We all have those pieces of jewelry that we wear every day but don't take care of at all. And sadly, over time, your favorite silver loses its former shine and ceases to look attractive as before. This is precisely why you should take care of your silver so that your pieces continue to shine and delight you every day. You can, of course, purchase professional products in a specialized salon to polish silver, or you can make do with home remedies. We tell you how to restore the shine of silver at home quickly and effectively.
Why does silver tarnish?
The brightness of this precious and finicky metal is literally affected by almost everything, even air. Silver items can tarnish due to high humidity, contact with cosmetics or household detergents, and even some foods can contribute to tarnishing of silver, such as onions and egg yolks.
But this is not a problem when you know how to protect silver from tarnishing. A couple of our tips and recipes on how to make silver shine and your favorite silver items will always please the eye.
Tips for caring for silver
In order to preserve the shine and beautiful appearance of the product longer, you need to know how to care for silver and how to store it correctly:
- In the drawer where the silver is stored, put a few pieces of chalk, it will help maintain the shine;
- in order to save the product from oxidation, line the storage box with aluminum foil;
- remove jewelry before taking a bath or washing dishes;
- store silver items in a dry place;
- It is desirable that the products in the box do not touch each other, so use separate microfiber bags;
- Products that have semi-precious inserts are best stored in boxes away from sunlight and high temperatures;
- Wipe the removed jewelry with a dry, soft cloth;
- Clean the products at least once a year.
Timely care of your silver will help maintain the attractive appearance of the product. It won't require much effort and won't take much time. Caring for jewelry and interior items will allow their owners to enjoy the shine, beauty, and enjoy the sophistication and attractiveness of silver for as long as possible.
How to protect against tarnishing?
Tarnishing of silver items is a natural process and cannot be avoided, but you can protect your jewelry from the appearance of a dark coating.
Firstly, any silver items must be stored correctly.
- Store silver in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight.
- Place silver jewelry in separate bags or boxes with soft cloth inside.
- Use chalk to remove excess moisture. Place a piece of chalk in the bag of silverware.
- Wear silver chains, earrings and rings after applying cosmetics and perfume.
- Also store silverware separately, first wrapped in special paper or flannel cloth.
If the products have lost their original shine, not everything is so bad. Proper and timely cleaning can restore silver to its former shine.
Polishing with a mild detergent
You can polish silver using regular dish detergent. It is necessary to fill the container with warm waste water and add a few drops of a “gentle” detergent.
After stirring the mixture, place silver items in it. To avoid the formation of unsightly streaks and stains, soak the jewelry for no more than 10-15 minutes.
After the time has passed, rinse the silver thoroughly under warm water, getting rid of soap residue.
To dry items, it is better to use a soft towel with micro fibers. You should wipe a valuable item very carefully and thoroughly, not forgetting even the slightest bends and depressions.
You can polish silver in this way using a soft sponge or a toothbrush with soft bristles. If there is any residue left after polishing, you can remove it with a towel with soft micro fibers.
How to restore the shine of silver at home?
Very simple. You don't even need special expensive products. Simple ingredients found in every home can help remove stains and restore shine at home.
Soda
That same baking soda, which for some reason is always found in every kitchen, is an excellent tool for removing dirt and blackness from silver. Mix a handful of baking soda with water to a thick consistency. Rub the resulting mixture onto silver utensils and jewelry and then rinse well. But remember: do not rub too vigorously to avoid damaging the surface of the silver.
Ammonia
This old-fashioned method for cleaning silverware can also be used for jewelry. To restore shine to silver items, try ammonia.
- First, wash the items in soapy water.
- Then add 5-7 drops of ammonia there and leave for 10-20 minutes.
- Then rinse with water and wipe dry with a flannel cloth.
Do not use ammonia if your jewelry has natural inlays or stones.
Toothpaste
Everything is very simple here. Take a lint-free cloth or rag, apply a small amount of toothpaste (preferably one without granules), and wipe the silver items. The result will not be long in coming - your silver will shine like new.
Hydrogen peroxide
The popular antiseptic is also suitable for cleaning silver. You will need:
- 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide 3%;
- 1 liter of warm water;
- Soft fabric.
Mix everything in a container and place the silver there for 3 hours. Afterwards, rinse and polish the silver items with a soft cloth.
For more severe cases, you can add a little ammonia to the solution and reduce the soaking time to 15 minutes. But be careful - neither ammonia nor hydrogen peroxide can be used on products with natural stones and organic inserts.
