Are you tired of buying new silver jewelry after every few months? Are you sad that your favorite silver necklace is now damaged and discolored and you are unable to find it in the market again? Don’t worry, we are here to share some easy and simple ways to prevent your silver jewelry from tarnishing. But your jewelry is already tarnished? Don’t be upset, you’re in a good place to learn about inexpensive and effective ways to clean your silver jewelry at home and maintain its luster and shine.

Silver jewelry, when left in the open air, tends to tarnish over time, this is due to the chemical reactions of sulfur present in the air and silver. If silver is mixed with copper, it reacts with oxygen as well. It is best to take preventive measures to keep your jewelry from tarnishing but if it has been a little damaged you can still save it by cleaning it at home using easily available household items. Let’s dive into the tips to clean silver jewelry at home.

Household items to clean silver jewelry at home

You can easily remove tarnish and make your jewelry shine like before by using simple items present in your kitchen cupboard.

1. Baking soda

Wondering how to clean your silver earrings at home? Try using baking soda.

Time: 10 minutes

Instructions:

      A) Aluminum foil method

1. Boil water. Pour it into a small dish.
2. Line your dish with aluminum foil
3. Add baking soda to the dish to make a solution in the ratio of 1 tablespoon baking soda to 1 cup water (the solution will bubble).
4. Now, put your tarnished silver earrings or any other jewelry item in the solution for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Take out the jewelry and rinse it with cool water and dry it out with a soft cloth.

Your jewelry is ready to be worn again.

      B) baking soda paste method

1. Take a small dish and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of water.
2. Mix them together to make a thick paste.
3. Use your fingers or any brush to spread the paste over your damaged jewelry item.
4. Rinse it with cold water and dry it with a soft cloth and enjoy your clean jewelry.

2.  Salt + Lemon

Go to the kitchen and find these two items to rescue your tarnished silver jewelry at home.

Time: 15 minutes

Instructions:

1. Take a small dish and put 3 tablespoons of salt and hot water in it
2. Add a medium-sized lemon to it
3. After mixing all the ingredients, place your silver chain in it for about 5 to 10 minutes
4. Take it out and remove the tarnish by thoroughly cleaning it with a cleaning cloth.

3. Ketchup

You can also use ketchup to fix your tarnished silver.

Time: 15 minutes

Instructions

1. Spread a generous amount of ketchup over your jewelry and rub it with a soft cloth or paper towel or use a toothbrush for more stubborn tarnish.
2. Ketchup helps loosen up the tarnish and make the jewelry shiny.

4. Detergent or soap

To clean badly tarnished silver cutlery or jewelry, detergent is a very good option.

Time: 30 minutes

Instructions:

1. Take a dish according to the size and quantity of your silver jewelry.
2. Pour hot water into it and add 1 cup of detergent or liquid soap. Leave it submerged for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes the dirt and grime build-up will loosen up. Take a toothbrush and scrub it gently.
4. Rinse it with cool water and let it air dry or wipe it off with a dry towel.
5. It will leave the jewelry clean and bright.

5. Toothpaste

Do you want to quickly clean your silver ring before going out to a party? Just head towards your washroom and your problem is solved.

Time: 5 minutes

Instructions:

1. Apply toothpaste to the silver ring and thoroughly scrub it with a toothbrush for 5 minutes.
2. Rinse it with tap water.
3. Next, wipe it dry with a clean cloth.
4. Now you’re good to go.

6. Vinegar

If your silver bracelet or necklace needs cleaning and you want a DIY solution, follow the instructions below.

Time: 3 hours

Instructions:

1. Take half a cup of vinegar, 2 and a half tablespoons of baking soda, and ¼ cup of hot water in a glass.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Now immerse your tarnished silver for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Remove it and rub it with a cloth.
5. Then rinse it with cold water and dry it with a clean cloth.

7. Hand Sanitizer

Another household product to clean silver is hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizers have alcohol in them which is great for removing dirt and gunk off the silver products.

