HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY AT HOME



Here's a list of what you'll learn in this post:


  • The Cleaning Methods:

A. Cleaning silver jewelry with water+soap

B. How to clean silver with baking soda:

C. Cleaning silver jewelry with olive oil+lemon juice

1. The soaking method

2. The tabbing method

E. Cleaning silver jewelry with white vinegar+baking soda

  • Silver cleaning mistakes to avoid
  • How to prevent silver from tarnishing


HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY AT HOME
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY AT HOME

Do you have silver jewelry that needs a little TLC? Cleaning it at home can be a great way to restore your pieces and make them shine like new! In this guide, we'll walk you through the simple steps for how to clean silver jewelry at home. 



THE CLEANING METHODS:


1. CLEANING SILVER JEWELRY WITH WATER + SOAP


Water and dish soap is great at cleaning silver jewelry. First, dish soap contains surfactants, which allow the dish soap to penetrate grease and grime on your silver jewelry. Next, the water molecules attract dirt and grime, breaking it down and removing it from the surface of your silver. When combined, water+dish soap are two elements that make for a pretty powerful cleaning solution.


STEP 1: Fill a small bowl with warm, fresh water and add a few tablespoons of all-natural dish soap.


STEP 2: Place your silver jewelry into the soapy water solution and soak it for 15 minutes.


STEP 3: Next, use a soft-bristle toothbrush to rub the tarnish off gently. Make sure you scrub all the metal, even in tight places where the tarnish might be hiding.


STEP 4: Rinse your jewelry pieces with fresh water. If your silver jewelry still looks "dirty," repeat this process to remove any remaining tarnish.


STEP 5: After rinsing your silver jewelry, allow your pieces to air-dry on a soft cotton towel before placing them in storage. Remember to thoroughly dry your silver, as any remaining moisture can be harmful to the metal and cause tarnish stains.


Never use harsh paper (such as napkins, paper towels, etc.) to dry your pieces because these abrasive materials can cause slight scratches on your silver.



2. HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY WITH BAKING SODA:


Water and baking soda are a great combo for cleaning silver jewelry at home. The two substances work together to create a chemical reaction that helps break down the tarnish on silver and make it shine like new. This cleaning combination works so well because the soapy water helps to loosen the stubborn tarnish, while the baking soda acts as an abrasive to remove it.


Supplies:

-Warm Water

-All-Natural Dish Soap

-Baking Soda

-A Small Bowl

-A Soft-Bristle Toothbrush

-A Soft, Cotton Towel


STEP 1. Fill a small bowl with warm, fresh water and add a few tablespoons of all-natural dish soap. Include baking soda to the mix if your jewelry is especially dirty.


STEP 2: Place your silver jewelry into the soapy water solution and soak it for 15 minutes.


STEP 3: Next, use a soft-bristle toothbrush to rub the tarnish off gently. Make sure you scrub all the metal, even in tight places where the tarnish might be hiding.


STEP 4: Rinse your jewelry pieces with fresh water. If your silver jewelry still looks "dirty," repeat this process to remove any remaining tarnish.


STEP 5: After rinsing your silver jewelry, allow your pieces to air-dry on a soft cotton towel before placing them in storage. Remember to thoroughly dry your silver, as any remaining moisture can be harmful to the metal and cause tarnish stains.


Never use harsh paper (such as napkins, paper towels, etc.) to dry your pieces because these abrasive materials can cause slight scratches on your silver.



3. CLEANING SILVER JEWELRY WITH OLIVE OIL+LEMON JUICE:


A. THE SOAKING METHOD


STEP 1. Place your silver jewelry in a small bowl filled with fresh water.


STEP 2. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the bowl of warm water, and add one teaspoon of olive oil.


STEP 3. Allow your silver pieces to soak for 30 minutes.


STEP 4: Next, use a soft-bristle toothbrush to rub the tarnish off gently. Make sure you scrub all the metal, even in tight places where the tarnish might be hiding.


STEP 5: Rinse your jewelry pieces with fresh water. If your silver jewelry still looks "dirty," repeat this process to remove any remaining tarnish.


STEP 6: After rinsing your silver jewelry, allow your pieces to air-dry on a soft cotton towel before placing them in storage. Remember to thoroughly dry your silver, as any remaining moisture can be harmful to the metal and cause tarnish stains.


Never use harsh paper (such as napkins, paper towels, etc.) to dry your pieces because these abrasive materials can cause slight scratches on your silver.



B. THE TABBING METHOD


STEP 1: Add 1 tsp olive oil to a small bowl and whisk in a 1/2 cup of lemon juice.


STEP 2: Place a small cotton cloth into the mixture to soak up your homemade cleaning solution.


STEP 3: Next, wring out the wet cloth and use it to scrub the jewelry gently.


STEP 4: Rinse your jewelry pieces with fresh water. If your silver jewelry still looks "dirty," repeat this process to remove any remaining tarnish.


STEP 5: After rinsing your silver jewelry, allow your pieces to air-dry on a soft cotton towel before placing them in storage. Remember to thoroughly dry your silver, as any remaining moisture can be harmful to the metal and cause tarnish stains.


Never use harsh paper (such as napkins, paper towels, etc.) to dry your pieces because these abrasive materials can cause slight scratches on your silver.



4. CLEANING SILVER JEWELRY WITH WHITE VINEGAR+BAKING SODA


Have you ever wondered why white vinegar and baking soda are such effective cleaning agents? It turns out that these two common household ingredients have some pretty amazing properties when it comes to cleaning silver.


First, white vinegar is an acid that breaks down tarnish and other buildups on silver. Next, baking soda is a base. When these two substances are combined, they create a chemical reaction that is powerful enough to clean silver. When white vinegar and baking soda are combined, they create a chemical reaction called an acid-base reaction. This type of reaction creates carbonic acid. This carbonic acid is what helps to break down the tarnish and other buildup on your silver jewelry, leaving it clean and shiny.


