Be it silver jewelry or silver cutlery, as beautiful as they look, they tend to lose their shine over time and become darker and darker. Is this your problem too? The blackish tint over silver items is called tarnish. It is a result of a chemical reaction between silver and sulfur present in the air.
Even though silver accessories are nowadays plated with a very thin layer of rhodium so as to protect the metal from tarnish and increase its shine at the same time, the thin layer wears off over time leaving the silver vulnerable to blackening. In this article, we will give you some amazing hacks on how to polish silver that will change your life.
When it comes to silver necklaces and jewelry, are worn on a regular basis. As a result of that, these items are not just vulnerable to sulfur in the air but also perfumes, cosmetics, hair spray, hand cream, oils from the skin, and even some foods, which if exposed to the item tarnish the metal, making it lose its shine and luster. Take a look at these amazing hacks for cleaning silver easily at home.
Best Hacks For Cleaning Silver at Home
These are some of the best DIY hacks or tricks for cleaning silver, making them shine as good as new. Use these hacks on your silverware and see how magically it works.
Using Toothpaste To Clean Silver
Toothpaste contains a small amount of chlorine which acts as the cleaning agent that reacts with the tarnish and removes it. If you want to use toothpaste to clean silver, use a non-gel, non-abrasive toothpaste.
Take a small amount of the paste on a paper towel or handkerchief. Rub it onto the jewelry in circular motions to get back its lost polish. Repeat the process for a few minutes and then leave the toothpaste on the item for 5 minutes. Rinse it off with clean water. And just like that, the product will be as clean and shiny as new.
Cleaning Silver With Vinegar
Clean A Silver Jewelry with vinegar, even though a questionable choice for many is a great option when it comes to removing tarnish from jewelry. Place the silver items in a normal-sized bowl and cover it with white distilled vinegar. To speed up the process, add baking soda to the bowl.
The proportion of the vinegar to the baking soda should be four tablespoons for every cup of vinegar. Let the silver rest in the mixture for an hour or two. Rinse it with clean cold water. Dry the silver with a soft cotton towel ensuring no water is left on it. Cleaning silver with baking soda and vinegar will give you the best results, making your silver wear shiny and lustrous.
Cleaning silver with ketchup
Sounds weird but cleaning silver with ketchup is a great hack. This method is very convenient if you have only 1-2 silver items to clean. Squeeze a few drops of ketchup on a paper towel and gently rub the tarnished silverware or jewelry.
If you see there is old, tarnish built up, then without a second thought apply ketchup directly onto these areas and leave it for 15 minutes. After that rub with a microfibre cloth and rinse with water.
Some items like fancy candlesticks or silverware those things have more details. You can use a soft toothbrush to clean between crevices and clean the tarnish.
Clean it with lemon-lime soda
Lemon-lime soda is always great when it comes to Silver jewelry. Just take a bowl filled with lemon-lime soda water and soak your jewelry in it. One hour later, take out the pieces then rinse them with clean water thoroughly and dry them with a soft cloth.
How to clean silver chains at home?
Well, if you are one of those who has a box full of pretty silver jewelry they are unable to wear because it has a blackish tint, these hacks might be very useful for you. There are multiple ways by which you can easily clean silver chains at home.
Silver darkens as it reacts with sulfur, sweat, water, and other commonly found substances in the air and on the human body. You can follow the easy 3 ways above mentioned to Clean it easily at home. You can even use lime and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), or regular powder detergent.
Thoroughly lather the mixture all over the chains and let them rest for some time. In a matter of a few hours, your silver chains will look new and shiny.
How does cleaning silver with aluminum foil work?
Aluminum foil, baking soda, and hot water work best for cleaning silverware. In this method, electrolytic action is used instead of chemical-polish abrasion which removes the tarnish from the silver without damaging the silver.
Take a deep bottom ceramic pot and cover the interior entirely with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Add some baking soda to a pot filled with water. Drop the silver in the pot and wait for all of it to come to a boil. Leave it to rest for an hour and when you open it, the tarnish is gone.
FAQ
Jewelry Clean S8 Precious Metals Cleaner is recommended as it is considered to be the best ultrasonic cleaning solution for cleaning silver.
If you want to keep your silver jewels from tarnishing after you cleaned them, you have to take regular care. You can do routine checks by applying soapy water all over the silver and rinsing it gently with lukewarm water. This will ensure that the silver doesn’t tarnish and remain clean and shiny.
This is a reaction that basically occurs when the skin and the air cause a chemical reaction throughout being exposed to moisture. Thus, makes oxidized silver jewelry or silver pieces turn light yellow.