How to clean silver to shine?

The popularity of silver products is due to their low cost, attractiveness, unpretentiousness to care. Their only drawback is the tendency to darken. In our article, we will explain why silver tarnishes, what methods can restore the former shine and radiance to silver products at home, and how to properly clean silver jewelry with stones from dark plaque.

Many fans of silver believe that products made of this noble metal begin to darken only with regular contact with the skin. However, this opinion is erroneous. With a dark coating (otherwise it is called a patina), over time, even those products that are rarely used by a person in everyday life are covered, for example, very expensive silver jewelry or silverware.

The main reason for the darkening of silver lies in its ability to enter into chemical interaction with particles of hydrogen sulfide contained in the air. The result of this interaction is the formation of a thin layer of silver salts (sulfides), due to which the surface of the product begins to lose its luster and fade.

In a particular environment, silverware can darken much faster. This process is facilitated by factors such as:

• high humidity in the room where the products are stored;
• high content of sulfur (hydrogen sulfide) in the room air;
• regular contact of products with skin, chemicals or cosmetic products.

You can restore the original mirror shine of silver products at home in several affordable and simple ways. Experienced housewives usually use proven improvised tools for cleaning without resorting to aggressive household chemicals.

When choosing a tool and method for purifying silver at home, one should take into account the features of products made of precious metal. Please note that products decorated with stones or enamel inserts require especially careful handling., therefore, their method of cleaning from dark plaque should be as gentle as possible.

The simplest, safest and most affordable tool that can be used to clean silver products at home is ordinary baking soda. In its pure form, it is rarely used to clean a noble metal so as not to scratch the surface of the products with small crystals.

Experienced housewives usually use food foil as an aid. (even a small piece of foil from a chocolate bar will do). Having prepared all the necessary tools and contaminated silver, 1-2 tablespoons of soda are bred in 2 glasses of water. The resulting soda solution is sent to a fire, brought to a boil, and then the darkened products and a fragment of the foil are lowered into it. After 15 minutes, the products will return to their original shine and radiance, they can be removed from the solution and wiped dry.

The usual ammonia, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, will also allow you to clear the dark coating and give the mirror shine to silver. When planning to use this inexpensive chemical, you should not forget about safety precautions. Work with ammonia only in rubber gloves and a protective mask.

To prepare a cleaning solution, 1 tablespoon ammonia is diluted in half a glass of water. Contaminated silver is lowered into the resulting solution for 45-50 minutes. Products with very strong impurities can be kept in solution for an hour or more.

After that silver is removed from the solution and thoroughly wiped with clean tissue or microfiber cloths. It is not recommended to clean off the residual dirt with a rough brush so as not to scratch the surface of the noble metal.

The most inexpensive toothpaste is another effective tool used to clean silver from black plaque. For the procedure use only regular toothpaste that does not have the effect of whitening or filling.

A small amount of the paste is applied to a clean gauze or cotton scarf.and then rub the surface of the contaminated product with a cloth. Under the influence of soda and other cleaning components that make up the toothpaste, the black coating and dirt soften, after which their residues can be removed with a clean piece of cloth. At the end of the work, the products are rinsed in warm water and wiped dry.

Often, toothpowder is also used to clean blackened silverware. To clean the noble metal of patina in this way, the powder should be mixed with a small amount of warm water, apply the mixture to a cloth and grate it with contaminated products. After that, the purified silver must be washed in clean water and dried.

So that after cleaning at home, old silver shone like new, you can use the cheapest pharmacy antiseptic - hydrogen peroxide. Only 3% hydrogen peroxide is used to clean silver products.

Before the procedure, it is recommended to immerse dirty and blackened silver for 20 minutes in a warm soapy solution (a mixture of water with shampoo or dishwashing detergent).This will soften the dirt and fat deposits on the surface of the noble metal.

After that 3-4 liters of hydrogen peroxide are dissolved in a liter of pure water, the contaminated silver is lowered into the resulting solution for 1.5-2.5 hours. Then the products are removed from the solution, washed in running water and wiped dry with a cotton cloth.

Even very dense black deposits can be removed from the surface of silver using a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. To prepare a cleaning solution, it is necessary to dilute 2 tablespoons of each product in 1 liter of water.

A lot of labor and time requires careful cleaning of silver products with a raised surface. Even after a long painstaking cleaning, they often leave traces of a dark coating accumulated in the bends of the relief.

Such products can be cleaned in a simple and reliable way, involving the use of a mixture of peroxide and baking soda. These funds must be mixed to obtain a homogeneous mushy mass.

The resulting mass should be applied to the fabric and thoroughly wipe the contaminated product with it, paying particular attention to the relief areas. The mixture is not washed off the product for 15-20 minutes. After that, the silver is washed in running water and wiped dry.

A wide range of methods and tools is used to clean silver jewelry adorned with precious or ornamental stones. When planning to use this or that cleaning technology, you should focus on the features of the stone that adorn the silver product.

So, silver encrusted with real coral is allowed to be cleaned only in a dry way. Use water and any liquids in this case is impossible. Grime can be cleaned carefully with a cotton cloth or microfiber.

Silver jewelry with pearls can be cleaned with potato starch. It is mixed with water in equal proportions, after which the decoration is rubbed with the mixture and left for 10-15 minutes. Then the product is thoroughly washed in running water and wiped dry.

Jewelry made of silver inlaid with stones of unknown origin, experts recommend cleaning with glycerin or olive oil. To do this, a cotton swab is moistened in oil or glycerin and, gently pressing, wipe it with contaminated areas on the product.

Silver, decorated with amber, can be cleaned with a soap solution. To prepare such a solution, you can use shampoo, dishwashing liquid, shavings of household or baby soap. Cleaning is carried out with a soft cloth dipped in soapy water.

Jewelers recommend using delicate tools such as cotton buds, children's toothbrushes to clean silver jewelry with stones. During operation, you must not rub the product with force or exert pressure on the paws or rags holding the stone.

In most cases, you can clean the darkened silver product with a stone with a cotton swab dipped in an aqueous solution of ammonia (0.5 cup of water and 1 tbsp.spoon of ammonia). Cleaning the product is carried out very carefully, making sure that drops of the solution do not fall on the surface of the stone.

Well-established with regard to cleaning silver jewelry and special products. Among them, one can distinguish such as Flurin, Aladdin, Silver Sparkle, Talisman, Silver Clean.

See how to quickly clean silver from darkening.