I tried the viral aluminum foil hack to clean silver jewelry — and the results surprised me

I wear a lot of silver jewelry, but it can tarnish quickly, and instead of lifting up an outfit, it can ruin a whole look. Although I’ve used silver jewelry cleaners before, including both 'dip-in' liquid types and polishing cloths, I recently came across a viral hack I wanted to try.

What caught my eye was that this specific cleaning trick uses aluminum foil, a kitchen staple everyone has in their pantry, so instead of wasting time and money on a specialized cleaning product, everything you need is likely in your kitchen already. What's more, it could get you out of a tight spot if you need a quick fix before a big meeting or night out.

Can you use this cleaning method for all types of silver? FrauMartina at Autodesk Instructables says it works with silver, sterling silver and silver-plated objects and that it can also be used with precious and semi-precious gems, although she warns against using it on antique items.

How to clean silver jewelry with aluminum foil

What you’ll need

A flat container
Aluminum foil
1 tablespoon of salt
I cup of boiling water
Tongs
Paper towel

Here's what to do

1. Line a flat-bottom container with foil.

2. In a separate container (I used a small measuring jug) mix 1 cup of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of salt.

3. Pour the solution into the container.

4. Immerse your jewelry items into the solution, using tongs or a similar implement to spread them out.

5. Leave your items in the solution for 5 minutes. However, heavier tarnish may take up to 20 minutes and need extra time.

6. When you are ready to remove your items, dry them on a paper towel, and use a stiff brush, cotton buds, or toothpicks to remove tarnish residue from hard-to-reach places. Finally, polish your jewelry with a microfiber cloth.

What I discovered

As soon as I immersed my items into the solution — a pair of stud earrings and a pendant with a chain — I instantly knew the hack was working. The reaction produced a sulfurous smell, similar to rotten eggs, and identical to that of a ‘dip-in’ liquid cleaner. You may also notice small bubbles forming around your items.

At the same time, I could see an instant difference in my earrings and pendant — they looked brighter. However, the chain, which I’d had problems cleaning before, still looked tarnished. I removed everything after five minutes, followed the instructions above, and then resubmerged the chain for a further 15 minutes.

How does this hack work?

Previously, we've shared how to remove tarnish from flatware using aluminum foil, and the method and reaction are similar, although the salt is replaced with baking soda.

Here comes the chemistry bit. With this jewelry-cleaning hack, when the silver sulfide (tarnish) comes into contact with the aluminum, sulphur atoms are transferred from the silver to the aluminum, forming aluminum sulfide.

The aluminum sulfide then hydrolyzes to form aluminum hydroxide and hydrogen sulfide. At this stage, you’ll know the reaction has taken place because you’ll smell rotten eggs.

Adding the salt acts as an electrolyte, which improves how the electrons move between the silver and aluminum, and boiling water, rather than cold water, helps to speed up the reaction.

My verdict

This method definitely worked exactly and as quickly as when I’ve used a liquid cleaner, and the results were the same. It’s also much quicker than using a polishing cloth as the solution will get into far more crevices than a cloth can reach.

Would I use it again? Definitely. The aluminum foil, salt and boiling water worked a treat to remove the tarnish on my silver jewelry, and have given my items a new lease of life.

Cleaning essentials we love

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.

More from Tom's Guide

• This one item is your secret weapon against washing machine mold — and it's not vinegar or baking soda
• Get rid of foggy, moldy windows with this surprising household item — and it’s just $1
• Your toilet can clean itself — all you need is this one natural ingredient in your kitchen