A shiny Vinegar Friday!

TGIVF!

Photo by Peter Griffin

It's the next to last Vinegar Friday of the year. I can't really wrap my head around that one! Like I've said in the past, I wish I could find a vinegar remedy that would slow down time a bit.

So, what tips do I have for you today? How about using vinegar as a cleaner for brass, copper, pewter, and even gold?

Before I tell you how, I must issue a warning! Do NOT use this on jewelry that is set with gemstones of any kind. Got it? Okay, we can move on.

To clean your plain gold jewelry, just pour some apple cider vinegar into a shallow bowl and drop your items into it. Be sure they are fully submerged. Soak for 10-15 minutes, rinse, dry, put it on, and show it off! Dazzling!

For your brass, copper, and pewter items, it's a bit more complicated. But just a bit. You want to use distilled white vinegar and you'll only need 1 tablespoon. Mix it with 2 tablespoons of ketchup, rub the mixture onto your items with a soft cloth. They'll brighten up quickly and positively shine! Cheap and easy. Your doorknobs never looked so good!

And what about silver? While you won't want to use vinegar as your regular silver cleaner (using it repeatedly can create imperfections in the silver), it is fantastic at removing tarnish and polishing up your silver pieces beautifully.

Again, you want to use distilled white vinegar, but this time you're going to add some baking soda (2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup vinegar). Soak your silver in a bowl with the mixture for 3 hours. Increase your vinegar/baking soda amounts proportionately to accommodate larger pieces. Dry with a soft cloth and polish to shine. Air drying will leave spots, so avoid the temptation to lay out your silver on a cloth or drying rack to drip dry.

You can also make a paste that works well for polishing your larger silver items. This is the method recommended by Mrs. Clean on the website.

Mix 3 cups distilled white vinegar with 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 cup all purpose flour. Spread the paste on your silver pieces and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Wipe with a clean, soft cloth and, using a different cloth, shine it. If tarnish remains, repeat the process.


Those are your non-toxic tips for this month's Vinegar Friday. Be sure to check out the special way we're celebrating the book's anniversary on Wednesday. Hint: it involves saving money!

Keeping it green with vinegar,