Aluminum foil hacks: Transform your cutlery before holidays
Before the holidays, it's a good idea to take out the cutlery from drawers and rarely used spots. However, even the most beautiful spoons and forks can lose their shine when they're covered with stains and deposits. You don't have to buy chemical detergents right away to refresh them. Homemade methods are cheap and effective.
Shiny cutlery looks elegant and serves as a table decoration. Want to refresh the look of your tableware before holiday gatherings? Here are some methods worth trying.
Inviting guests over? It's a good idea to go through the plates and cutlery that will be on the table beforehand. Those that are used only occasionally may especially need refreshing.
Dishwasher balls
A popular method involves using aluminum foil balls in the dishwasher. Some consider it the best solution. Place the rolled-up aluminum foil ball in the cutlery basket. This prevents it from scrubbing the cutlery, which could cause damage. The foil ball interacts with the chemicals in the dishwasher tablets. The reaction that occurs is a kind of oxidation process, similar to what happens when polishing silver. During this process, tarnished surfaces of the cutlery oxidize and they should become shiny.
Nothing beats polishing
If this trick does not bring the expected results, you might consider other traditional home cleaning methods. Polishing cutlery is often seen as a labor-intensive task, but using toothpaste makes it go smoothly. Its abrasive properties effectively help in polishing metal surfaces.
Apply a small amount of toothpaste to a cloth to tackle stains on forks, spoons, and knives. After just a few strokes, you'll notice the difference—you just need to rinse off the remaining toothpaste.
A bath brings out the shine
Aluminum foil can be used another way. Simply wrap the cutlery and immerse it in hot water with baking soda. This combination quickly eliminates unsightly stains. This method can prove more effective than the aluminum foil ball method in the dishwasher. It's also been known for years; my grandmother used it.