1. Cover your jewelry item with a generous amount of sanitizer.

 2. Now rub it with a cloth. It will polish the dullness away from your jewelry.

8. Window Cleaning spray

Although not recommended for every kind of silver jewelry, window cleaners work pretty well for cleaning sterling silver jewelry items.

1. Spray your sterling silver with window cleaner and rub it with a clean cloth to remove the dirt and grime build-up.
2. Repeat the process until the required clean shine is achieved.

9. Ammonia + Water

Time: 3 hours

Instructions:

If your jewelry has a gunk buildup of years and has very strong stains, you can make use of ammonia. But make sure that the jewelry is sterling silver and not pure silver.

1. Take ammonia and lukewarm water in the same ratio in a vessel. Soak your jewelry for about 15 minutes. 
2. Scrub it lightly with a toothbrush or cloth.
3. Rinse it with tap water and wipe the water with a clean dry cloth.

10. Cornflour + Water

Cornflour is a great ingredient to restore the shine of your jewelry.

1. Make a thick paste of water and cornflour as much as required.
2. Apply it generously to your jewelry and let it dry.
3. Rub it off of your jewelry using a clean damp cloth.
4. Now take a dry cloth and buff your jewelry turning it from dull to shiny.

11. Professional cleaning

If you want to clean your silver jewelry at home and get the best cleaning results and avoid any possible damage by using home remedies. You can opt for a professional cleaner as well.

How to prevent your jewelry from tarnishing

To keep your silver jewelry from corrosion and to extend its life span keep in mind that apart from the air (that is responsible for the actual reaction) there are other factors that contribute to the acceleration of the tarnishing process. For example pH and temperature.

Moreover, apart from oxygen and sulfur, Chlorine, Amino acids, Alcohols, and Salts also react with silver. Thus, to keep your jewelry as good as new for a longer period of time make sure to avoid its contact with products that contain the above-mentioned elements.

Products that damage silver jewelry

• Skin products
• Perfumes
• Deodorants
• Makeup
• Moisturizers
• Sweat and body oils
• Tap water
• Water in swimming pools
• Wool clothing
• Food
• Hair products
• Hair sprays
• Hair creams
• Hair gel

Tips to prevent your jewelry from tarnishing

Here are some very useful tips to prevent your jewelry from tarnishing.

1.  Make sure to wear jewelry after you wear perfume.
2. Remove your jewelry before swimming to avoid chlorine contact and preferably before bathing as well.

3. Try to take off your silver jewelry before exercising to prevent contact with salts and amino acids present in sweat.
4. It is also recommended to keep away from foods like salad dressings, mayonnaise, and eggs when wearing silver jewelry.
5. Cleaning silver with a polish cloth or in a jewelry cleaning machine regularly will also delay the tarnishing process.
6. It is seen that silver jewelry that is worn often has longer life as compared to unused jewelry. So make sure to use your jewelry regularly.

Storage

By and large, to delay the process of tarnishing, make sure to keep your silver jewelry from exposure to moisture and air. Here are some key points to follow while storing silver.

• Storage should be in a cool and dry area.
• Storing your jewelry items in tightly sealed bags will keep them as fresh as new.
• Tiny bags of silica gel can also be added to these air-tight bags for moisture absorption.
• A flannel-coated container is also ideal for silver jewelry items.
• Some chalks can also be placed with your jewelry items to absorb moisture.
• Another remedy used is the application of hair conditioner over silver jewelry to slow down the tarnishing.

These DIY hacks will help you clean silver jewelry easily at home. If your jewelry is expensive and you want to get the best cleaning results and avoid any possible damage by using home remedies, you may opt for a professional cleaner as well. For more cleaning tricks and tips, please explore our blog further. To find out more about our cleaning services from global clean, contact us through a call or text message via Facebook or our website https://global-clean.co.uk/.