Prevent Your Silver From Tarnishing With This Hairy Hack

Tarnished silver is unsightly and can be a bit of a chore to get nice and clean. Most people will opt for silver polish to keep their precious silver items nice and sparkly. It's relatively affordable, cleans, buffs, and does the job in no time. The problem is that it's also highly toxic, and its fumes can be rather potent, so don't breathe it in. Instead of using this somewhat hazardous product to prevent your shiny items from becoming discolored, why not use a hair conditioner? It's much more economical, and we can almost guarantee that you, or someone you know, has a bottle in their home. 

It's worth mentioning that using a hair conditioner is also a great way to avoid damaging your silver wares. Many retail silver polishes can also act like abrasives, which is what you don't want. That's one of the reasons conditioner works so great as a tarnish preventative — it's a product meant to protect, not the other way around. Hair conditioner also works its magic on more than just silver. It's great for buffing and shining appliances, cleaning and protecting furniture, and can even be used for laundry. And, of course, it works miracles for your hair.

This particular hack can be used on any silver goods, including candlesticks, jewelry, serving trays, you name it, and the hair conditioner will do its protecting duties. Hair conditioner makes your hair shiny and soft. Besides appearance, Healthline reports that this second-in-command shower treatment also protects the hair from accumulating dirt, grime, and grease.  

How might this relate to tarnished silver? The hair conditioner doesn't clean your hair; that's the shampoo's job. Instead, it creates a temporary barrier that coats and protects each strand of hair. When using hair conditioner on your silver goods, it acts similarly. Because conditioner works as a tarnish preventative, you'll need to ensure you've properly cleaned your silver items before continuing this thrifty hack. Once you've dried your goods with a soft cloth, apply some conditioner to your silver and let it sit for a few minutes. Follow it up with a light buffing, then rinse off the remainder of the conditioner. 

In addition to working as a barrier against tarnish and a grime protector for your mane, hair conditioner has a few more handy home-related tricks you might want to try. You already know it can save your silver, but conditioner can also clean, buff, and remove smudges on your stainless steel appliances. All you need is a dab of the good stuff and a soft microfiber cloth. Buff it twice to ensure you get all the fingerprints. The same applies to leather; hair conditioners can bring dull-looking furniture and clothing back to life by just doing a quick buff and wipe.

If you've had a bad experience washing your undergarments or nicer clothes in a standard washing machine, use your sink instead. Fill it with lukewarm water, add a bit of conditioner, then drop in your delicates. Agitate it a bit with your hands, and be sure to rinse your garments thoroughly. The best part is that your hands also get a nice little spa treatment from this hack. You can also use hair conditioner to make your own dryer sheets, saving you money and lessening your exposure to harsh fragrances and chemicals.