KETCHUP CLEANS COPPER!!!!!!!!!

...like magic!


The two on the left haven't been cleaned yet -- this is about a week's worth of accumulated tarnish after I cleaned the wire before hammering and making the squiggles. On the right, same wire, same original degree of tarnish, but has been cleaned with ketchup.

They are so squeaky clean they positively glow and are so pretty with the silver. I rubbed a few drops of ketchup into the wires for a few seconds, cleaned off the excess ketchup with a paper towel, washed them in distilled water with a few drops of dish soap, then rinsed them in distilled water because the tap water in this area is full of mineralisation.

Here is a pendant with just a few days' accumulation of tarnish from sitting out, and with only the lower right side cleaned with ketchup. When my camera batteries recharge, I'll clean one of my old pairs of earrings from the market and show the difference.

Annnnnddddd... my most tarnished pair of earrings that have been sitting out for at least a year, if not longer.

Of course, now I have to dig out and clean all my market stuff. Where's the sale on ketchup when you need it??? Just wish it would clean silver this easily.
New Stuff:
More copper squiggle earrings with a slightly longer earwire so that the beads sit a little better. Personally, I like this style. Quick to make and easy to keep them looking pretty much identical. I think they suit the more "tribal/crafted" earrings. I tweaked the overall design and they move super-freely -- again, have to dig out the original squiggles and rejig them.

You can see how shiny and clean these look now, compared to the pix above.