Silver, a valuable metal, has been used long time in making coins, tableware and jewelery. The metal surface however becomes tarnished within a few years and this is caused by corrosion as silver reacts with the surrounding environment.

The surfaces can be easily renewed with stuff available at home – all you need is water, aluminum foil, salt and soda.

Follow these steps to do it yourself:

1. Mix salt and soda into water

2. Wrap the silver price into aluminum foil

3. Put the wrapped silver piece into the solution and wait a few minutes

For a greater effect you might want to boil the water solution as chemical reactions occur faster at higher temperatures.

Why this simple technique works? Silver is usually tarnished as it forms silver sulfide. In order to remove sulfur from the silver, it is needed to put it into contact with a more active metal such as aluminum. The solution there provides with a path for sulfur to move from silver to aluminum.