Cleaning tip--metal polishing

Anyone experiencing a lil' trouble with aol this morning?  I kept opening my journal to find I had no buttons.  No "add entry", "edit"...nothing!  I finally had to click the AOL Journal bar (top left) and then click something there so SIGN INTO my journal.  Yeah...weird, I'm signed into aol with my name, yet I still had to sign in to get to my journal.

Makes me think that someone at aol pushed the "mess with aol-ers button".  Yep...I think they have one.  A lil' button they push just to do weird things and mess with us.  Yep, yep, yep...shhhh, they're watching us now.  LOL

Okay, here are some tips I found on the internet for dealing with tarnished metals. 

Brass, Copper & Pewter Polish
Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.

A combination of toothpaste and Worcestershire sauce also works as a brass polish, although it is not as powerful as a commercial cleaner. Apply with a soft cloth, wipe off, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

To polish copper sprinkling regular table salt on the copper surface. Cut half a lemon and rub on the surface, mixing with the salt. Keep rubbing until you see the copper shine. Rinse under water.  Or soak the copper surface in coca-cola overnight.

Another recipe for Copper & Brass cleaner:
What You Need:
1/2 c flour
1/2 c salt
1/2 c powdered detergent
3/4 c white vinegar
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 c very warm water
bowl
spoon
measuring cups
quart jar with lid
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Stir in the liquid ingredients. Mix well.
Transfer the cleaning mixture to a glass jar. Close the jar tightly and label it.
To use the cleaner, shake a small amount onto a cloth and rub it into the surface of the copper, brass, or bronze object. Use a toothbrush for hard-to-reach areas. Rinse with water and rub dry with a clean cloth.

Polishing Silver
When I am about to wear a piece of silver jewelry and find it is a bit tarnished, I grab some white toothpaste and rub it on the silver item.  Rinse and viola!

As silver oxidizes it will tarnish. This layer of oxidation can be removed without polishing and scrubbing by simply dipping your silver in this non-toxic electrochemical dip. Another big advantage to using a dip is that the liquid can reach places a polishing cloth cannot.

What You Need:
Sink or glass pan
Hot water
Baking soda
Salt
Aluminum foil
Tarnished silver

Here's How:
Line the bottom of the sink or a glass baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Fill the foil-lined container with steaming hot water.
Add salt (sodium chloride) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the water. Some recipes call for 2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt, whereas others call for 2 tablespoons each of baking soda and salt. Personally, I wouldn't measure the amounts... just add a bit of each substance.
Drop the silver items into the container so that they are touching each other and resting on the foil. You will be able to watch the tarnish disappear.
Leave heavily tarnished items in the solution for as long as 5 minutes. Otherwise, remove the silver when it appears clean.
Rinse the silver with water and gently buff it dry with a soft towel.
Ideally, you should store your silver in a low-humidity environment. You can place a container of activated charcoal or a piece of chalk in the storage area to minimize future tarnish.

Tips:
Use care when polishing or dipping silver plated items. It is easy to wear away the thin layer of silver and cause more harm than good through overcleaning.

Minimize exposing your silver to substances which contain sulfur (e.g., mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, onions, latex, wool) as the sulfur will cause corrosion.

Using your silver flatware/holloware or wearing silver jewelry helps to keep it free from tarnish.

I've got to go.  I have to get around...I've got an appointment with the dentist.  Broke a tooth while grinding my teeth in my sleep.  This should be fun.

Have a terrific day!
Jill Marie