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Jewellery Care Silver Jewelry

Easy Ways to Clean Silver Jewellery at Home

Silver jewellery, cutlery and accessories tend to lose their shine over time and may even turn black in certain cases. As a result of a chemical reaction with sulphur present in the air, the metal gets tarnished. Most accessories and jewellery are plated with a thin layer of rhodium which helps protect the metal, making it shinier and brighter. But this thin layer too often wears off and results in the items turning black.

Other things can affect silver as well. Hairspray, cosmetics, hand creams, oils from skin and perfumes can also cause the metal to tarnish. Luckily, there are a few inexpensive and simple steps which can be taken to remove the tarnish, and polish and clean the silver.

  • Laundry detergent and aluminium foil

This cleaning tip is only suitable for silver jewellery and silverware which is only slightly tarnished. The first thing to do is line a bowl using aluminium foil and fill it with hot water. Next, you should add a tablespoon of laundry detergent in the bowl and mix it well. Place the silver items in the bowl and let them sit for a minute. Using kitchen tongs, take the items out and rinse them with lukewarm water. Lay it down on a paper towel and let it air dry completely before using it.

  • Hand sanitizer

If you need to polish your silver items on the go, hand sanitizer can provide a quick solution. On a soft paper handkerchief, squeeze a tiny amount of the hand sanitizer and rub your silverware or jewellery very gently using circular hand motions. The slight tarnish and mat will get cleaned off, making your silverware and jewellery look shiny again. However, keep in mind not to try this technique on jewellery which has encrusted stones on them as some ingredients present in the sanitizer may damage the stone.

  • Baking soda and distilled white vinegar

This cleaning trick is not suitable for antique silver jewellery, cutlery or accessories. However, it’s still a great way to restore the shine and lustre of your silver items. Place the items in a bowl and pour the distilled white vinegar over them. Next, add baking soda, keeping the approximate proportion of the baking soda to 4 tablespoons for every cup of the white vinegar. Let the silver rest in the mixture for at least an hour and then rinse with clean water and dry it using a soft cotton cloth.

  • Lemon-lime soda

This method works great with slightly tarnished silver items. Place your tarnished and mat silver in a plastic bowl, fill it with lemon-lime soda and let it soak for around an hour. Once it has soaked, take it out and thoroughly rinse with cold water. Next, use a soft cloth or a paper towel to pat it dry.

These cleaning hacks can be experimented with to clean your dull and tarnished silver jewellery, cutlery and accessories. Try them out for yourself and see the difference!

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