Table vinegar
You should also be careful with the bite. Before cleaning tarnished silver, inspect it carefully. A silver item should not have stones or natural inserts. In other cases, table vinegar will help restore the shine of simple silver items:
- Pour 1 liter of water and 5-6 tbsp into a container. l vinegar;
- Lower the items and heat for 20-30 minutes;
- Wash with plain water and dry the silver.
Potatoes
Not the most obvious way to make silver shine, but it still works. Take raw potatoes and cut into cubes or use a coarse grater. Fill it with a small amount of warm water to make a paste. Place silver in it for 10 minutes. Afterwards, as usual, rinse with water and dry.
Aluminum foil
Silver will shine again if you dip it in a boiling solution of baking soda and foil for a few seconds. What you will need:
- 4-5 glasses of water and container;
- 1 tbsp. spoon of baking soda;
- A couple of pieces of aluminum foil.
Boil water and place silverware in it for 10-20 seconds. You will be surprised, but they will shine again as before.
Polishing with baking soda, vinegar and aluminum foil
No less effective way. To do this, you need to prepare a deep and capacious bowl. Cover all inner walls of the container with foil. At the same time, the foil should fit as tightly as possible to the bowl, covering every centimeter of the walls of the dish.
To boil water. The amount of liquid depends on the size of the silver item - it must be completely covered with water.
Add a tablespoon of soda, the same amount of salt and 200 ml of white vinegar to the water. If the product is large, you should double the number of components.
Mix everything thoroughly. Each grain of sand must completely dissolve in water - this is very important!
After boiling completely, add more water and mix everything thoroughly again. Using tweezers, lower the products into the solution for 2-3 minutes.
After the silver has been in the liquid for the required time, remove it and wrap it in a soft towel. Once the items have cooled down, you can begin polishing.
Polish the silver with a soft sponge or cloth, paying special attention to stubborn plaque.
The nuances of cleaning silver items with stones
If your jewelry with stones has become dull and you want to clean it, immediately discard any methods with acids and abrasives. Most stones are very sensitive to any external touch, so the cleaning method must be chosen carefully.
For example, natural stones such as coral and mother-of-pearl cannot be wetted. Jewelry with them should be wiped with a dry, lint-free cloth, and the silver part should be walked over with a sponge soaked in a soapy solution. But pearls are sensitive to alcohol products, so they should be avoided. Cubic zirconia and amethysts can be washed in a soapy solution, but jewelry with topaz can be cleaned in a solution with ammonia.
If you have any doubts about what kind of stone is in the jewelry or how to clean the silver so as not to damage it, it is better not to experiment and take the items to a professional. In the workshop, you will carefully clean your tarnished silver and dull stone and return your jewelry to its shiny appearance.
Vinegar or citric acid
If the silver is heavily soiled and blackened, special cleaning must be done. Organic acids - vinegar, citric acid or fresh lemon juice will help remove black spots and dirt:
- Prepare a solution: add 1 pack of citric acid (juice of one lemon) or 100 ml of vinegar to 500 ml of water. Stir.
- Place silver items in the acidified liquid.
- Wait 1-2 hours and remove the silver.
- Rinse with water and wipe with a dry cloth.
Such an aggressive composition is harmful to most stones.
How to polish silver with special tools
You can polish silver at home, but with the help of special tools. In a jewelry store or workshop you can purchase pastes, solutions and wipes for polishing silver. They are easy to use, the main thing is to follow the instructions.
Special polishing products come in liquid, cream or spray form. Some are suitable for regular treatment, others are used only in cases of heavy contamination. Professional products will help you remove blackness and unpleasant plaque and give your jewelry a long-lasting mirror shine.
Lipstick
Lipstick is an unusual but effective way to clean silver. The lip pigment contains natural substances (lanolin, wax, castor oil) that will gently remove blackness and add shine to the product.
We clean silver with lipstick like this:
- Apply lipstick to a cotton pad or paper napkin.
- Using smooth movements, move over the silver.
- Rub until the product is lightened. Add lipstick to the napkin from time to time.
Cleaning with lipstick is considered one of the most gentle options, but this method is used for smooth surfaces without stones or other inlays.
Pure Shining Silver: Pixabay
Cleaning silver cutlery
Happy owners of silver sets or even one beautiful spoon have to think about cutlery hygiene at least twice a year. If the product is used for its intended purpose, then it is better to immediately forget about any chemical compounds - you can use only food-grade compounds that are easily washed off with plain water:
- Cornstarch paste - a few drops per tablespoon until a mushy mixture begins to form. It must be applied to contaminated areas, wait until completely dry, rinse and wipe with a dry cotton cloth.
- Salt solution in proportion: one heaped teaspoon per glass. It should be brought to a boil, without turning down the heat, put in the appliances that need cleaning, and after 4-7 minutes, take it out to cool and rinse the items.
