How to clean silver items. Cleaning cupronickel at home: folk methods.

26.03.2018 Style and fashion

You will need

  • - special means for cleaning silver;
  • - liquid soap;
  • - chalk;
  • - salt;
  • - medical alcohol;
  • - ammonia;
  • - baking soda;
  • - vinegar;
  • - toothpaste.

Instructions

Silver earrings with stones can be cleaned with special products that can be purchased at a jewelry store. Before use, consult the seller or read the instructions.

Mix some liquid soap or dishwashing detergent in warm water. Immerse the earrings and leave them for a while. Use an old toothbrush to thoroughly clean the jewelry. Then rinse under running water and polish.

Grind the chalk into powder and add water to form a soft paste. Using a gauze swab or cotton swab, apply the composition to the jewelry and clean. Then rinse with cool water and wipe dry.

Soak a cotton swab or brush in rubbing alcohol and clean the earrings. If the product is heavily soiled, soak it in solvent for several hours. Then polish with a flannel or suede cloth. This way you can effectively clean your silver earrings without damaging them. gems.

Pour warm water into a glass, add a few drops of ammonia and a teaspoon of baking soda. Immerse your silver earrings in the resulting solution and leave for 15-20 minutes. Then brush with an old toothbrush and rinse with cool water. Wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Silver does not tolerate contact with oxygen well - this causes it to darken. To clean it, you can contact jewelry workshops. Or use traditional cleaning methods that you can use at home.

You will need

  • - liquid for cleaning jewelry;
  • - ammonia;
  • - tobacco ash;
  • - lemon juice;
  • - lemon acid;
  • - baking soda;
  • - potato broth;
  • - toothpaste.

Instructions

You can clean silver using ammonia. To do this, just dip a silver spoon in an alcohol solution for one hour (the ratio of water and alcohol is 1:10). If you don’t have time to wait, take a napkin and soak it in the solution and wipe the product thoroughly until the stains are removed. You cannot clean blackened silver with ammonia.

Place the silverware in a bowl of water and add tobacco ash, boil it, and then wipe the cutlery dry. You can mix the ashes with lemon juice and wipe down the darkened appliances.

Citric acid also cleans silver objects very well. Place a spoon in its solution for a few minutes, and it will delight you with its shine again.

Using regular baking soda can clean silver items that do not have many patterns. Take a damp cloth and, using baking soda, wipe the items until the stains disappear. You can also use a soda solution. Approximately 30 g of soda and pour 100 g of water. Place silver items in the solution for several hours. For a better effect, you can bring the solution with silver objects to a boil.

Potato broth will help restore the shine of silverware. Place it in silver spoons for 10 minutes and they will be as good as new.

Silver spoons can be cleaned well with toothpaste. Apply the paste to a soft cloth and wipe the items.

note

The mechanical type of silver cleaning can only be used when the product has a purity of 625 or higher, otherwise it may deteriorate the appearance of the silver devices.

Helpful advice

Proper storage of silver items will ensure beautiful view your silver for a long time. Therefore, after the holiday, wash the silverware thoroughly and then dry it thoroughly with a towel.

Sources:

  • how to use a spoon

Pearl is a popular mineral that is endowed with certain medicinal properties. This is why many fashionistas choose jewelry made from this mineral - it’s so nice to feel not only beautiful, but also protected from negativity and disease.



In China, pearls are called the elixir of longevity, youth, and women's unfading beauty. This stone is suitable for ladies of any age. Silver enhances its beauty by showing off its brilliance and shape.

Silver earrings with pearls will perfectly complement a wedding outfit, emphasizing the grace of the bride. In addition, it is appropriate to decorate the bride’s bouquet with pearls.

Earrings made of silver with black pearls will appeal to middle-aged women: they emphasize status and fill age with notes of style. Dark pearls look good with evening wear - intricate hairstyles and long dresses.

It’s very easy to pair these earrings with a necklace, ring, bracelet, pendant - no need to change the style, choose items with the same pearls.

Who should wear silver earrings with pearls?

This stone is born from water, so it will suit a summer look - beach style, seaside. The pearlescent luster of the mineral is elegant; it will fit into everyday and evening look. Such earrings look good on both brunettes and blondes, if their color type is Summer or Winter.

Such earrings are often given as gifts, because the jewelry is not too expensive, unless, of course, it is an exclusive product made to order by the world's best jewelers. Earrings with artificial pearls are a budget option that is not inferior in its beauty to natural pearls.

