How and what to quickly clean silver from blackness at home

Content

1. Why does silver darken?
2. Top 7 Folk Methods to Quickly Clean Silver: Instructions
3. The best household chemicals for cleaning silver
4. Ultrasonic cleaning of silver items
5. What is the best way to clean silverware?
6. What is the best way to clean chains, rings and earrings with stones
7. How to Properly Care for Silver Jewelry: Advice from a Jeweler
8. How often should you clean silver?

Why does silver darken?

There are several reasons for silver to turn black:

1. Due to a chemical reaction – when silver interacts with sulfur compounds. Sulfur is found in the air, in surrounding objects, even in medicines and food. In addition, we use cosmetics, deodorants, creams, which also contain sulfur. Sweat that a person secretes also accelerates the oxidation process of silver. Thus, items that are in close proximity to the human body darken the fastest – rings, earrings, chains, crosses, bracelets.
2. To make silver stronger, copper is added. The more copper and other impurities in silver, the faster it will become covered with a dark film.
3. High humidity and frequent contact with water also contribute to this process.

Expert opinion

Silver darkens because it oxidizes. To prevent it from oxidizing, it is coated – rhodium plating, gilding, etc., the Russian Jewelers Guild noted.

Top 7 Folk Methods to Quickly Clean Silver

In order for silver items to delight us with their beauty for a long time, you need to know how to properly care for them and clean them periodically. Housewives have long found ways to shine their favorite jewelry or dishes at home, using improvised means.

Before you start cleaning, the product should be washed in soapy water to remove ingrained dirt and greasy stains. For hard-to-reach places, it is better to use a cotton swab or a soft brush – for example, a toothbrush.

Foil

Thanks to the silver particles, the foil comes into contact with the silver and slows down the oxidation process. You need to:

• take glass or ceramic dishes,
• line the bottom with foil
• add soda (100 grams per two liters of water).
• to boil water
• put silver in water for a few seconds.
• remove the product from the solution
• wipe with a soft cloth.

Important! Do not use on silver with gold or blackening and on items with precious stones!

Nitrogen alcohol, or ammonia

A proven product for cleaning silver items.

Need to:

• dilute alcohol with water
• place the items in the solution for 30-60 minutes
• rinse with clean water.

Important! The method is safe for products, but the solution has a very pungent smell!

Hydrogen peroxide

As is known, hydrogen peroxide has bleaching properties, so it is also used to clean silver. But remember that after peroxide, stains may remain on the surface of the items. Therefore, in our case, peroxide is diluted with the same ammonia. Items are dipped into the solution for 20-30 minutes.

Vinegar

Acetic acid has a well-deserved reputation among housewives as a universal cleaning agent. In our case, it will also help.

Need to:

• put silver items in a container
• pour 9% vinegar so that the products are completely covered,
• cover and leave for several hours.
• being careful, wearing rubber gloves, pour out the vinegar
• We wash everything with clean water.
• To make the silver shine, you can polish it with a soft cloth.

Salt

Dry salt is dangerous for silver items, as it can leave small scratches on the surface. Therefore, to clean silver, use either a salt paste or a saline solution (a teaspoon of salt per glass of water, boil the items in this solution for 15 minutes and rinse with running water).

Toothpaste

Very often used at home for cleaning silver.

• squeeze the paste onto the fabric
• wipe the product with this cloth using circular motions
• leave for 10-15 minutes
• wipe again
• rinse well with water.

Important! If there are many small details on the silver, it is better not to use this method, as the paste is difficult to wash out of the pores. Also, the paste is an abrasive, so this method is not suitable for particularly expensive items, scratches may remain.

Expert advice

You need to be even more careful when cleaning silver items with turquoise and pearls. “Toothpaste won’t harm the stones – it washes out well. But you need to be very careful when cleaning turquoise and especially pearls. Turquoise can turn green, yellow, and pearls can become fatally tarnished. Pearls do not tolerate creams and many other things, they are very capricious. There may be problems with cleaning white corals – they are also, like pearls, organic substances, not stones,” says Vladimir Zboikov, executive director of the Association “Guild of Jewelers of Russia”.

Lemon acid

It, like vinegar, is a universal household cleaning product.

In a solution of citric acid (100 grams per half a liter of water) boil the silver for half an hour. Then rinse with clean water and polish with a cloth.

Expert advice

“Silver is a fairly soft metal and sensitive to the external environment. It easily gets scuffed and scratched,” says Elena Kulakova, director of the production department of the Diana dry cleaners chain. “That is why we do not recommend cleaning silver items with abrasive substances (such as soda or tooth powder) or using brushes or rough cloth. It is better to treat silver with a soft cloth using special care products for silver items. These can be found today not only in specialized stores and workshops, but also on marketplaces. You should also be very careful with rhodium-plated silver. Folk remedies will not work in this case. For example, if you clean such jewelry with soda, the top layer may come off. And the shiny item will turn matte. Tooth powder, paste and ammonia are also contraindicated for rhodium-plated jewelry.”