- Citric acid - similar to table salt, only with an increased proportion - 100 grams per liter. The method only works on inexpensive 800 samples and below.
Important!
Abrasive compounds for spoons, forks and knives are allowed only without openwork, fragile and easily damaged elements. If you don’t want your favorite item to become covered with unpleasant-looking scratches, you will have to use gentle but labor-intensive methods.
How do you clean gilded and blackened silver?
Experienced professionals recommend following two methods:
- You can remove plaque from gold plating with a concentrated ammonia solution in a 1:1 ratio to water. Leave the resulting mixture at room temperature and immerse the decoration in it for 20-30 minutes, no more. Afterwards, rinse under running water with strong pressure, lightly wiping with a soft cloth, without sponges or abrasive surfaces.
- With blackened metal it’s a little more complicated; a lot depends on the quality of its manufacture. A proven “grandmother’s” method is raw peeled potatoes placed in cold water along with decoration. “Soaking” will take at least 4 hours, the plaque should go away on its own, if necessary, the procedure is repeated.
Important!
Neither blackened nor gold-plated products should under any circumstances be placed in boiling water or hot liquids. A sharp change in temperature leads to inevitable damage to the coating, which even a professional jeweler cannot restore.
Why did the silver chain turn dark?
The cause of darkening is a common chemical reaction.
Human sweat contains sulfur, which reacts with copper, an impurity alloyed with argentum. Sulfur and silver sulfide appears, having a blackish or dirty gray color.
Darkening is also caused by:
- Hydrogen sulfide contained in the air.
- Chlorinated water and cosmetics.
- Taking certain medications.
Malfunctions of the endocrine system, problems with the liver and kidneys also accelerate the “aging” of silver accessories.
Cleaning Recommendations
When cleaning silver, follow simple rules and recommendations :
- do not use aggressive cleaning agents or substances with abrasive particles;
- Clean no more than once every 2-3 months to avoid damage to the surface;
- follow safety rules - wear gloves and avoid inhaling toxic fumes;
- After cleaning, wipe all items dry and rub them with a piece of wool or velvet.
To avoid tarnishing your silver, remove jewelry when handling chemicals, cooking, washing, or cleaning
Combined method
But if blackness remains on the silver, it is possible to use a radical method. You will need:
- ammonia;
- toothpaste;
- dentifrice;
- water.
Wipe the product with a mixture of ammonia, toothpaste and powder, and then rinse off the surface with water.
Pros:
- budget method;
- anyone can clean silver using the method described;
- does not harm health.
Minuses:
- you can scratch the product with a brush or rag if you rub too hard;
- this type of cleaning may not help.
Why does a ring need to be polished?
Silver and, to an even greater extent, gold are soft metals. It is impossible to wear jewelry made from absolutely pure precious metals: they would deform under the slightest load and easily become covered with a network of scratches.
That is why pure gold and silver is never used to make jewelry: a certain amount of alloys are added to them, which improve the performance properties of the alloys. However, over time, any piece of jewelry loses its shine and becomes covered with surface defects. They just need to be eliminated by polishing.
The content of precious metal in a jewelry alloy is reflected in the hallmark. The higher the standard, the purer and more expensive the metal, but also the higher its softness. Products made from high-grade alloys require polishing more often.
Polishing a gold or silver ring can be done in a jewelry workshop. This is by far the most gentle and effective option, ensuring that the jewelry looks new and is not damaged. The only significant disadvantage of this method is the relatively high cost.
Gold ring with diamonds (go to the SUNLIGHT catalogue)
The more complex the surface of the ring and the higher the degree of wear, the more expensive the services will be. An important role is played by the presence of inserts, decorative enamel, blackening, and so on.
Rhodium-plated surfaces (white gold and silver) cannot be simply polished, because during the procedure the thinnest layer of rhodium is removed, protecting the jewelry from damage. All that remains is to have the ring rhodium plated again, and this is an additional expense!
If the jewelry has a complex configuration, deep scratches or signs of deformation, it is better to immediately accept the costs and contact a workshop. No miracle cures will help in especially severe cases!
Rhodium plating (coating products with rhodium) is used only for white precious metals. This method significantly strengthens the surface and reduces the risk of scratches.
Signs about blackening of silver
Silver has been part of human everyday life for so long that it could not help but acquire various signs. In the modern world, superstitions are treated with a great deal of skepticism, however, sometimes signs really shouldn’t be ignored. The main thing is to interpret them correctly.
