Methods for cleaning silver with soda, salt, citric acid, ammonia and special agents. Rules for wearing and storing silver jewelry. Silver care is a mandatory procedure that allows you to restore smoothness and shine to products, prevent them from tarnishing and the formation of plaque 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 pastes.
The main reasons for silver care
Shine and scratch-free properties are important in jewelry. After all, it is mechanical defects that deprive jewelry of a beautiful shine and make them old. You don't want to wear such items, and they hide them in a box.
Let's find out why you need to care for silver:
- Loss of gloss … Without proper care, silver quickly loses its shine and becomes covered with minor scratches.
- Plaque … Silver is a fairly active metal, therefore it is prone to oxidation. That is, when it comes into contact with wet and sweaty skin, it darkens.
- Scratches … They form both on stones and on the metal itself. In order to give the product a beautiful appearance again, it is necessary to take care of it periodically.
How to care for silver
There are many ways to give silver the proper look. You can return the shine and clean the plaque using commercially available pastes and napkins. But there are a lot of folk methods to make jewelry new.
How to care for silverware with baking soda
Baking soda is a tool that every housewife has in the arsenal. With its help, you can not only clean kitchen appliances and household appliances, but also put in order silver cutlery and jewelry. It should be noted that it is not recommended to clean jewelry with stones with sodium bicarbonate, since crystals differ in abrasive properties.
Instructions for using soda:
- Dissolve 50 g of sodium bicarbonate in 1000 ml of very hot water. Wait for the crystals to completely dissolve.
- Immerse jewelry previously washed with soap in the resulting liquid. It is necessary to hold them in the solution for about an hour.
- After that, wipe the jewelry with a flannel, carefully removing plaque. Wipe the scratched area with light pressure.
- If the product is very dirty, then it is necessary to mix sodium bicarbonate with water to a slurry state and apply it to the metal. After that, you need to wipe the jewelry with a soft cloth and rinse off the remaining cleaning agent.
Do not use a paste to clean products with stones, as soda crystals can scratch the inserts.
Taking care of gilded silver with tooth powder
Very often silver items are complemented with gilding inserts. Such jewelry looks great with both casual outfits and evening dresses. The peculiarity of care in this case is that silver differs from gold not only in its appearance, but also in hardness and resistance to mechanical damage.
Instructions for the use of tooth powder:
- Mix a teaspoon of powder with the same amount of warm water. It is necessary to make a thick porridge.
- Using a flannel cloth, apply the paste to the garment and wipe gently. Try to keep the movements in one direction. That is, you cannot rub in a circle.
- If the jewelry contains stones, then they should be cleaned without much pressure and pressure. It is best to take a powder with small grains without abrasive substances.
- If you are cleaning silverware, it is not difficult to do it with a toothbrush. Apply a mixture of water and tooth powder to the brush and go over the cutlery. Cleaning is also worth in one direction.
- After that, jewelry or appliances are rinsed with plenty of water and wiped dry.
How to care for silver salt
Salt is an excellent cleaner for small silverware. Cleaning is based on the interaction of aluminum and salt deposits on the silver. The fact is that aluminum is a more active metal, and accordingly, all accumulations from jewelry will contact the foil.
How to use salt:
- Take a small enamel bowl and line it with foil. It can be purchased at any household chemicals store.
- After that, pour 700 ml of water into a container and add 40 g of kitchen salt. It should not contain iodine impurities. The size of the crystals is also unimportant.
- Place decorations on foil and put on fire. After boiling, the solution should be kept on 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 foil.
No salt is used to tidy up 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 during cleaning, which can scratch inserts or stones. Instructions for using vinegar:
- Soak a cloth in a 9% vinegar solution and rub the product with it. If these are chains, and not smooth jewelry, then cleaning is best done 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 wiped with a soft cloth.
- Before you clean 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 degree of darkening and the size of the products. The presence of inserts is also important. If there are gilding or pearl inserts in the ring or earrings, then you should not use ammonia.
