How to clean silver at home without damaging it: Effective and safe methods
How to clean silver at home without damaging it is a fairly common question, and very easy to answer.
We all have a piece of silver at home that has lost its shine over time or that has blackened due to their contact with sea or pool water, for example. Don’t worry, because as experts in precious metals, we tell you how to clean silver at home, without complications and with materials that you surely have on hand.
To restore silver to its original shine, it is not necessary to resort to chemical products that are difficult to find on the market, since we have the necessary ingredients at home. It is advisable to wear gloves when handling these products to protect the skin and avoid leaving traces on the pieces we are going to clean.
Silver can turn black or spoil, as it is susceptible to certain processes that can affect its condition over time.
It can be due to weather factors such as humidity or air pollution, or exposure to certain chemicals such as perfumes or any type of chemical that we use, such as cleaning products.
Another very common reason is the skin itself, which naturally has a different pH than other people, or substances such as sweat that cause it to darken over time.
It also depends on the type of silver or purity that the piece contains. To give you an idea, sterling silver, which is an alloy of silver with other metals, such as copper, is more prone to darkening than fine silver. This is because the added metals react more easily with the elements in the environment.
So it’s totally normal for silver jewelry to turn black, you just need to clean it to make it as good as new again. Read on to find out how to clean silver by the hand of experts.
The best methods to clean silver at home
At 4Dreams we are experts and have more than 25 years of experience in the world of precious metals, handling all types of gold and silver pieces.
So, we know perfectly well their processes and states, and therefore, we want to share the best tricks on how to clean silver at home in an easy way. If you are looking for how to clean silver, this is your place.
How to clean silver with baking soda and vinegar
How to clean silver with baking soda is a fairly frequent question among silver lovers. Baking soda and cleaning vinegar have all kinds of uses, especially for household cleaning, and your silver jewelry is no exception. It is a mixture that will become your great ally to clean your silver.
What do you need? Baking soda, cleaning vinegar and a container to be able to clean.
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and little by little, add vinegar. By mixing these ingredients, a paste is formed that you must apply on the piece with the help of a dry cloth, rubbing all the parts well. Finally, you have to leave it on for a few minutes, and remove the paste with the clean cloth.
Clean silver aluminum foil
Aluminum foil is the key component in several methods of cleaning silver. Using aluminum foil to clean silver is a simple and highly effective homemade method that takes advantage of a chemical reaction to restore the original shine.
What do you need? Aluminum foil, a glass container, or a pot, hot water, and washing powder.
Start by lining the inside of the glass container with aluminum foil and pour in the hot water along with two or three tablespoons of washing powder. Next, you should submerge the silver pieces, and let them soak for about 10 minutes. A foam will be generated that will clean the silver almost effortlessly. Finally, dry the jewelry with a dry clean cloth.
Cleaning silver with toothpaste
Toothpaste is a home remedy that has always been used to clean our silver and recover its original shine. It’s amazing how easy it is.
What do you need? Toothpaste and toothbrush (not used for any other purpose)
You should apply the toothpaste little by little with the brush all over the piece you want to clean. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse the object with warm water.
From 4Dreams, we recommend applying toothpaste to a part of the piece first to check the reaction it causes and the final result.
Clean silver jewellery with neutral soap
Cleaning silver jewellery with soap is surely the simplest and most practical thing for you. You just have to mix 1 part neutral soap to 3 parts hot water.
Introduce the elements to be cleaned, and with the help of a toothbrush, thoroughly scrub the entire surface. It is necessary to let it soak for 15 minutes, rinse it, and finally dry it with a cloth.
Other Home Remedies to Clean Up Silver
Cleaning silver with lemon and salt
Who doesn’t have a little salt and lemon in their kitchen? The combination of these two ingredients turns out to have an amazing cleansing power.
Squeeze one lemon and mix the juice with two tablespoons of salt. Once they are well combined, add hot water. Dip the silver pieces you want to clean into the mixture and after 5 minutes, remove them. Wipe away any dirt with a cloth and make sure to dry them completely.
Salt and aluminum foil
Cleaning silver at home with salt is a remedy of our grandmothers that had to be in this article. Hot water should be added in a bowl deep enough. Then, 2 or 3 tablespoons of salt must be added and stirred. The pieces of silver to be cleaned are introduced, and shortly afterwards strips of aluminum foil are applied around it, which act like a magnet.
The preparation is left to rest for 10 minutes, and finally it is dried with a cloth.
These are the best tricks without a doubt on how to clean silver at home. By following these cleaning tricks, your silver pieces will be impeccable despite the passage of time. What are you waiting for to try them!
DO YOU HAVE SILVER JEWELRY THAT YOU DON’T WEAR?
A good option can also be to get rid of forgotten jewellery and sell it as normal to give yourself the treat you deserve or cover that expense you didn’t expect.