Cleaning of silver jewelry at home: features, effective methods and methods

Silver has been known since ancient times and was of great value until it was learned to melt artificially. Up to this point, gold has been valued much less, there are very few silver deposits, even if compared to gold mines. From Sanskrit silver is translated as light, and in Ancient Russia the name of silver is borrowed from the ancient Indian word "sarpa" - the Moon and the Serp.

Like other precious metals, silver is marked by breakdown. A number, for example, 925 means that exactly as much pure metal is in the product per 1000 parts of the alloy. Previously, zinc and copper have traditionally been used for the alloy, but today, most self-respecting manufacturers have abandoned the use of zinc because of the evidence of its harmfulness and use other safe metals.

Regardless of whether qualitative silver or not, it will darken over time, as any metal is oxidized. Although many superstitious people believe that this is spoiling, but there is only a chemical reaction with the objects that surround a person in everyday life. The following factors can trigger the oxidation of silver:

• Moist environment;
• Direct contact with cosmetics;
• Human sweat;
• Household gas and rubber;
• Yolk of eggs and onions.

Despite this, silver does not lose its popularity, and it can be easily polished. How to properly clean silver at home? This will be discussed in the article.

Ammonia

Effective cleaning of silver jewelry at home is done with ammonia. This tool is considered the most simple and affordable, which allows you to get rid of a dirty plaque on silver. You will need to buy a 10% solution. The cleaning procedure is recommended in a small glass container, where silver products are placed. After 20 minutes, the silver is thoroughly washed with warm running water and dried. This recipe is suitable for products that are not highly oxidized or can thus be prevented.

Noodle and toothpaste

In this case, to begin with, silver is cleaned with an old toothbrush with toothpaste. After that, the products are immersed in ammonia alcohol for 15 minutes. This recipe is suitable for silver with strong oxidation, but not for jewelry with stones.

Nitrate, hydrogen peroxide and baby liquid soap

All ingredients are mixed in equal parts and diluted with a glass of water. Silver is added to the mixture for a quarter of an hour. After the metal has dried, it must be polished with a wool cloth.

Dentifrice

Silver must be soaked, but only in warm water and immersed in a container with powder for cleaning teeth. It will be necessary to rub the products with a cloth made of wool or suede. At the end of cleaning, the silver is washed from the powder and dried.

Baking soda

For cleaning, you need to dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in half a liter of water, the mixture should be heated on fire. After the solution has begun to boil, a small fragment of food foil is thrown into it and silverware is put. After 15 minutes you can get silver and rinse with water.

Salt

Cleaning of silver jewelry at home can be done with salt. It will take 200 ml of water and one teaspoon of salt. Once it is well dispersed, it is possible to immerse silverware in the solution and leave it for a few hours, at least 4. If the silver is heavily soiled, it can be boiled in a solution for about 15 minutes, only not jewelry with stones.

Salt, soda and detergent

One liter of water will require a tablespoon of soda, salt and dish washing aids. Mix better in aluminum cookware. The container with the solution must be placed on a small fire, add decorations and boil for about 20 minutes. After that, pull out the silver, dry it and rub it with a piece of suede.

Potatoes

This recipe can be combined with cooking. After the potatoes are welded, the water from under it must be drained into a separate container, add a little foil and dip the jewelry from silver, boil for about 5-7 minutes. After this, the products are removed, dried and polished.

Vinegar

Cleaning of silver jewelry at home will be effective if you use 9% vinegar, which is heated, and decorations are immersed in it. After 10 minutes silver can be pulled out, dried and well wiped with suede.

Water after cooking eggs

After the eggs are cooked, water should not be poured out, but simply cooled. In the warm liquid put the jewelry for 15 or 20 minutes. After this time, silver jewelry is pulled out, washed very well and rubbed with a natural cloth.

Lemon acid

Effective cleaning of silver jewelry at home is not expensive or much effort. For example, use citric acid. To dilute the composition will need a sachet of the product, about 0.7 liters of water and a small piece of copper wire. The whole composition is put on a water bath. Decorations are put in the solution and cooked for 30 minutes. After the procedure, the decorations should be dried and polished.

Coca-Cola drink

How else is cleaning silver at home? The methods may seem strange, but they are effective. Many have heard about the cleaning and cleaning properties of Coca-Cola, and its use for silver is no exception. To clean jewelry, you need to pour the drink into a container, load the silver there and put it on a slow fire. After 7 minutes, the jewelry must be pulled out and dried.

The rules for cleaning silver jewelry with stones

Cleaning products with precious or semiprecious metals and not inlaid with silver has a great difference, especially if it is carried out at home. In this case, the density of the stone is very important. The higher it is, the easier it is to clean silver items.

How to clean silver jewelry at home, you already know. And what if they are with stones? If the product has an emerald, aquamarine or sapphire, they can be cleaned even with powder, use a toothbrush and even heat.

You can not clean the product, encrusted with turquoise, moonstone, opal or malachite, with detergent and other abrasive products. Despite the fact that these stones also have a high coefficient of density, still after aggressive cleaning, scratches can remain on them.

In no case should you heat the stones such as ruby, garnet and topaz. After immersion in hot water they can even change color.

Not an exception are the silverware, which encrust glass or enameled stones. Such decorations can also be cleaned, but only in a "soft" way. For example, a cotton swab is placed in a tooth powder and gently scraped off dirt. Pre-wool can be immersed in ammonia. Under no circumstances should you use abrasive agents and high temperatures. Such stones do not tolerate mechanical damage.

Cleaning of silver with stones of soft and porous structure

What other methods are known? How to clean silver jewelry with stones of soft and porous structure? These stones include mother of pearl, pearl, ivory and amber. Under no circumstances should you use ammonia-based cleaners, acidic, alkaline and abrasive substances.

Amber and pearls can be soaked in warm, but not hot water and wipe with a soft cloth. In the water you can add a little laundry soap. If there are corals in a silver product, then it is better to clean it without touching the stone itself, since it is too sensitive to any impact.

How to achieve brilliance of silver

In addition to the fact that you want to see your silver in a perfectly clean condition, it is desirable that it also shone.

How to clean silver at home before shine? To polish and get highlights on the products use paste GOI. In principle, all of the above methods of cleaning products can achieve brilliance. But sometimes, even if all the dirt leaves, silver seems faded. In fact, such a coating is a very thin layer of corrosion. Therefore, to obtain gloss, it is best to use special polishes. They safely remove the coating from the surface of the metal and give them an attractive look, which was when buying.

For polishing, it is better to use a sponge made from cellulose, since it will not scratch silver. With some polishes they are included. The sponge is wetted by the means and reciprocating movements, that is, up and down, but not in a circle, the product is cleaned. After polishing, the product is washed with running water and wiped dry with a clean and soft cloth.

Preventive actions

Try to always wipe the silverware after bathing in a river, bath or pool. And it's best to remove them before you are in a humid environment.

If you use rubber gloves for washing dishes, then better remove the rings. Remember that silver does not tolerate contact with rubber.