Methods for using ammonia to clean silver jewelry:
- Pure ammonia … This method is suitable for removing plaque from cutlery 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, then it is better to clean them for 1, 5 hours. After that, silver items are washed and wiped with a clean napkin. If the metal is not completely covered with plaque, but there are small spots, then cleaning can be done by wiping the dirt with a napkin moistened with ammonia.
- With toothpaste … This method is suitable for tidying up silverware. It is necessary to mix a little toothpaste with ammonia and apply the substance to a napkin. Then wipe the cutlery with a cloth. Rinse immediately with warm water and buff with flannel.
- With hydrogen peroxide … The method is suitable for cleaning jewelry that has no stones or is not fixed with an adhesive. This read-out mixture will corrode 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 substance. Dip the jewelry in the resulting liquid and keep in it for 30-45 minutes. This solution quickly removes plaque and black layer. Until the mixture is dry, rub with dry wool until shine.
Silver care with citric acid
Citric acid is an organic compound that does an excellent job of removing plaque or darkened silver. The substance itself enters into a chemical reaction with the deposits, thanks to which the product becomes like new. The method is ideal for cleaning silverware and jewelry without stones or inserts. Instructions for the care of silver with citric acid, so as not to blacken:
- Pour 100 g of citric acid into 500 ml of water and put on fire.
- After boiling the solution, dip a piece of copper wire into it and let it stand over the fire for 3 minutes.
- Immerse the jewelry in the boiling solution and let it simmer for 10 minutes. As a result of the chemical reaction of copper, acid and plaque, silver items are restored.
- In this case, copper pulls all the plaque over itself and oxidizes. After that, the solution is drained, and the jewelry is rinsed in running water. Next, you need to wipe them with a piece of suede.
Overview of special care products for silver
A large number of special products for cleaning jewelry are now on sale. They are pastes, liquids and sprays. The composition of such substances can contain both chemical reagents such as acids and alkalis, and abrasive particles.
List of silver cleaning agents:
- Silbertuschbader … This is a tool used by restorers to clean old coins and expensive jewelry. The paste can be purchased at a jewelry store or on the Internet. It is applied to the jewelry and cleaned with a napkin. The cost of a small jar is $ 20. But the tool is spent very sparingly.
- Dara … Inexpensive cleaning agent for bronze, copper and silver items. It contains soft abrasives that perfectly polish the surface of the jewelry. The cost of a 100 ml bottle is $ 4.
- Poliboy Silber Gold Bad … A good product that can be used for cleaning combined items of silver and gold. The substance contains abrasive particles with a very fine grain size. That is why after cleaning there are no scratches or streaks. You can clean jewelry with stones. The cost of a 375 ml bottle is $ 10.
- CONNOISSEURS … It is a liquid that is sold in a jar with a basket and 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. The bottle with the liquid must be shaken and applied to the decoration. This is followed by polishing. There are 500 ml of substance 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.
- SOMS … It is an excellent professional remedy for the restoration of silver coins and jewelry. It is enough to apply the substance to the product for 1 minute, and then rinse with water. In a jar of 50 ml, its cost is $ 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 wearing and storing silver:
- Remove jewelry if you are cleaning the house or washing the dishes. The fact is that silver is a fairly active metal that quickly becomes covered with a dark coating. This is due to a chemical reaction between the jewelry and the ingredients in the detergent.
- In the evening, remove rings and bracelets when applying cream to your face or removing makeup. Some substances in the cream can provoke the appearance of plaque.
- If you do not wear jewelry for a long time, then store it in a jewelry box. For this, it is better to wrap the chain or earrings in foil. It oxidizes instead of silver, since aluminum is a more active metal.
- It is better not to wear silver jewelry at night and during extreme heat. Sweat contains salts that quickly oxidize jewelry.
How to care for silver - watch the video:
Silver is a precious metal that wears well and shines with proper care. Don't be lazy to clean your jewelry and it will last you long enough.