Silver earrings with pearls are luxurious, bright and fashionable. Be sure to buy them for your jewelry box, then your outfits will sparkle in a new way!

Video on the topic

Lovers of silver jewelry know that they need to be cleaned periodically. There are some ways you can clean silver from dark deposits at home. These methods do not require any expense or special effort, but they are very effective.



Instructions

Silver items can be cleaned with ammonia. This method is very simple. You just need to pour ammonia into any container and place the silver item in it. After 10-15 minutes, the silver can be removed from the alcohol and wiped with a flannel cloth. The only disadvantage of this method is the disgusting smell of ammonia.

You can also clean silver items using ordinary baking soda. You need to add some water to the soda to make the soda slurry. Then we apply the soda slurry to a toothbrush and begin to wipe the silver with it. Wipe until the plaque is completely removed. Products containing precious stones should not be cleaned this way. They can be scratched.

And this method is perhaps the most effective. You need to fill a half liter container hot water. It should not be “live” boiling water. Then you need to pour 1 tablespoon of baking soda into hot water and put a small piece of food foil. After that, we put our silver product in the container. After 5 minutes it should be removed and wiped. After this procedure, your silver item will be like new again.

note

It is best not to clean earrings or other silver items with toothpaste. Of course, this method is very popular, but you should be aware that toothpaste can corrode silver.

Tip 5: How to effectively clean silver at home

Many people use silver interior items, as well as cutlery and jewelry made from this metal. But, unfortunately, products made from it have the unpleasant property of darkening. Is it possible to remove blackness from silver at home and return it to its original appearance? By purchasing a special product in a jewelry store or preparing it from available ingredients, you can solve this problem.



Do not use abrasives that can scratch or otherwise harm soft metal. The best cleaning of silver should be done using gentle methods.


Before the cleaning procedure, you need to thoroughly rinse the item in soapy warm water using a soft toothbrush. Then the product should be rinsed and dried.




To prevent the product from tarnishing again after cleaning, it should not be used for the first few days. Thanks to this, a protective layer is formed on the surface. To polish the product, it is recommended to use a soft eraser.

Common methods for cleaning silver

To add shine to a product, silver is mainly cleaned with ammonia, adding it to various substances. For example, mixing ammonia with tooth powder until a homogeneous paste is obtained, you get a wonderful remedy that is applied with a cotton pad to a silver object. After drying, the item that has been cleaned should be wiped dry with a soft cloth.


The second method is to prepare an aqueous solution where water is combined with ammonia in a ratio of 1:10. The contaminated product must be immersed in this solution (from 15 to 60 minutes). In case of severe contamination, undiluted ammonia is allowed (holding time 10-15 minutes).


For the next method, you need to take a glass of water to which 1 tsp is added. ammonia, a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide and baby soap. The product is immersed in the solution for a quarter of an hour.


Potato broth or raw potatoes grated work well for cleaning silver. Cleaning using citric acid. Place a piece of copper and a silver object in a container with acid dissolved in water, and then place it in a water bath.

To ensure that silver jewelry retains its “lunar shine” for as long as possible and does not turn black, it is advisable to keep them in closed boxes away from rooms with high humidity. But don’t despair if you suddenly discover a dark coating on the silver. In this case, cleaning your silver jewelry will help you. which will return the jewelry to its unique shine.

How to clean silver jewelry, how to clean silver chains, how to clean silver earrings, and how to clean silver rings with and without inserts? Since there is no big difference in what kind of solid silver product you clean, then I will continue to focus only on silver jewelry with stones.

How to return the lunar shine to silver?

The first thing you need to know is that you can buy silver jewelry cleaners in jewelry stores. Having purchased such a product, you simply immerse the contaminated jewelry in the solution and after a couple of minutes, remove the clean ones.

But if you cannot use this method, then there are other methods that have been proven over the years.

Ammonia.

If your silver is 625 sterling silver, then use ammonia and soap for cleaning. Prepare a liter of warm soapy water with laundry soap, add 1 tbsp. l. ammonia. Soak the silver jewelry in the water for a while until the surface is clean. If the silver standard is low, then citric acid or lemon juice diluted with water will be enough to clean it. Place the silver in the solution and turn it over periodically. Then take it out and wipe it clean.

Ammonia and chalk.

A mixture of chalk and ammonia will restore the radiance and shine of silver - apply the mixture to the silver jewelry for a while, then rinse with water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Soap solution, ammonia, tooth powder and chalk.

Dark deposits on jewelry can be cleaned with a mixture of chalk and ammonia, after washing with soapy water. After cleaning, the product is rinsed hot water and dry with a towel.

