Cleaning Sterling or Silver Plated Items
Line the sink with a sheet of Aluminum Foil. Add 1/4C Tide Powdered Detergent (old fashioned, no additives). Fill sink with exceptionally hot water - boiling is best. Add items and allow to soak for 10 to 15 minutes then retrieve and rinse immediately in cold water then wipe dry.
Depending on amount of tarnish, you may need to repeat this process a couple of times. After each 'bath' you will need to toss foil sheet - which will have an odor similar to sulphur.
Depending on item, silver polish may be needed to finish cleaning.
Storing Sterling or Silver Plate
Do not wrap in plastic!! It traps moisture, instead place in soft cloth bag made for sterling or plated item. If storing in a cabinet or closet, place a few sticks of chalk into a cup in area to absorb humidity (humidity feeds the tarnishing process). Replace chalk every few months.
Cleaning Copper
Rub Ketchup onto copper with soft cloth. Add a little salt to the Ketchup for stubborn areas. Clean off with luke-warm water and dry immediately.
Smells
Vintage Purses - Wad up newspaper and insert to absorb oder. Give it a couple of days then toss newspaper. After smell is gone, drop fabric sheet into purse to keep smelling fresh.
Clothing - place into large trash bag with wadded up newspaper. Tie bag up and let sit for a few days until odor is gone.
Trunks. Stuff with wadded up newspapers for a few days until odor is gone or with a large bowl of charcoal bricks.
In all these situations you may have to repeat process depending on smell.
Wax
On a tablecloth or clothing first pop item into freezer for at least an hour. Retrieve and gently pop off frozen wax. If more wax is remaining, either pop back into freezer and repeat or place cloth between two paper towels and iron off remaining wax.
In candleholders - pop them into freezer overnight. Retrieve, set candleholder upside down. Wait about 5 or 10 minutes for sides to thaw some then gently tap on countertop until remains pop out.
SOS pads are a great way to clean out remaining wax bits.
Nooks & Crannies
Cleaning out small carved areas or difficult areas - use canned air. You can find this in computer areas of most all stores, it is marketed to keep your computer and keyboard clean - but works great for those hard to clean highly-carved pieces.
Glass Vases, etc.
Hard to clean vases or glass with lots of crevices - pop some Alka-Seltzer or Polident inside item with warm water to clean out. Or in a sink with item - use several tablets.
