How to care for silver?

BY ypmjw

| August 21, 2022

How to care for silver? Methods for cleaning silver with soda, salt, citric acid, ammonia, and special chemicals. Rules for the use and storage of silver jewelry. Silver care is a mandatory method that allows you to restore the softness and shine of products, prevent tarnishing and plaque formation on the surface, and maintain jewelry and cutlery in proper condition. There are many ways to clean silver, the most effective are options using professional paste.

Top reasons for silver care

Shiny and scratch-free properties are important in jewelry. After all, it is mechanical defects that deprive jewelry of its beautiful shine and make it old. You don’t want to have such things and they hide them in a box.

Let’s find out why you need to take care of silver:

Loss of luster … Without proper care, silver quickly loses luster and becomes covered with small scratches.
Signs … Silver is a fairly active metal; therefore it is prone to oxidation. That is, when it comes in contact with wet and sweaty skin, it darkens.
Scratches … They form both on stones and on the metal itself. To give the product a beautiful appearance again, it is necessary to take care of it regularly.

How to care for silver

There are many ways to give silver the right look. You can restore the shine and clean the plaque using commercially available adhesives and wipes. But there are many methods to make jewelry new.

How to care for silver with baking soda

Baking soda is a tool that every housewife has in her arsenal. With its help, you can not only clean kitchen appliances and household appliances but also put silver cutlery and jewelry in an order. It should be noted that cleaning jewelry with stones with sodium bicarbonate is not recommended, as crystals differ in their polishing properties.

Directions for using soda:

50 g of sodium bicarbonate is dissolved in 1000 ml of very hot water. Wait for the crystals to dissolve completely.
Immerse jewelry that has previously been washed with soap in the resulting liquid. It is necessary to keep them in the solution for about an hour.
Then dry the jewelry with flannel, and gently remove the plaque. Dry the scratched area with light pressure.
If the product is very dirty, it is necessary to mix sodium bicarbonate with water in a slurry state and apply it to the metal. After that, you need to dry the jewelry with a soft cloth and rinse off the remaining cleaning agent.

Do not use the paste to clean products with stones, as soft drinks can scratch the inserts.

Caring for gold silver with tooth powder

Very often, silver elements are added to golden inlays. Such jewelry looks good with both casual clothes and evening dresses. The peculiarity of care, in this case, is that silver differs from gold not only in appearance but also in hardness and resistance to mechanical damage.

Instructions for using tooth powder:

Mix a teaspoon of powder with the same amount of warm water. It is necessary to make a thick porridge.
Use the glue stick to apply the glue to the clothing and dry gently. Try to keep your movements in one direction. That is, you cannot massage in a circle.
If the jewelry contains stones, then they should be cleaned without much pressure and pressure. It is best to take the powder with small grains without abrasives.
If you are cleaning silverware, it is not difficult to do it with a toothbrush. Apply a mixture of water and toothpaste to the brush and go over the cutlery. Cleaning is also worth one way.
After that, jewelry or tools are rinsed with plenty of water and dried.

How to care for silver salt

Salt is an excellent cleaning agent for small silverware. Purification is based on the interaction of aluminum and salt deposits on silver. The fact is that aluminum is a more active metal, and accordingly, any build-up from jewelry will contact the film.

How to use salt:

Take a small enamel bowl and cover it with foil. It can be purchased at any home improvement store.
After that, 700 ml of water is poured into a container and 40 g of table salt is added. It should not contain iodine impurities. The size of the crystals is also insignificant.
Place decorations on foil and place them on the fire. After boiling, the solution should be kept at low heat for 12-15 minutes.
After that, it is removed from the fire and the jewelry is washed under a strong stream of water. All debris sticks to the film.

No salt is used to clean the cutlery.

Caring for silverware with vinegar

There are several options for cleaning silver jewelry with vinegar. This product is ideal for cleaning products with stones and gilding. The fact is that abrasives are not used for cleaning, which can scratch inserts or stones.

Instructions for using vinegar:

Dip a cloth in a 9% vinegar solution and rub the product with it. If it’s chained and not plain jewelry, it’s best to clean by dipping the jewelry in a glass of vinegar.
It takes 5-10 minutes for the plaque to react with the acid. After that, the product is washed under running water and dried with a soft cloth.
Before cleaning jewelry with stones or gilding with vinegar, the inserts must be moistened with glycerin. This is done with a cotton swab soaked in an oily liquid.
After rubbing the stones with glycerin, the products are immersed in vinegar for 10 minutes. Then they are washed and rubbed with chamois or flannel.

The method is not suitable for removing plaque from silverware.