You can do it differently - prepare a concentrated solution of 1 liter of water with laundry soap and 1 tbsp. l. ammonia. Then soak the jewelry in it for 15 minutes and then wash it.

Soda.

Although, perhaps the most common method of cleaning silver is soda. Add 50 g of soda to 1 liter of hot water. Leave the silver in the water until the jewelry begins to shine.

Soda and foil.

Add 1 tbsp to a liter of boiling water. l. soda and put regular food foil in a container. Dip your silver jewelry into water for a few seconds and it will sparkle again!

Raw potatoes.

Our grandmothers invented how to clean silver jewelry! Just soak your silver jewelry in water with raw chopped potatoes for a few hours and that's it!

You will get the same effect, but faster, if you dip the products in a hot starch solution (1 tbsp per 1 glass of water). After just 15 minutes, all you have to do is rinse the jewelry and polish it with a soft cloth.

Zinc.

Place a piece of zinc in a glass container, then immerse silver jewelry in it and pour a hot solution of water and soda on top (1 tablespoon of soda per 0.5 liter of water). Chains, rings, brooches, earrings or coins will become clean again!

How to clean silver items with stones?

Jewelry made of silver with synthetic or natural stones washed in 1/2 glass of water in which very little soap and 3 drops of ammonia are diluted, and then rinsed with hot clean water and wipe with a flannel cloth.

Chalk.

Clean your stone jewelry using chalk, water and a brush. The decoration will be cleaned, but the stone will not be damaged.

Rinse jewelry with pearls quickly in slightly soapy water, and then wipe the stone with dry potato starch.

Salt.

Tie 0.5 tbsp into a handkerchief. l. fine kitchen salt and silver jewelry with pearls and rinse in cool water until the salt dissolves.

Soap.

Wash silver items with ivory or amber in soapy water.

Alcohol.

Silver jewelry with malachite, turquoise, apatite, moonstone, opal or coral can be cleaned with cotton wool soaked in alcohol, and then polished with a cloth.

Dishwashing liquid.

Silver jewelry with ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, topaz, diamond and emerald can be kept for about 5 hours in 0.5 liters. water to which 1 dess. is added. l. dishwashing detergent (shampoo), and then rinse with cold boiled water and dry with a towel.

Alexander

Any silver turns black over time - be it jewelry or tableware. This is such a special feature of this noble metal. And therefore, the question of how to clean silver at home sooner or later arises before all fans of various silver “things”.

Nowadays silver jewelry is incredibly popular again - from earrings and brooches to wedding rings And pectoral crosses. And silver cutlery is still considered a sign of wealth, prosperity and good taste - it is not surprising that they are widely regarded as family heirlooms. The need to clean jewelry silver arises more often when compared to table silver. Silver jewelry that is constantly in contact with human skin quickly turns black. If you regularly wear silver ring, earrings or silver chain, you will have to clean them at least once every two to three months. Silverware at home does not darken at such a rapid rate - after all, it is exposed to influences environment to a lesser extent, and we don’t use silver spoons and forks very often.


For everyone who is going to clean silver

First, let's explain the main reasons for the darkening of silver. You yourself have probably noticed that black spots can appear on it at different speeds. For some, silver jewelry darkens quite quickly, for others it darkens slowly. The same silver jewelry “behaves” differently if, for example, it is worn alternately by mother and daughter.

There is a popular belief that the darkening of jewelry silver indicates health problems of the person wearing it. So, in particular, it is believed that a blackened silver chain or ring is a sign that there are serious problems with the stomach, intestines or liver. But doctors do not trust such “folk signs”.

The main reason for the darkening of silver jewelry is that in fact, all jewelry is not made from pure silver, but from its alloy with copper. Copper easily oxidizes and darkens even from a small amount of human sweat. In some people, sweating is not very intense, in others it is much more pronounced. In addition, over time, the chemical composition of sweat changes in each of us. This explains that identical silver jewelry belonging to different owners turns black at different rates.

The cosmetics you use can also spoil appearance silver It often contains sulfur, a substance that quickly reacts with silver and forms dark-colored compounds.

High humidity is another of the main reasons for the darkening of silver. If silver spoons or forks are stored in a damp place, they will again and again lose their attractive appearance. It will be possible to clean such silver ad infinitum, but until the microclimate changes, the problem of its darkening will not be solved once and for all.

All these nuances must be taken into account when caring for silver. The influence of negative factors must be minimized. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time trying to return your silver items to their original shine and shine, and they will darken again.

