HOW TO CARE FOR SILVER JEWELRY
Silver is one of the most widely used precious metals in the world, widely used both in jewelry and in other objects of common use, such as some cutlery, however, it has a major drawback: it tends to get very dirty over time.
This dirt comes both from use and from the metal itself, which tends to darken when in contact with air.
In the case of jewelry require very frequent care if we want to keep them as the first day. At Julia’s Mexican Gallery we want to help you and that is why we explain how to take care of them:
1.- Prevent: We must dedicate some time to the cleaning of the silver and the care of the jewelry. This will prevent them from oxidizing and losing their shine. So, wipe your jewelry every so often and do not leave them in any corner of your closet.
2. Store them in a dry place: store your jewelry in a cool and airtight place, to avoid oxidation. And avoid exposing your silver jewelry to corrosive agents such as chlorine, grease, perfume and even the sun’s rays.
3.- Silver cleaners: In specialized jewelry stores you will find a wide variety of cleaning products that will help you to recover the shine of your silver jewelry. However, sometimes we do not think of buying them because it is not a cleaner that we use on a daily basis and they are toxic products that we should keep away from the reach of small children or pets.
Fortunately, these products are not the only solution for cleaning and polishing silver, but we can also do it at home. Below, we give you 6 homemade tricks so you know how to clean without damaging the silver at home, with products that you may have at home. It is a lot easier and cheaper than you think, so let’s get to work!
CLEANING SILVER WITH BAKING SODA
It is the most used homemade trick to remove stains from blackened silver. Baking soda is a natural product that has more uses in household cleaning. It serves for a multitude of jobs, among which we can highlight those related to the cleaning of metals, especially silver. To clean a silver object with sodium bicarbonate we can do it in two ways.
On the one hand, we can prepare a container with water and baking soda and then immerse the dirty silver object in it. We will leave it for about 20 minutes and then rub the surface of the silver with a damp cloth to remove the remains of dark patina that may remain.
The other way to use baking soda to clean silver objects is to apply it directly. In this case, dilute a certain amount of baking soda in a container with very little water. Gradually add hot water until a slightly thick paste is obtained. We will not dissolve the baking soda completely, but we will moisten it so that it can be handled as a paste, but the base of the mixture will always be the baking soda. Once we have obtained the mixture with a consistency that allows us to handle it easily, we will take it with a damp cloth and rub it against the silver surface with slow movements and with little pressure. This method is slower to clean silver, although more effective when applied directly. It is the best option when dealing with small silver objects.
Here is an example of how to clean silver with baking soda and a brush:
1. In a cup, pour ¼ cup of hot water and add two teaspoons of baking soda.
2. Mix well and then insert the silver jewelry.
3. Wait 20 minutes and stir the jewelry with a spoon to loosen the adhered dirt.
4. Take out the jewelry and wash it with soap and water to remove dirt while scrubbing it with a toothbrush.
5. Dry it with the paper towel.
6. Soak the bristles of the toothbrush in the baking soda water and then dip them in baking soda.
7. Rub gently with the brush. You can repeat this process until the jewelry is completely clean.
8. Finally, you can polish it with the cotton cloth.
CLEANING SILVER WITH VINEGAR
One of the easiest ways to clean silver is by using vinegar. Vinegar is one of the most widely used natural cleaning products and, when it comes to cleaning metals, it is probably the best of all household products. To do this, we must select a suitable vinegar. In general, white or apple vinegar are the most suitable. In fact, the lighter the vinegar, the better the result.
A simple way to get better results is to soak the silver object in vinegar for about 20 minutes before rubbing it. Then, take it out and start rubbing the darkened part with the cloth or a small brush until the silver recovers its original tone and color.
There are metal cleaning brushes that are specifically manufactured for this type of work. However, if we cannot find a specific metal cleaning brush, we can also do it using a normal toothbrush.
Here is an example of how to perform the process:
1. Take a medium bowl and put the jewelry you want to be cleaned.
2. Fill the bowl with vinegar until the pieces are covered.
3. Leave the silver jewelry you want to wash submerged for 20 minutes, if you think it is necessary to wait longer, you can give it a few extra minutes.
4. Wash the jewelry with plenty of water.
5. Use a cotton cloth to dry well the silver garment.
CLEANING SILVER WITH SALT
If you want another alternative to know how to clean silver, you can also use a homemade trick that only requires aluminum foil, salt, and water. The process is quite simple, so take note:
1. Wrap a container inside and out with aluminum foil and pour in hot water, but do not let it overflow.
2. Add a tablespoon of salt and mix
3. Pre-wash the silver objects with plenty of cold water and liquid soap to help remove the dirt stuck to them.
4. Introduce the objects you want to restore the shine or remove the blackened stains.
5. Wait 20 minutes until the silver sulfide layer is eliminated, which is what makes the silver acquire a black color.
6. When the stains disappear, you will be able to take the objects out of the water, wash them with abundant water.
7. Proceed to dry the garment with absorbent kitchen paper and then pass the cotton cloth to give it more shine.
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER WITH GEMSTONES
Silver jewelry with gemstones is more delicate than silver utensils or other accessories without stones such as silver rings or chains. Therefore, to clean silver with stones, we recommend you follow these tips:
– Use a fine brush to clean only the areas with silver and do not apply cleaning products on the stones.
– You can use a silver cleaner or use baking soda to clean them.
– You may find other homemade tricks that indicate to clean silver with ammonia, but do not use it to clean silver with stones, as it can damage this type of jewelry.
– Always use cold water to wash jewelry, as hot water can damage the adhesive that keeps the stones attached to the jewelry.