I know you are thinking - Uncle Cecil is crazy - silver polish can't possibly be a super fun summer science activity! But, I beg of you, give it a chance and you will be amazed!

Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not the best at cleaning house. My mind is so full of ideas that it can't hold extraneous details like that.

But every year or so I remember about Great-granny Gertrude's set of silver spoons. And in honor of her memory, the Prez and I get out those spoons and spend an afternoon cleaning them up.

We used to have to buy gallons of that silver polish stuff - Great-granny Gertrude had a lot of spoons. That was until President Lincoln and I headed into the lab to figure out a better way.

And what I am about to share with you is the best possible homemade silver polish. After hundreds of experiments, the Prez and I have proven it to be so.

This scientific magic trick will make an afternoon chore into a super fun summer science activity!!

Let's begin...

Silver Polish {A Summer Science Activity}

Tarnish, that black stuff on Great-granny Gertrude's spoons, is formed as silver is exposed to air. The oxygen and other chemicals in the air react with the metal to form a coating.

This coating can range in color from yellow to black. It's quite unsightly and so we like to clean it off before we use Great-granny's spoons for ice cream at our annual back-to-school bash. (More on that next week!)

Anywhoo, here's how we remove that tarnish in a flash!

What you will need

• Aluminum foil
• Heat-resistant container
• Hot water
• Baking soda
• Salt

What to do

Step 1 - Start by gathering your materials and lining your heat-resistant container with aluminum foil, shiny side up. And place your silver on top of the foil.

Step 2 - Next, heat up some water - about a cup, depending upon the size of your container. Add a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of baking soda to the water. Stir until it is mostly dissolved and pour over the silver.

Step 3 - After about 5 minutes use the tongs to take the silver out. Rinse it and pat it dry. Wah-lah Great-granny Gertrude's spoons are fit to grace your ice cream bowl!!

Wrapping It Up

Wasn’t that superiffic? I told you that cleaning silver could be a super fun summer science activity!!

We’d love to see your shiny silver spoons – post a pic on Instagram and tag it with #SassySci (or @sassafrassci silver spoons) and the Prez and I will check it out!