walls and tub twice a week with the recipe below. I have been successful in controlling the mildew and mold growing in the grout for three months now. I do believe if I was not in a hurry and would have sprayed down the shower walls daily for a week or two I would have probably had the same results. 

Recipe

Lavender Scented Bathroom Cleaner

1 spray bottle

Fill bottle half way with water.

Add vinegar until almost full.

Add 2 or 3 drops of Lavender essential oil.

 (Lavender oil is a natural mildew killer that also removes mildew odor)

The vinegar scent evaporates very quickly. Leaving behind a light lavender scent.