For example, science has established that as certain diseases progress, the concentration of sulfur in a person’s sweat increases. Diseases of the kidneys, gall bladder, and liver especially contribute to this. It is to sulfur that silver items react by darkening. Based on the blackening of the jewelry, our ancestors concluded that the owner of the item was sick.
Blackening of silver has always been considered a bad sign. Sometimes such a reaction is even interpreted as an “evil mark” or damage to the owner of the product. This superstition is explained quite simply - since ancient times, silver was credited with the ability to protect against dark forces.
If the precious metal darkens, it means that it took the blow, thereby helping the owner avoid bad influence.
Blackened silver jewelry
Our ancestors also identified the “curse” itself by an object that suddenly changed color:
- Ring - to the crown of celibacy;
- Chain or earrings - evil eye;
- Cross - curse;
- Dishes - the owners’ house has been taken over by evil spirits;
In fact, the blackening of a precious metal can always be explained from a scientific point of view.
Glycerol
Glycerin will remove light stains on silver objects. Perform gentle cleansing as follows:
- Place the silver in warm water. Let soak for 15–20 minutes, remove the product.
- Apply glycerin to a cotton pad.
- Gently rub the item from all sides.
- If necessary, repeat the manipulation several times.
This type of cleaning is suitable for jewelry with fancy stones (ruby, garnet, topaz). If the stains appeared a long time ago, take the jewelry to an experienced craftsman. Professional cleaning is the only thing that will save tarnished and darkened silver.
To ensure that silver items look chic for a long time and delight you with a noble shine, learn how to properly store and care for your jewelry. Remove jewelry when using the shower, swimming pool, cleaning with aggressive detergents, and when applying cosmetics.
Cleaning silver is a mandatory procedure that must be performed regularly. The choice of product largely depends on the degree of darkening and the presence of precious stones on the jewelry. If you don't know how to clean silver at home, use simple methods. A step-by-step guide will help you avoid trouble.
Original article: https://www.nur.kz/household/cleaning/1733207-cem-pocistit-serebro-ctoby-blestelo/
Vodka with lemon juice
This method requires a lot of time, but not effort: the chain is soaked and left.
Instructions:
- Combine and stir water (200 g), vodka (1 tbsp), detergent (2 tsp), freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 tsp).
- Place silver into the resulting liquid.
- Leave for half a day.
- Take out the jewelry, hold it under water and polish with wool.
Tips on how to maintain the shine of a product for a long time
Cleaning and polishing jewelry is not difficult (at least not too old and neglected), but you want to do it as little as possible. Therefore, you need to follow simple storage and care rules:
- Don't wear rings all the time. Take them off at night, during washing, cosmetic and medical procedures, during training and “dirty” physical labor. Minimize the impact of negative factors, and at the same time give your fingers a rest.
- Store your jewelry correctly. Jewelry should be stored in a closed box, a special pencil case or other container designed for this purpose. Ideally, each decoration should be in a personal box. Protect your jewelry from humidity and temperature fluctuations!
- Be especially careful when handling jewelry with inserts. If handled carelessly, the legs may become unbent and the stone may fall out. Rings with pearls and other organics require especially delicate handling: they require specialized care.
Let your jewelry always maintain a presentable appearance and require cleaning as little as possible!
20.08.21
How to clean a gold plated silver ring without ruining it
Gold-plated items require gentle cleaning methods, since the gold layer, which is only a few microns thick, can easily be damaged.
Cleaning gold-plated silver jewelry
You can polish a gold-plated ring with a regular soft eraser. The method of soaking in potato solution is also suitable.
How to clean a silver rhodium ring
Silver products coated with a thin layer of rhodium receive additional protection from environmental influences, retain their shine for a long time, and do not change color. Rhodium is a hard metal, has high chemical resistance, and is not subject to oxidation.
So, how to clean a silver ring coated with a thin layer of rhodium? It should be borne in mind that dirt comes off from the rhodium surface much easier, since the coating tends to repel it.
Such jewelry can be cleaned by any means, but the use of ammonia, toothpastes, and hard toothbrushes is not allowed. Avoid strong friction when polishing.
Potato
Potatoes and their decoction are good for cleaning silver that has darkened.
Option 1:
- Grind large potatoes on a grater.
- Add a little water to the resulting slurry so that the mass remains thick.
- Place the chain in the resulting mixture for 2-3 minutes.
Option 2:
- Boil potato peelings or jacket potatoes.
- Strain the broth.
- Immerse the chain in it.
- Place on the stove and boil for 15-20 minutes.
Option 3:
- Pour the strained potato broth into a ceramic bowl.
- Place foil and silver decoration on its bottom.
- Leave for 15 minutes, then remove, rinse and wipe dry.
