@glasspusher The dark tarnish on your silver is made of a different substance called silver sulfide. When you put the silver in the hot water with the aluminum foil and a dash of baking soda, you create a tiny, safe electrical circuit. This "circuit" causes the sulfur that made the tarnish to jump off the silver and stick onto the aluminum foil instead. The silver is then left behind, sparkly and clean, while the aluminum foil gets the dark tarnish mark. https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/1pgpzog/a_unique_and_effective_method_for_cleaning_and/