How to clean silver at home from black

The content of the article

• How to clean silver at home
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Soda
• Salt
• Ammonia
• Foil
• Citric acid
• Coca-Cola
• Toothpaste
• Silver Cleaners
• Cleaning fluid
• Napkins
• Cleaning paste
• How to clean silver from black
• Silver chain
• Silver with stones

If a silver object or jewelry has lost its radiance and darkened over time, then you need to learn how to clean the product at home with improvised means or using a special solution, and boldly get down to business. There are a lot of recipes to bring shine to silver, but are they all really effective??

How to clean silver at home

Most silver products turn black after a while, become dull. Superstitious people say that the reason for this is damage to the owner or illness. According to scientists, the composition of human sweat affects silver products: if there is an excess of sulfur in the body, then the metal is more likely to darken, and if there is a lot of nitrogen, then silver will not darken. However, it happens that the products simply lie in the box – for example, cutlery, dishes, figurines – and are still covered with plaque. This comes from the interaction with air containing hydrogen sulfide.

To know how to clean silver jewelry at home correctly, you need to consider the alloy of silver, impurities, the presence of stones. Silver alloy happens:

• matte;
• monetary;
• blackened;
• filigree;
• sterling (925 probe).

So, how to clean silver at home? Before starting to clean silver jewelry, dishes, degrease the product using any detergent. Rub deepenings, curls with a soft toothbrush. Let the subject lie for several minutes in soapy water, and then rinse the jewelry and proceed with drastic measures. There is a lot of money than cleaning silver, among which is cleansing with:

• hydrogen peroxide;
• baking soda;
• salts;
• ammonia (ammonia);
• foil;
• citric acid;
• Coca-Cola
• toothpaste or powder;
• special products (liquids, pastes, napkins);
• mechanical method of cleaning with an eraser.

Hydrogen peroxide

The use of hydrogen peroxide to clean silver items is very mixed. Cleaning silver with hydrogen peroxide can both remove blackening from a noble metal and start the reverse process. Hydrogen peroxide gives off oxygen atoms to reduce or oxidize the substance depending on its composition, so the reaction to silver can be unpredictable if foreign metals are contained in the silver alloy. In this case, there is a risk that the surface of the jewelry will become spotty or completely black..

Such pollution will be difficult to remove at home. Have to turn to a jeweler, and his work will result in a solid penny. There are recipes for how to clean silver at home with the help of combined solutions based on hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. However, before putting the entire jewelry into the composition, make a test – check the reaction on the chain clasp or the inside of the ring. If the place of contact has brightened, then boldly apply the solution on the entire surface of the decoration using a cotton pad.

Soda

Mistresses have long known the power of soda in the fight against pollution. She may be able to wash silver objects as well, but one must act without fanaticism so as not to scratch the shiny surface. The method is suitable for small items, as scratches on plates and spoons will be too evident. How to clean silver soda:

1. Mix soda and a drop of water until gruel forms…
2. Using your fingers or a soft cloth, apply gruel to the surface of the product, gently rub to a shine.
3. Difficult to clean with a toothbrush.
4. Rinse the decoration with water.
5. Wipe dry.

Salt

Another quick, easy way is to clean the silver with salt. It will take ordinary salt, large or small, which is available, it does not matter. In a small bowl or mug, the bottom of which is lined with foil, pour salt and baking soda without sparing, pour the liquid for the dishes. Jewelry should be placed in this substance and boiled for 10 minutes. Then wash the products under the tap and dry. This method is suitable for small items such as rings, crosses, earrings, chains, coins. Plates, spoons, candlesticks, other kitchen utensils must be cleaned with other methods.

Ammonia

There are several ways to clean silver with ammonia. You can use both pure alcohol and its combination with other substances. Two methods using exclusively ammonia:

1. Take one part of ammonia and 10 parts of water and prepare a solution. Immerse the product in it to get wet. If the silver is medium soiled, then processing lasts from half an hour to an hour. It is not necessary to keep silver in ammonia for too long; one must follow the bleaching process. Lightly clouded products can simply be wiped with a cotton pad moistened with ammonia.
2. Too much blackened silver items will need pure ammonia. Processing time 15 minutes. Then rinse and dry the silver.

Foil

A very interesting, effective and proven method is cleaning silver at home with foil. It is similar to the method of cleaning with salt, but in this case, 2 tbsp should be diluted in 0.5 liter of water. l baking soda and put on fire until boiling. Then dip silver and a slightly crumpled piece of foil into boiling water. Hold the silver item for about a minute, then rinse with water and pat dry. Everything, you can take photos of the product to share the recipe with your friends.

Citric acid

To brighten up antique objects and jewelry will help cleaning silver with citric acid or vinegar:

• It is necessary to dilute 100 grams of acid in 0.5 liters and put the solution to heat in a water bath.
• Dip a small piece of copper or wire and silver into the container. Boiling time from 15 to 30 minutes.
• Then, as usual, rinse and dry the item.