Caring for silver at home with ammonia

There are several options for cleaning jewelry and cutlery with ammonia. It all depends on the darkness and size of the product. The presence of insertion is also important. If there are gold or pearl inlays in the ring or earrings, then you should not use ammonia.

Ways to use ammonia to clean silver jewelry:

Pure ammonia … This method is suitable for removing plaque from knives and chains. It is necessary to pour 50 ml of ammonia and 450 ml of water into a glass. Place the jewelry in this solution for an hour. If the products are very dirty and covered with black bloom, it is better to clean them for 1.5 hours. After that, silver items are washed and dried with a clean napkin. If the metal is not completely covered with plaque, but there are small spots, then you can clean it by wiping dirt with a napkin moistened with ammonia.
With toothpaste … This method is suitable for cleaning silverware. It is necessary to mix a little toothpaste with ammonia and apply the substance to a napkin. Then dry the cutlery with a cloth. Rinse immediately with warm water and wipe with a flannel.
With hydrogen peroxide … The method is suitable for cleaning jewelry that has no stones or is not attached with glue. This diluted mixture corrodes the glue. It is necessary to mix 30 ml of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid soap in a small glass. Pour 100 ml of water into the material. Dip the jewelry in the resulting liquid and keep it for 30-45 minutes. This solution quickly removes plaque and the black layer. Until the mixture is dry, rub with dry wool until it is shiny.

Silver aid with citric acid

Citric acid is an organic compound that does an excellent job of removing plaque or tarnished silver. The material itself reacts with the deposits, thanks to which the product will be like new. The method is ideal for cleaning silverware and jewelry without stones or inlays.

Instructions for the care of silver with citric acid to prevent tarnishing:

Pour 100 g of citric acid into 500 ml of water and turn it on.
After boiling the solution, dip a copper wire into it and let it stand over the fire for 3 minutes.
Immerse the jewelry in the boiling solution and let it boil for 10 minutes. As a result of the chemical reactions of copper, acid, and plaque, silver elements are restored.
In this case, copper covers the entire plaque and oxidizes. After that, the solution is drained and the jewelry is rinsed in running water. Next, you need to dry them with a piece of suede.

Overview of special care products for the silver

A large number of special jewelry cleaning products are now available for sale. These are paste, liquid,

and spray. The composition of such materials can contain both chemical reagents such as acids and bases and abrasives.

List of silver cleaners:

Silbertuschbader … This is a tool used by restorers to clean old coins and expensive jewelry. The glue can be purchased at a jewelry store or online. It is applied to the jewelry and cleaned with a napkin. The cost of a small jar is $ 20. But the device is spent very sparingly.
Dara … Inexpensive cleaner for bronze, copper, and silverware. It contains soft abrasives that perfectly polish the surface of the jewelry. The cost of a 100ml bottle is $4.
Poliboy Silber Gold Bad … A good product that can be used to clean composite items made of silver and gold. The material contains abrasives with very fine grain size. Therefore, there are no scratches or streaks after cleaning. You can clean jewelry with stones. The cost of a 375ml bottle is $10.
BLEACHERS … It is a liquid that is sold in a jar with a basket and a brush. It is necessary to lower the jewelry into the basket for a few seconds and then rub it with a brush. After that, the jewelry is washed with water and polished. The cost of a 236 ml jar is $7.
Hagerty … This product is a spray. Shake the bottle with the liquid and apply it to the decoration. This is followed by polishing. There is 500 ml of stuff in a bottle, it costs 12 dollars. In addition to cleaning, the product covers the jewelry with a film that prevents oxidation and the appearance of plaque.
SOMETIMES … It is a great professional resource for recovering silver coins and jewelry. It is enough to apply the substance to the product for 1 minute and then rinse with water. In a 50ml jar, it costs $7.

General recommendations for silver care

Of course, if silver jewelry is worn or stored incorrectly, it will quickly become covered with a dark coating. To clean your jewelry less often, you need to follow a few simple rules.

Rules for using and storing silver:

Remove jewelry if you are cleaning the house or doing the dishes. The fact is that silver is a fairly active metal that quickly becomes covered with a dark coating. This is caused by chemical reactions between the jewelry and the detergent ingredients.
At night, remove rings and bracelets when applying cream to your face or removing makeup. Some ingredients in the cream can cause plaque to appear.
If you do not wear jewelry for a long time, store it in a jewelry box. To do this, it is better to wrap the chain or earrings in foil. It oxidizes instead of silver, as aluminum is a more active metal.
It is better not to wear silver jewelry at night and during high temperatures. Sweat contains salts that oxidize jewelry quickly.

Conclusion

Silver is a precious metal that wears well and shines with proper care. Do not be lazy to clean your jewelry and it will last you long enough.