How to clean silver from blackness

At home, you can clean silver from blackness using simple and available funds, the price of which is pennies.

1. Tooth powder or toothpaste. Ordinary tooth powder has good abrasive properties, thanks to which it perfectly removes stains not only from tooth enamel, but also from various other surfaces, including silver. The decoration or silver cutlery just needs to be moistened with water and sprinkled with powder. Then wipe the contaminated areas with a fleecy cloth, or you can also use a brush with soft bristles. This method is even suitable for cleaning silver jewelry with stones. At the end of the process, silver items are rinsed with cool water and wiped dry with a cotton cloth.

Toothpaste is used according to the same algorithm. It can be applied to very darkened areas and left for a while (30-40 minutes), and then proceed directly to cleaning. It is important that the toothpaste is “classic” - white, without color additives. Transparent and colored gels will not help remove blackness from silver.

2. Baking soda. It is found in almost every home. Baking soda works great on grease-based stains because it has fat-dissolving properties. On the silver jewelry that we wear, a light grease deposit may appear upon contact with the body, and on silver tableware - during use. Soda is indispensable in cases where you need to clean a large woven silver chain or other jewelry with noticeable raised protrusions. A viscous slurry is prepared from soda by mixing it with a small amount of water (3-5 drops of water per 1 teaspoon of soda will be enough). This paste is applied to a gauze swab or cotton pad and the silver is wiped with it until it shines. The chain links can be gently cleaned with a toothbrush.

3. Table salt. It is necessary to make a reservation that salt is not used in its pure form, but in a mixture with soda and any dishwashing detergent. The grinding of salt does not play a special role - both fine and coarse will do. In order to clean silver at home according to this recipe, dilute 1 tablespoon of gel-like dishwashing detergent in a liter of water, add one tablespoon each of salt and soda, stir until completely dissolved. Silver objects are dipped into a soda-salt solution, the contents of the pan are heated over a fire and boiled for 20-30 minutes until the silver brightens. At the end of the process, do not forget to rinse it in clean water. This method can be used to clean a silver chain, ring, cross, earrings, bracelets, coins and spoons. But the recipe is not suitable for cleaning silver jewelry with stones or pearls.

How to clean silver with stones or pearls

It is usually recommended to clean silver with stones at home using ammonia. It is diluted with water to such a state that a weak concentration solution is obtained: 5 drops of ammonia per 200 ml of water. Soak a soft cloth (preferably cotton) with the prepared liquid and wipe the silver items with it. Even if this solution gets on the surface of the stones, nothing bad will happen to them. But pearls are very vulnerable to the effects of ammonia, so you cannot clean silver jewelry with pearls using ammonia.

If you need to tidy up a silver ring with pearls or any other jewelry made of this metal inlaid with pearls, contact folk remedies It’s better not to resort to them - they are all too aggressive for this purpose. It is better to spend money on buying a special liquid for cleaning silver - jewelry stores often sell Silver Quick preparations from the Johnson and Leuchtturm brands (German production), as well as special soft wipes. For delicate cleaning you can't think of anything better.

By the way, if we talk about German preparations for cleaning silver from blackness and dirt, then we cannot fail to mention the legendary composition called “Silbertauschbader” - this is a professional product, it is highly respected by numismatists. It has proven itself well as a cleaner for high-grade silver (625 and above). But it is contraindicated for cleaning jewelry with pearls; it is more often used when restoring ancient coins.

At home, silver jewelry with pearls is cleaned of dirt with salt and water. This method differs from the one described above (where salt is included in the soda solution). A ring or earrings with natural or artificial pearls should be laid out on a piece of linen fabric, covered with fine salt and the piece of fabric should be wrapped in a tight package. Then take water (at room temperature) into a small basin or deep bowl and rinse the salt parcel with silver decoration in it until all the salt has dissolved. In this case, not only the blackness from the silver will disappear, but also the yellow coating from the pearls.

How to clean silver with ammonia

Ammonia or ammonia is considered perhaps the most effective means for cleaning silver - this is what is most often used at home. He has a sharp and unpleasant smell- This is perhaps one of its main shortcomings. Therefore, if your choice falls on ammonia, work with it outdoors, or at least open the windows wide in the room where you will be cleaning silver.

Naturally, silver is not treated with pure ammonia. Ammonia is diluted with water. There are two current recipes:

Soaking silver items in a water-ammonia solution. Ammonia or ammonia is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. The darkened silver is lowered into a container with such a solution and taken out back after about 15-30 minutes (you need to monitor external changes), not forgetting to wipe it dry with a napkin.

