Clean Silverware With A Can Of This Popular Soda And It Will Shine Like New
Because silverware can easily tarnish, it's difficult to keep it looking clean, even after you've washed it. Believe it or not, lemon-lime sodas like Sprite have the capacity to make your silverware sparkle. Whether you're a fan of Sierra Mist, 7 Up, or Sprite, these sodas all contain citric acid. Lemons and limes, as you may have guessed, also naturally contain citric acid, and the chemical is often added to cleaning products. Because citric acid can remove silver sulfide, which is the tarnishing you see on your forks, spoons, and knives, these sodas should be able to polish your silverware.
Studies have shown that citric acid is capable of cleaning tarnished silver, though it takes some time, and some online sources have tested the soda hack and found that it did indeed make tarnished silver shinier. Additionally, since sodas contain a fair amount of sugar (except for diet versions), this cleansing method may be better for removing tarnish than cleaning, specifically. We're not suggesting soda as a soap replacement. You will still want to rinse or wash your silverware afterwards, as the sugary soda can certainly make it sticky.
How to clean your silverware with a can of lemon-lime soda
If you want to bring life back to well-loved silverware, lemon sodas can help. For this cleaning hack, all you need is a can of any lemon-lime soda (as long as it contains citric acid) and a bowl. If you're trying to clean a lot of silverware at one time, it's possible that you'll need a few cans of soda.
Set your silverware in a bowl, container, or even a large mason jar, and pour the soda over it until all the pieces are completely submerged. Now, let the silverware sit in the soda for one hour minimum. This should give the citric acid enough time to eat away at the tarnishing. After the silverware has soaked, remove it from the soda and rinse it off. You can let the silverware sit in the soda for longer if there is still some tarnishing. If you find that the utensils are sticky, try giving them a quick wash. Your silverware should be shiny and gorgeous when you're finished.
Why soda can make your silverware shine
It may seem strange that soda would be able to clean your silverware, but a few studies have shown that citric acid is capable of dealing with tarnishing on silver — however, it was not found to be the fastest option. In a 2016 study published by the Journal of Cultural Heritage, several methods were tested for cleaning tarnished silver. Citric acid and other mild acids were mentioned as being moderately efficient for getting rid of tarnish, though they took longer to work than some other methods.
Research from the University of Maryland also showed that citric acid was able to clean tarnished gilded silverware. While the study mentions that citric acid was an effective cleanser, it also states that it was not as quick as some stronger acids. Still, if you have a bit of time and a can of soda to spare, this could be an easy way to polish your silverware to a perfect sheen. Since it's unclear how much citric acid these sodas contain, it's possible that this option could yield varying results, depending on how tarnished your silverware is, and might take longer than expected. While there seems to be no scientific research specifically showing that these beverages can clean tarnished silver, there is evidence to support the notion that one of the soda's main ingredients does.