You're preparing for a holiday party or a family gathering. You've invited the guests and planned the menu. The silver is badly tarnished.
Many people just reach for a commercial product and start rubbing.
But a materials scientist at The Johns Hopkins University says a simple home recipe using baking soda, water and aluminum foil can remove stubborn stains from silver with minimal muscle power. Jerome Kruger , a professor of materials science and engineering , says this method is particularly helpful in pulling tarnish from narrow grooves and intricate patterns, places that are hard to reach with traditional cleaning methods. Tarnish is produced when silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air, such as the gas released when you boil eggs. Tarnish doesn't harm the metal. It's just ugly.