To Clean Silver Utensils

Dissolve two tea-spoonsful of alum in a quart of moderately strong lye--stir in a gill of soft soap, and skim off the dross.

Original Recipe

Dissolve two tea-spoonsful of alum in a quart of moderately strong lye--stir in a gill of soft soap, and skim off the dross. Wash the silver clean in hot water, let it remain covered with this mixture for ten or fifteen minutes, turning it over frequently; then wash it in hot soap suds, and rub it well with a dry cloth.

Ingredients

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Required Gear

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Bowl or container for mixing lye solution

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Dissolve two tea-spoonsful of alum in a quart of moderately strong lye--stir in a gill of soft soap, and skim off the dross.

  2. 2

    Wash the silver clean in hot water, let it remain covered with this mixture for ten or fifteen minutes, turning it over frequently; then wash it in hot soap suds, and rub it well with a dry cloth.

Sources & Citations

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Recipe by mary-randolph from The Virginia Housewife; Or, Methodical Cook (1824)