How to Clean Your Silver Jewelry

Silver is a beautiful, versatile metal, and its soft luster adds a touch of elegance to dishes, flatware, and jewelry. Unfortunately, silver is also pretty fragile compared to many more commonly-used metals, and it can quickly develop tarnish, stains, or scratches. It can also be a bit scary to try to clean silver pieces, because they are often special to us, and we don't want to damage them. You don't have to be a silversmith to clean silver though.

Here are some steps to help you keep your silver shining. Steps as follows :

Steps

Cleaning

Clean your silver jewelry often, and clean it promptly after use. Silver jewelry that is frequently used rarely has tarnish problems. When tarnish is not yet present, or when it's just beginning to develop, simply wash your silver jewelry in warm (not hot) water with a gentle, phosphate-free detergent.

Wash separately. It's a good idea to wash silver separately from your other dishes because metal sinks and utensils can scratch silver jewelry, and stainless steel can damage the finish if it comes into contact with your silver jewelry.

Avoid using rubber gloves when washing silver, as rubber corrodes silver jewelry.

Buffing

Use a soft cloth to gently rub the silver clean, and dry promptly with a soft towel.

Gently buff the shine into dull silver jewelry with a soft cotton cloth.

Importance of Prompt Cleaning

Clean promptly. Prompt cleaning is especially important when the silver jewelry has been exposed to certain foods containing sulfur, or those which are acidic or salty. In particular, common foods such as table salt, eggs, some fruits, onions, mayonnaise, and vinegar are harmful to silver. In any case, wash your silver jewelry right away or at least rinse it well with warm water, and don't leave silver sitting in dishwater that may contain traces of these foods.Polish

Polish your silver jewelry. When tarnish develops on silver, simple hand washing may not suffice to remove it. Specially formulated silver jewelry polishes are your safest option for polishing silver jewelry, especially if you are dealing with an antique or a piece that has intricate designs etched into it. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully.

Take a bit of polish.

Moisten a soft silver-polishing cloth or the sponge included with the silver polish and take a little bit of polish. Rub the silver jewelry gently. Rub the silver only in straight-line, back-and-forth motions (not in circles). Avoid scrubbing; rather, let the polish do the job.

Rinse under running water.

Rinse the silver jewelry under running water.

Dry. Dry the silver completely with a soft, clean cloth. Consider using common household products for less rare or less valuable pieces. They will usually work, but may cause damage. Try them at your own risk.

Toothpaste

Try toothpaste. Select a plain white toothpaste without the special whitening options. Take a soft, dampened cloth or a damp sponge and put some toothpaste on it. Gently rub over the silver jewelry in straight, back-and-forth motions. Alternatively, you can wet the silver piece and gently apply toothpaste directly to the surface which you can then wet again and proceed to polish. In any case, be very gentle, and if you notice scratching at any point, stop and rinse the toothpaste off. As the cloth or sponge becomes dark with tarnish, add more toothpaste to a clean part of the dampened cloth/sponge and continue gently polishing. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry with a soft towel.

 

Baking sod

Baking soda may remove stubborn tarnish, but don't use it unless you don't mind the risk of damaging the silver. Baking soda is generally considered too abrasive for use on silver jewelry. Make a paste of baking soda and warm water.

Gently polish following the directions for toothpaste above.

Bath

Give your silver a bath.

Commercial silver "dips" are available which can dissolve stains without rubbing the silver jewelry. Contrary to what the word "dip" implies, professionals rarely actually soak silver in these products, at least not for long. Dips are generally harsh, potentially dangerous chemicals, so follow the directions carefully and consult a professional when in doubt. You can, however, make a gentle homemade silver bath that gets rid of stains and tarnish by an electrochemical reaction. Be aware that both dipping and electrochemical baths can potentially damage your silver, and they will remove desirable patina, so they're not recommended for silver with an oxidized or French gray finish.

Salt

Heat up an appropriately sized container of water and dissolve a large amount of table salt into the water. Use enough salt such that it takes at least a minute to dissolve in the hot water with constant stirring. Washing Soda works as well. Shape a liner for the container from aluminum foil and place the foil in the container of hot water. Place silver that has been previously cleaned with soap into the bath for several minutes. Tarnish should dissolve away.For stubborn spots, remove and clean with soap and a damp rag before re-immersing in the bath.

Storage

Store your silver jewelry correctly. Beyond prompt and frequent cleaning, the best way to preserve your silver is to store it correctly. Make sure each piece is completely dry before storing it.

Wrap each piece of silverware in acid-free tissue paper or anti-tarnish paper. You can also wrap pieces in flannel.

Seal the wrapped silver pieces in an airtight plastic bag. Whether you put away your silver in a bag or you put it in a display case, a canister of silica gel placed nearby can help reduce humidity and ward off tarnish. Never store silver jewelry where it can contact rubber, stainless steel, or paint.