Useful Tips

I've just cleaned my glass shower doors, taps and sink with toothpaste on a damp cloth..........brilliant, and the bathroom smells lovely and minty!

I suspect that the setting of the bracelet is not silver, MiceElf and I am not sure what to do with that. A soft toothbrush and toothpaste may be the answer. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Yes, I forgot the pong (how could I?). Sorry about that. Opening a window and/or using the extractor fan is a good idea.

I did a candelabra last night (used soda crystals as didn't have any bicarb) and it was gleaming!

Mice you could try the toothbrush & toothpaste method mentioned up there ^ to see if I improves it at all?

And you forgot to mention the pong. HymnsElf has just come in and says the whole house smells of rotten eggs. Can't detect it MiceElf but then I've been unknotting chains and fiddling with foil and bicarbonate for some time.

Elegran I've just done your silver trick. It was with a jumble of chains and stuff which I almost never bother with, but some have a sentimental connection. Everything came up beautifully shiny except for a Thai Silver bracelet which was my mother's. The silver is shiny but the black in which it is set is now dull and has lost its shine altogether. Any suggestions?

I hate ironing, but my late mother loved it. She would iron everything, even dusters, towels, and underwear. When she came to my house she would do the ironing. I like doing the washing, especially when I can hang it outdoors. Really I like watching tv, reading, knitting, and looking at my computer best!

If you have course hair do not use shampoo for a few time when you wash your hair--Just use conditioner--it worked for me

Soggy cloth, blob of toothpaste; wipe it all over, rinse with clean cloth and water, dry/polish with either kitchen roll or a microfibre cloth. I use it in mirrors and windows too. Just make sure you rinse it off well before drying. Job done!

Dragonfly1 please excuse the ignorance, I have never heard of using toothpaste for this before but how exactly is it done?

Toothpaste's good for cleaning shower screens too - clears the water marks.

White toothpaste and an old toothbrush work well on silver jewellery. It doen't leave black in the recessess. Seems to last a long time too.

White toothpaste can, also, fill in small holes and cracks in walls.. Especially useful if you have a grandchild who like to put things on the wall with drawing pins.

I don't know if baby oil cleans silveware - I've only ever tried it on stainless steel.

If the water is deep enough, maybe the tray can stand on end in it, then on the other end.

To be honest, I'd be better putting on my Marigolds and attacking the silverware with silver polish. I used to have that job for my mum when I was a kid.

annodomini

Yes, it has to be baby oil - I've never tried cooking oil other than for cooking but I doubt it would work on anything for polishing or babies bottoms even!

That would work I think, Charleygirl.

I think I bought the original plate from Betterwear or a similar firm.

I noticed today that M&S is selling large foil trays/baking "tins" for I think £1.99. Would that help?

Would it go into one of those Lakeland Plastics trays for soaking oven shelves?

Wouldn't have thought so, anno

I've done it with washing soda which is easier to get in the quantities required. I wonder if I could use the bath for a silver tray (not plate) which is too big for the sink. Would it damage an acrylic bath?

I have a vague memory of it being done with foil milk-bottle tops once upon a time.

With bicarb you can fish stuff out with your fingers if it is too fiddly for tongs. I wouldn't fancy doing that with washing soda.

I do the same elegran, but with washing soda instead of bicarb.

That was what put me on the trail of this method. I had been turning out cupboards and had this pile of stuff needing cleaned but no silver cleaner on the house. DD2 had seen your metal plate in a catalogue somewhere but couldn't remember where, so I Googled it. The foil/bicarb method came up as well - much cheaper!

I bought a metal 'plate' which you use with washing soda and hot water to clean silver, must work on the same principle, elegran.