The best household chemicals for cleaning silver

If home remedies still do not help, you can turn to professional chemistry. Marketplaces offer silver cleaning products:

• “Aladdin”,
• “Talisman”,
• “Crystalline”,
• “Dr. Beckmann”,
• “Sokolov” and others.

They clean quickly, in a few minutes, but they also have their limitations. For example, some products cannot be used to clean blackened silver, jewelry with natural pearls, turquoise, amber. Before use, be sure to read the instructions.

The cleaning method is the same everywhere: the product is placed in the solution, held for several seconds to several minutes, removed and wiped with a soft cloth until shiny.

Expert opinion

Jewelers use simple methods to clean silver, the Jewelers Guild said. A folk remedy – toothpaste like “Blendamed” or “Colgate” is good. For more serious cleaning, including dishes, it is better to buy a product like “Aladdin” or – better – “Talisman” on marketplaces.

Ultrasonic cleaning

Ultrasonic cleaning is considered one of the most gentle and effective methods of processing silver, says Elena Kulakova. This service is provided by large jewelry stores, workshops and manufacturers. Cleaning time is from 10 to 20 minutes. But the result is usually obvious.

A special device is used for such cleaning – an ultrasonic bath. A soap solution is poured into it, through which ultrasonic waves pass. The bubbles formed as a result of such exposure are so small that they penetrate into the most inaccessible places. This method has many advantages, but there is also a disadvantage – it is not suitable for all products.

It should not be used for products:

• with topcoats
• with spraying
• with enamel
• You cannot clean pearls, coral, amber, emerald, or stones with cracks using ultrasound – they may crack.

You can also buy an ultrasonic bath yourself, the price is from 1 to 15 thousand rubles, depending on the power and size.

Experts’ opinion

“Only ultrasound can clean silver perfectly,” experts from the Russian Jewelers’ Guild are sure. “Here you need to choose from two options. If you have little jewelry, it is easier to go to a workshop and take the item there for ultrasonic cleaning. If you have a lot of jewelry, it makes sense to buy your own ultrasonic bath.”

What is the best way to clean silverware?

Silverware also needs to be cleaned periodically. In principle, all the above methods are suitable for it. If there are many items, it is more convenient to clean them all at once. Therefore, the most convenient method is boiling in a large basin or saucepan using foil and soda or in a solution of citric acid.

What is the best way to clean chains, rings and earrings with stones

Silver items with precious stones require particularly delicate cleaning.

Chains, especially thin ones, can easily break, so strong physical impact should be avoided.

Items with stones also need to be cleaned carefully to avoid scratching. Abrasive substances – salt, soda, toothpaste – are best not used in this case. It is better to clean these items in a solution of citric acid or vinegar or subject them to ultrasonic cleaning. When cleaning such delicate items, you should use only soft cloths, brushes and sponges.

Expert advice

If you need to clean an expensive item with stones, for example, pearl beads, then it is better to turn to jewelers for this service, the Jewelers Guild notes.

Be careful if your silver item contains emeralds.

“A real emerald is a green variety of the mineral beryl,” says Vladimir Zboikov. “But in the East, almost colorless beryl is often dyed. Due to its internal structure, beryl easily accepts oils and resins into its volume. They make the stone more transparent, and its color – more saturated. This is called impregnation. But the resins or oils must be colorless. But if they are green, then this is already dyeing. Such stones are cheap, tens and hundreds of times cheaper than stones simply impregnated with resins. And this dyeing can leave the stone during cleaning! That is, such an “emerald” becomes lighter and cloudier with each cleaning. Unfortunately, in our market the main criterion for the quality of the seller is the size of the discount he provides. Buyers do not want to think that miracles do not happen in the economy.

An emerald in silver is the norm for India, for example, the expert continues. In Russia, an emerald in silver is a great rarity. And if an emerald is set in silver, it means it is definitely very cheap. Is it worth bothering with its professional cleaning, which is not free? Then, it is better to clean this silver with toothpaste at home, carefully avoiding the stone.

How to properly care for silver items

When preparing food, it is better to take off silver items. You should do the same if you are going to do heavy physical work, go to a workout or to the pool, or take a shower.

It is recommended to store silver jewelry separately from others, preferably in a box lined with velvet or wrapped in foil to protect from air.

It is better to wash silverware by hand rather than in a dishwasher, clean it with special products every few months, wipe it with a soft cloth and store it separately from other dishes in a closed box.

If your family has very expensive silver family jewelry or an antique cigarette case, it is better not to take risks and entrust their cleaning to professional jewelers. They will clean, grind and polish the items with high-quality professional tools and products. Prices for such services start from 350 rubles per piece.

How often should you clean silver items?

It is recommended to clean jewelry at least once a month, says Elena Kulakova. And at least once a week, wipe the silver with a soft cloth – for example, flannel or suede.