Cleaning silver with ammonia paste. At home, such a paste is prepared from 1 teaspoon of tooth powder, 2 teaspoons of ammonia and 5 teaspoons of water. The consistency is quite liquid, so the name “paste” is quite arbitrary. Apply the prepared product to a soft cloth or brush and gently wipe the darkened areas on the silver. When finished, rinse silver jewelry or spoons with clean water.

We also recommend reading the articles:
Cleaning cupronickel: 12 tips and rules
How to deal with superglue stains TOP 7 tips
How to remove unpleasant odors from an apartment?


As practice shows, silver products - jewelry, household items, dishes, and so on - can darken over time and lose their natural shine. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to clean silver items regularly. And it is not at all necessary to take your treasures somewhere; cleaning silver at home is not a problem at all. Almost everything that can be used to clean silver can be found in everyone’s household.

So let's get started. What and how to properly clean silver:

  1. Cleaning with peroxide and alcohol. Mix peroxide and alcohol in equal proportions, then dip the silver item into the solution for about twenty minutes, after which be sure to wipe dry with a soft cloth.
  2. Cleaning silver with baking soda. To do this, you need to moisten the soda with water and rub the silver with the resulting slurry. This procedure will instantly return your silver item to its unique shine.
  3. Cleaning with salt and soda. You need to pour baking soda and salt in equal proportions onto a small piece of foil, then moisten them with water and place the silver item in the prepared mixture. Leave the product in the mixture for half an hour. After this, your silver is guaranteed to brighten.
  4. Cleaning silver at home using toothpowder or toothpaste. Tooth powder or paste is enough to treat the silver item with a toothbrush. If the silver is very dirty, then you can use the following mixture: soda, toothpaste and apply ammonia on the product using the same toothbrush or even your fingers and clean thoroughly. It should be remembered that all of the above ingredients must be thoroughly crushed, otherwise they can scratch your silver product.



Of course, it is not possible to perfectly clean silver using these methods in all cases. Very often, silver products contain various impurities of other metals with different chemical characteristics. For example, if a product suddenly turns green, this indicates that an alloy of copper and silver was used to make it. To remove such “green”, you need to purchase a 10% solution of Trilon B, which will remove surface contaminants, and then you can begin cleaning using the indicated methods.

Today you can find on sale a large number of products specially designed for professional silver cleaning. The big advantage of these products is the fact that after treatment they are able to provide silver with additional protection, which can protect your silver items from subsequent oxidative processes. Then cleaning your silver at home will take you less and less time.

Proper storage will also help prevent silver from tarnishing and oxidation. You should not store silver near a source of moisture, cosmetics, household chemicals, or medications. The effects of these products will “leave a mark” on your silver item in the truest sense of the word.


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Cleaning silver jewelry at home is of interest to many owners of this precious metal. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to a jeweler or buy an expensive product that will help restore their jewelry to its original appearance. And over time, under the influence of moisture, they turn black or fade. In order for silver to continue to delight with its brilliance and beauty, you should familiarize yourself with the methods of cleaning this metal.

Why does silver darken and tarnish?

It is useful for every owner of silver jewelry to know why they tarnish and darken. Superstitious people believe that silver jewelry that a person wears darkens because the owner is seriously ill or has been damaged. Some turn to sorcerers and sorcerers for help to get rid of a serious illness. There's really no need to worry. A chemical reaction occurs and a greenish, bluish or black coating appears on the metal. Devilry It's not my fault.

Silver is a metal that is easily subject to oxidation. When the product interacts with sulfur, a dark-colored oxide film is formed. Over time, it begins to turn black. This occurs as a result of a simple chemical reaction. Silver reacts with sulfur to form black sulfide. Human sweat is also an oxidizer of silver. It contains amino acids containing sulfur.

Silver in its pure form is quite soft, so only 80-92% of the precious metal is used in the manufacture of silver jewelry. The rest of the product includes copper or other metals: gold, platinum, zinc. They give strength to the alloy. If there is little silver in the alloy, it will darken faster. Products made from 925 sterling silver are of the highest quality. They are highly durable, so they fade less often.
Many silver jewelry is coated with rhodium film to protect the item from oxidation. After a few years, this film wears out and the jewelry darkens. In addition, rhodium is a brittle metal and is easily deformed. And after 5 years the decoration loses its original appearance. Unscrupulous manufacturers add less silver to jewelry. It is not surprising that such products quickly lose their shine.