Supplies:

-Warm Water

-White Vinegar

-Baking Soda

-A Soft, Cotton Towel


STEP 1: Combine a cup of lukewarm water, ½ cup white vinegar, and two tablespoons of baking soda in a small bowl.


STEP 2: Let your jewelry pieces soak in the cleaning solution for two to three hours.


STEP 3: Next, use a soft-bristle toothbrush to rub the tarnish off gently. Make sure you scrub all the metal, even in tight places where the tarnish might be hiding.


STEP 4: Rinse your jewelry pieces with fresh water. If your silver jewelry still looks "dirty," repeat this process to remove any remaining tarnish.


STEP 5: After rinsing your silver jewelry, allow your pieces to air-dry on a soft cotton towel before placing them in storage. Remember to thoroughly dry your silver, as any remaining moisture can be harmful to the metal and cause tarnish stains.


Never use harsh paper (such as napkins, paper towels, etc.) to dry your pieces because these abrasive materials can cause slight scratches on your silver.



SILVER CLEANING MISTAKES TO AVOID:


Many people erroneously believe you can most effectively remove the tarnish on sterling jewelry with chemical products marketed as silver polish, cleaner, dip, etc. The truth is, if you don't know what you're doing, harsh chemical products like these might destroy your silver jewelry! Read on for a list of common cleaning mistakes just like this to avoid.


1. USING BOILING WATER:


Many people think boiling water mimics the ultrasonic cleaners used in jewelry stores, but this is false. Ultrasonic cleaners utilize high-frequency sound waves and heat to remove dirt from hard-to-reach places. The heating temperature in an ultrasonic cleaner is controlled and will never reach the boiling point of 212°F.


Boiling water can cause damage to your gemstones, and not only that, but the extreme heat will also affect your metal. When jewelry metal heats up, it expands, and this can cause loose gemstones to fall from their settings. Or, if a gem is placed into boiling water and then rinsed with cold water, the stone may experience thermal shock, causing it to fracture or split.


2. CITRIC ACID SILVER CLEANING:


Cleaning silver with citric acid is not always possible. For example, you shouldn't use acidic lemon juice to clean opaque gemstones because the citric acid in lemon juice can damage these dark gems. Also, you shouldn't use acidic lemon juice to clean delicate jewels. Pearls, for instance, dissolve when they touch citrusy chemicals like lemon juice.


3. USING SOAPS + DETERGENTS ALL THE TIME:


Soaps and detergents are occasionally ok for use in jewelry cleaning, but use these items sparingly as they can deposit residue on your jewelry metal, causing the luster on your pieces to dull.


4. CLEANING WITH TOOTHPASTE:


Yes, toothpaste contains abrasive particles that polish tarnish away. However, these same harsh, scrubbing particles can scratch silver and cause pits on the surface of the metal to form. Therefore, avoid using toothpaste on sterling silver, highly polished silver, or anything plated with silver.


5. NOT DOING A PATCH TEST WITH COMMERCIAL CLEANERS:


Before using a commercial cleaner to clean your silver jewelry, do a small patch test before applying it to all of your silver pieces. You don't want to discover that some of the chemicals in your jewelry cleaner cause discoloration. When in doubt, opt for natural, at-home cleaning methods instead.

 

6. BUYING ALCOHOL-BASED CLEANERS:


Avoid alcohol-based cleaners. There are claims that alcohol, when used to soak or rinse jewelry, aids in the removal of grease. Alcohol can leave a film on your gemstones and metals, which might dull or ruin them over time.


Oil and water-based gemstones, such as emeralds and opals, should not be cleaned with alcohol. If you wash these stones with alcohol, the oils will soak into them, and the stones will dry out and crack.


7. DRYING YOUR PIECES WITH HARSH PAPER:


Never dry your silver jewelry with rough paper like paper towels, napkins, or tissues. Rough paper is abrasive and can leave slight scratches on the surface of your pieces, which will require a professional polishing service to remove.


8. RUBBING JEWELRY THE WRONG WAY:


Many think aggressive polishing is the key to removing tarnish from silver jewelry. The truth is, if you don't know how to polish correctly, you can damage your jewelry's metal more than help it. When polishing silver jewelry, use a soft, lint-free cloth and gently rub in a circular motion. Don't rub the jewelry back and forth, as this can wear away the metal.

 


HOW TO PREVENT SILVER TARNISH:


There are a few different methods to prevent silver tarnish from happening:


1) Preventing silver tarnish begins by keeping your silver jewelry away from sulfur-containing compounds. Sulfur-containing compounds are common in perfumes, lotions, makeup, etc. If you need clarification on whether a product contains sulfur, check the label or ask the manufacturer.


2) Another way to prevent tarnish is to coat your silver with a protective layer. A protective layer like rhodium plating will help to prevent the silver from coming into contact with sulfur-containing compounds. There are several different metals and products available that you can use to coat your silver jewelry with a protective layer, such as rhodium, platinum, tarnish prevention sprays, etc.


3) Clean your silver jewelry regularly; tarnish can build up over time, so use a gentle cleaner like warm water and mild soap on a regular basis to prevent tarnish from forming.


4) Proper jewelry storage is essential in preventing silver tarnish. Proper jewelry storage means storing your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Humidity and high temperatures can speed up the tarnishing process.

 


WRAPPING UP


We hope you enjoyed our blog post, "How to Clean Silver Jewelry at Home." We went over the best methods for cleaning silver jewelry and how to prevent tarnish from happening in the future. With these tips, you can now keep your precious silver pieces looking sparkling clean for many years! Thanks for reading, and until next time!