My science fair project

(In my header photo: A polar bear sporting a dress and sweater, for a soon-to-be-born baby girl. Also, an Aran cardigan which I have started for a friend. This is a big project; I've been knitting all week and the first section, the back, isn't finished yet. The pattern is from Yankee Knitter, and it's a wonderful pattern.)

Now to my post: Easter Sunday morning as I took our flatware out of the silverware box, I noticed some tarnishing. This wouldn't do for Easter brunch.

I was about to try to enlist Ken to do some silver polishing, when I suddenly remembered my twelfth-grade entry in my school's annual science fair.

So I set to work.

I placed a strip of aluminum foil in a large plastic bowl.
Then I added approximately 1/4-1/2 cup of washing soda and about 1 tablespoon of baking soda.

Next I placed the flatware on the powdered mixtures and poured over this enough boiling water to cover the flatware.

I stood back and watched Ken's job being done for him with no effort: The concoction bubbled and hissed; the smell of sulfur filled the air (but only slightly).

After just a few minutes, I emptied the water from the bowl, rinsed the flatware with cold water, and voila!

Tarnish gone; flatware bright and shiny.
The chemical reaction causes the sulfur tarnish (sulfide) to transfer from the knives and forks to the aluminum foil.

Yup, first place in not only my high school's science fair, but first place in the regional fair as well. I don't remember the chemical equation, since this was 55 years ago, but it's a fairly simple one. Sure beats getting out the jar of silver polish and spending a good minute on each utensil. Update: I just found the chemical reaction on this site:http://www.finishing.com/4600-4799/4785.shtml This site suggests you use baking soda only, but I remember distinctly that I used washing soda, too. Try it with just baking soda, though, if this is all you have on hand.


This was going to be my only handy tip in this post, but yesterday I attended a meeting, and the ladies at my table started sharing clever household cleaning tips.

I love cleaning products made from items we have on hand. I don't like to buy commercial cleaning products because of the harmful chemicals they contain.

This second tip I learned on the Today Show one morning a few years ago, and I've kept a bottle of vodka in my kitchen pantry ever since:

To clean microfiber sofas, chairs, etc., dip a white cleaning cloth into a small saucer of vodka. Rub the cloth on the soiled area of the microfiber. Voila, again! I regularly clean the arms of my sofa, especially the end of the sofa that our dog has claimed as hers (even though I keep her sleeping area of the sofa covered with towels) with vodka.

It dries quickly, doesn't leave a water stain, and removes soil.

I've read you shouldn't use a colored cloth to do this because the color from the cloth might transfer onto your furniture.

Also, I read recently that rubbing alcohol works as well as vodka.

So there you have it: two handy tips in one day.

Now it's time for me to go outdoors. It's a beautiful, sunny, warm day here in Maine (finally), and I don't want to miss a  minute of it.