Coca-Cola

There are already legends about the cleaning properties of Coca-Cola. What just does not cleanse this drink: tile, plumbing, dishes! For home life – this is an expensive and irrational way, but cleaning silver with Coca-Cola is quite affordable and will not hit your pocket. Pour a small amount of Coca-Cola into a glass and lower the silver items there. The process is long, it will take about 12 hours, but silver will shine, like new.

Toothpaste

For slightly clouded jewelry, silver cleaning with toothpaste works well. Smooth products can be wiped with a toothpaste napkin, and jewelry with many embossed details is cleaned with a toothbrush. Choose a paste without additives and dyes, so that impurities do not lead to an undesirable reaction with the metal. After cleaning the product, rinse thoroughly so that white deposits do not form, polish with a soft cloth.

Silver Cleaners

In any jewelry store you can find special cleaning products for silver. Sound the problem to the consultant, but rather bring the jewelry with you – he will recommend a suitable cleaner: napkins, liquid or paste. Check if a cleaning agent can be used for products with stones: some do not tolerate aggressive cleaning, they can easily be damaged.

Cleaning fluid

A special solution for cleaning silver consists of organic solvents, phosphates, surfactants, perfumes, water. This is a strong cleaning agent, therefore it is not recommended to use it for lightening silver jewelry with pearls, amber, corals. For example, Aladdin liquid is a convenient container with a special basket and a brush: the product is placed in the basket, then it must be immersed directly in a jar, soak for 30 seconds. Then silver rinse with water and polish with a napkin. The effect is visible the first time, but there is a drawback – an unpleasant odor.

Special fluids can be sold in the form of a spray, such as the Chinese Sunlight. The kit comes with a small brush for cleaning hard to reach places. As declared on the packaging, Sunlight spray is safe for all types of precious metals and stones. The product is transparent, without pungent odor, easy to use. It is only necessary to sprinkle silver, stand for several minutes, and then rinse with water.

Napkins

To clean slightly darkened or no longer shiny products, it is recommended to use napkins for cleaning silver. There are wipes made of microfiber and not containing chemicals, so as not to harm the metal and stones. In addition, in stores you can buy disposable napkins with special impregnation for polishing jewelry, separately with impregnation for polishing jewelry with pearls or other organic stones. One such napkin is enough to rub a small table set to shine.

Cleaning paste

A thick cream or paste for cleaning silver effectively cleans old black deposits on jewelry, cutlery, and antiquities. The paste has a delicate structure and does not leave scratches on the product. Before cleaning, degrease the silver by washing it in warm water with soap or detergent. Then apply a little paste on a napkin, rub the product and leave for a while, then polish the surface with a dry napkin.

How to clean silver from black

Cleaning silver at home is troublesome; you can scratch a product or ruin stones. Most of the known ways to clean silver at home have been discussed above. It remains to figure out which of the above methods is best used for jewelry, jewelry with stones, and which for dishes, cutlery, antiquities and other items:

• Silver dishes, on which scratches from soda will be visible, are best cleaned with toothpaste. It is just suitable for items that are not much affected by blackening. However, it is not necessary to use the paste too often, it can provoke the formation of microcracks on the metal. Spoons, forks and knives are cleaned with soda, salt and foil. With this method, you do not need to rub objects, the dirt leaves when boiling.
• Erasers can easily handle small jewelry or coins, but you will have to work hard. Instead of an eraser, some advise using lipstick, applying a little to a soft cloth and rubbing silver. Lipstick does not leave scratches and is easily washed off with soapy water. For small ornaments, a gruel of chalk and ammonia is also suitable, which is applied to the product and then washed off with water.
• Blackened silver should not be brushed at all, trying to wash off the noble patina, depriving the decoration of charm and sophistication.

Silver chain

Many people think that the most difficult thing is to clean the silver chain, because there are small links or a spiral. However, applying the knowledge gained about silver purification methods, one can easily cope with this problem. It will take vinegar and 3 hours of time:

• Soak the chain in acid without diluting it with water, and hold for the specified time.
• Perhaps the process will go faster if silver is not too running.
• Vinegar copes with very strong browning.

Silver with stones

If you are afraid to spoil silver jewelry with stones and household chemicals, it is better to clean with special fluids for professional cleaning. You can buy them at a jewelry store. They not only carefully clean silver, but also cover the surface with a protective film. It is important to know the features of the stones in your jewelry:

• Turquoise does not tolerate moisture; it is strictly forbidden to lower it into water.
• Pearls do not tolerate ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, they are washed in a soapy water solution.
• Amethyst and topaz easily tolerate the effects of alkalis and acids of low concentration, but will not survive the high temperature – they will fade.
• Cubic zirconia, quartz are not capricious, they can be washed in soapy water.