Nothing is worse than noticing one day that your favorite piece of silver jewelry is tarnished and black. You may be tempted to throw it in the trash, but there are simple cleaning solutions for silver chains and other pieces. You have to first come to terms with the fact that silver tarnishes, you can't stop it and it doesn't matter if it is pure silver or mixed. It oxidizes because of a chemical reaction, called silver sulfate, and that is why it has tarnish and black marks on it. You could try to wear your silver all the time, but that limits your fashion style too.
A soft polishing cloth is usually the first thing that people try. These are specially made for silver and some brands have silver polishing agents and tarnish inhibitors in them. This removes the tarnish and the dull areas from the silver with gentle buffing.
When the cloth isn't sufficient some will turn to a commercial silver cleaning polish. This is usually a liquid that you dip the silver in, let it set for the recommended amount of time, rinse, dry, and buff afterwards. These are powerful solvents so you want to be careful with which one you choose, some available now are non-toxic.
Home cleaning remedies have been around for centuries so it is no wonder that people turn to everyday household products to clean their silver. The toothpaste method is well known for cleaning silver, although jewelers are not found of it because they are afraid the cleaning may scratch the silver. Basically, you take white toothpaste, not the gel type because that won't work, and rub it into the chain. Then you take a soft bristled toothbrush and gently clean the chain. When you are satisfied with the work you just rinse with lukewarm water and dry. You can pull out that soft cloth and buff it up afterwards.
Another popular home technique is to use baking soda and aluminum foil. Using a shallow pie pan or something similar, line the pan with aluminum and pour boiling hot water till it is about halfway full. Then add two tablespoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of salt and stir. Once it is dissolved completely, lay the chain in the pain, making sure it is in contact with the foil and lying flat.
The salt, baking soda, and aluminum will react and this acts as a magnet to remove the tarnish. Let it soak for about five to ten minutes and then gently clean the stubborn black spots with a soft cloth or if you choose a soft bristled toothbrush. You can then rinse, dry, and buff or place it in a bowl of clean water with soap for a few minutes before rinsing.
Nothing you do can stop the tarnish from eventually appearing, unless you wear it constantly, but that can be hard. Keeping your hands clean when handling it does help prolong tarnish from appearing. Next time you notice a favorite necklace is badly tarnished, don't throw it away, try one of these four methods above to clean your silver chain to make them look new again.
A soft polishing cloth is usually the first thing that people try. These are specially made for silver and some brands have silver polishing agents and tarnish inhibitors in them. This removes the tarnish and the dull areas from the silver with gentle buffing.
When the cloth isn't sufficient some will turn to a commercial silver cleaning polish. This is usually a liquid that you dip the silver in, let it set for the recommended amount of time, rinse, dry, and buff afterwards. These are powerful solvents so you want to be careful with which one you choose, some available now are non-toxic.
Home cleaning remedies have been around for centuries so it is no wonder that people turn to everyday household products to clean their silver. The toothpaste method is well known for cleaning silver, although jewelers are not found of it because they are afraid the cleaning may scratch the silver. Basically, you take white toothpaste, not the gel type because that won't work, and rub it into the chain. Then you take a soft bristled toothbrush and gently clean the chain. When you are satisfied with the work you just rinse with lukewarm water and dry. You can pull out that soft cloth and buff it up afterwards.
Another popular home technique is to use baking soda and aluminum foil. Using a shallow pie pan or something similar, line the pan with aluminum and pour boiling hot water till it is about halfway full. Then add two tablespoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of salt and stir. Once it is dissolved completely, lay the chain in the pain, making sure it is in contact with the foil and lying flat.
The salt, baking soda, and aluminum will react and this acts as a magnet to remove the tarnish. Let it soak for about five to ten minutes and then gently clean the stubborn black spots with a soft cloth or if you choose a soft bristled toothbrush. You can then rinse, dry, and buff or place it in a bowl of clean water with soap for a few minutes before rinsing.
Nothing you do can stop the tarnish from eventually appearing, unless you wear it constantly, but that can be hard. Keeping your hands clean when handling it does help prolong tarnish from appearing. Next time you notice a favorite necklace is badly tarnished, don't throw it away, try one of these four methods above to clean your silver chain to make them look new again.
About the Author:
Author is expert in silver jewelry, working nearly two decades in silver jewelry business. The production company (Silver.Ag), he works for, physically stock about 114.000 pcs of jewlery to be able to dispatch customers orders within 24 hours. The company has over 500.000 customers worldwide.
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