How to Clean Silver Jewelry
Most people love silver jewelry for its looks, and once you get yourself some, you must make sure that you clean them regularly. Cleaning silver jewelry at home will help you maintain the brilliance of the metal like it's newly bought. It is also essential to clean silver jewelry to get rid of the tarnish that tends to build up on silver. Tarnish also causes the silver to appear dull and black. You do not really need to use expensive cleaning products to clean silver jewelry, they can be cleaned easily with inexpensive household products. Here are a few methods of silver jewelry cleaning for your reference.
Cleaning Silver Jewelry using Household Products
The most common and easiest method of cleaning silver jewelry at home and removing tarnish is cleaning silver jewelry with baking soda. Other methods include the use of aluminum foil, toothpaste and salt. Here's a description of these cleaning methods.
Using Baking Soda
Material Required
1/4 cup baking soda
Aluminum foil/ aluminum foil plate
Hot water
Soft towel
Method
Boil some water in a pan, depending upon the amount of jewelry that you want to clean. Place a piece of aluminum foil in a plate or bowl and pour the boiling water into it. Add the baking soda to the water and make sure it dissolves well in the water. Drop your silver jewelry into the water and swish it around a few times. Let the jewelry stay in the water for a few minutes, then remove them and rinse under running water. Place them on a soft towel and pat dry. Cleaning silver with salt and aluminum foil is a similar procedure, you will just need to replace the baking soda with salt.
With Toothpaste
Material Required
Non-gel toothpaste
Old toothbrush with soft bristles
Soft cloth
Soft towel
Method
Dab very little toothpaste on the jewelry and use a soft cloth to rub it on the surface. Rub gently in a circular motion and when you see the toothpaste turning black, simply wash it off under warm running water. For grooves and stubborn tarnish on the jewelry, use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the jewelry with toothpaste. Rinse thoroughly under warm running water and dry using a soft towel.
How to Clean Silver Necklace
Cleaning silver necklaces may be a little difficult compared to other silver jewelry because of the different designs and patterns. Silver snake chains may be especially difficult to clean and remove the varnish off them. You will need to use a silver jewelry cleaner or a silver polish to clean the necklace along with the use of a soft bristled toothbrush. For mild tarnishes, you can use the baking soda method to clean silver necklaces. Instead of using an aluminum foil, you can make use of any aluminum vessel to place the silver jewelry for cleaning. A cleaning paste prepared by mixing two parts baking soda and three parts water should also be helpful in cleaning silver necklaces.
Cleaning Silver Jewelry Naturally
Cleaning or polishing silver jewelry naturally will require the use of a polishing or a flannel cloth. You could also make use of a cloth with anti-tarnish ingredients to clean your silver jewelry. You must clean your silver jewelry after every use and you must also keep them in jewelry boxes, away from any other metal. Clean the jewelry thoroughly after every use and make sure they dry thoroughly because moisture will only tarnish the silver further.
Prevent the jewelry from scratches and damage to maintain its shine and look. Make sure you clean your silver jewelry at least once in two months to maintain it for long.
