How To Clean Silverware With Coca Cola

Nothing is worse than opening the kitchen drawer to find all of your silverware tarnished and tired-looking.

Coca Cola makes an effective cleaning substitute for sterling or plated silver if you don't have any chemical cleaners on hand.

Cleaning your favorite silverware with this method is a terrific idea because the acid in Coca Cola works to remove any dirt or rust from the surface.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to clean your silverware with Coca Cola. Before you know it, your collection will look brand new again!

Why Does Silver Tarnish?

Exposure to substances that can promote corrosion, such as air, moisture, or other chemicals, results in tarnished silver. The other metals that are frequently mixed with silver are the ones that react with these substances, leading to tarnishing.

Fortunately, tarnishing typically only affects the metal's top layers or surface, making it easy to remove with a little effort.

It is important to keep in mind that tarnishing might worsen with time, so you should strive to solve the issue as soon as you can. If the tarnishing is allowed to continue, you might find yourself needing to have the pieces professionally cleaned.

How Does Coca Cola Clean Silver?

Coca Cola contains phosphoric acid and citric acid, which can help break down rust on metals and remove it completely.

Phosphoric acid can be found in commercial rust removers, however, there is only a very small amount in cola, which is safe for us to consume.

While cola does not remove tarnishing as well as rust remover, it is still an effective way to clean silverware without using harsh chemicals. It’s also a cheaper and much more accessible method with no risk of chemical injury or contamination. 

Cleaning Your Silverware With Coca Cola

Soaking

1. Place the piece of silverware in a bowl or other container. Depending on the piece you are attempting to clean, a sizable container may be required because the silver needs to be completely submerged in cola.
2. Coke should be added to the container until the silverware is submerged. It makes no difference whether you choose sugar-free or regular cola; either will work just fine. Just be sure that the cola is freshly opened and carbonated fully.
3. Leave the silver in the cola to soak. To monitor the process, you should inspect the silver around every half an hour, but depending on how severe the tarnishing is, you might need to leave it for many hours.

Cleaning

1. You must remove the sticky residues after being certain that the cola has removed the dirt and tarnishing. Before setting the silver on a paper towel, remove it from the cola and shake off any extra liquid.
2. To remove any last remnants of debris, scrub with a moist, soft toothbrush. This can help in dealing with any loose grime that didn't entirely lift away, in addition to getting rid of any sticky residue.

Rinsing

1. Rinse the silver or soak it in a water-filled container after you've cleaned off any residue.
2. Shake off the extra water and dry the silver with a paper towel after you are certain all traces of cola have been removed. To prevent the silver from further tarnishing or rusting, it is important to completely dry it before storing it again.

Alternative Ways To Clean Silverware

Using Coca Cola isn’t the only home remedy you can use to clean your tarnished silverware! You can also try one of these techniques to freshen up your silver.

Ketchup

Try cleaning silver with ketchup for extra luster. The sauce can be applied as a paste to polish tarnished metals, such as silver and brass.

Lemon

Lemon is a strong natural cleanser that also works on silver. By rubbing a microfiber cloth across some concentrated lemon juice, you can remove water stains from silverware.

Toothpaste

The effects of using toothpaste to clean silver are remarkable. Clean the silver with a soft cloth and toothpaste that has been diluted with a little water, and then rinse.

Toothpaste can erode silver plating; therefore, avoid using it on silver-plated items.

Vinegar

Use vinegar's cleaning abilities for a stronger polishing of your silver. Cleaning silverware using this technique is quite effective.

Add one tablespoon each of salt and baking soda to the dish with aluminum foil after you've lined your pan or sink.

The mixture will start to bubble once you add ½ cup of distilled white vinegar to the dish. Add one to two cups of boiling water to completely cover the silver. Put all of the pieces in one layer in the dish.

For pieces that are only moderately tarnished, soak for 30 seconds, or up to three minutes for more severe tarnishing. Tong out the silverware, dry it, and buff it.

Preventing Tarnished Silverware

To stop your silverware from getting tarnished again, you need to routinely care for it so it stays shiny and fresh. 

To do this, regularly wash the silverware with a few drops of dishwashing soap in warm water.

You should be sure to wash the pieces gently, then rinse and buff them with a soft cloth before storing the silverware in a cool, dry place.

Final Word

If you want to avoid using chemicals on your silverware or just don’t have those types of products on hand, you can use Coca Cola to improve the finish of your silver and remove any tarnishing.

You can also use Coca-Cola with the other methods mentioned to keep your silverware as shiny as the day you bought it.