How to Clean Silver with 8 Ingredients You Have at Home

 How to Clean Silver with 8 Ingredients You Have at Home

With super practical recipes, it is possible to restore the shine of your jewelry and decorative pieces

Present in a multitude of objects, silver (also called argento) is a sophisticated material that takes its name from the Indo-European word arhhg , which, no wonder, means brilliant.

Anyone who is a fan of accessories and decorative items made from metal knows that it is not always easy to remove dirt and darkened parts from the material, and it is a real dream to discover how to clean silver with fast and inexpensive methods.

Silver Polish and Cleaner Products

Causes
Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, cutlery, cups, trays, platters, vases, mirrors, musical instruments or any other object made with silver is vulnerable to go through the darkening process, which is a result of the material's contact with the medium itself environment .

The darker layers are silver sulfide, produced from a reaction between the metal and sulfur compounds present in the air, such as hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide.

The sweat produced by the body is another villain for the maintenance of the material, as the water and mineral salts dissolved in it, such as sodium chloride, when mixed with one of the two gases, accelerate the darkening of the metal.

Solutions
In order not to rack your brain thinking about how to clean silver so often, it is important to maintain your objects so that the conservation of the material lasts longer.

In the case of jewelry , the ideal is to store them in very dry and dark places, preferably sealed in plastic or fabric bags. Household utensils, on the other hand, should, at most, be far away from chemical products, such as cleaning products that contain sulfur or chlorine.

Bleach or oxygenated water, as well as perfumes, are substances that remove the shine from silver. Therefore, pay attention to material handling locations.

When washing dishes or cutlery, always try to soak them if you can't clean them right away, so that the dirt doesn't stick. Another tip is to keep them away from sponges made of steel or too rough, as the silver can get even more scratched.


Before putting your silverware in the cupboard, wrap it in film, leaving no sticking out, to reduce the metal's contact with air. In this way, parts polishing will be faster and more effective.


Revenues
After understanding a little more about the causes of metal blackening, it's time to choose the most practical method for you to clean silver and get your hands dirty.

Check out recipes with 8 ingredients from your home that Turnstile Free has selected to help you get rid of dark stains from accessories made of silver. Look that!

Sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda is the most commonly used ingredient when cleaning silver. However, its action can be very abrasive for more delicate parts, as the chemical compound tends to wear away the surface layers of the metal. This technique is recommended for non-very high value items.

In a pan on the fire, place 400ml of water, two tablespoons of baking soda and your silver objects. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from the stove and let it soak until the liquid is warm. Then wash the objects with soap and water and let them dry well.

For larger silver items, you can dampen a cloth with the same mixture of hot water and baking soda and rub it on the objects of your choice. After cleaning, wash normally.

Toothpaste
For those who don't know, toothpaste is commonly used to clean various objects, such as sneakers and glasses. In the case of silver, toothpaste is able to reduce the appearance of scratches and renew the shine.

With a very soft sponge or brush, pass the toothpaste over the entire object, being very careful with the applied force so as not to further scratch the piece. Afterwards, wash it with soap and water, and when it dries, use a flannel to buff.

white vinegar
In a container, mix 500ml of hot water, one tablespoon of detergent and three more of white vinegar. Dip a cotton cloth in the solution and use it to clean your silver items. Once that's done, rinse the pieces and let them dry.

Salt and aluminum foil
Perhaps the simplest of the recipes is this one, as its main ingredient is the much used salt, associated with the unknown functions of aluminum foil, which, when reacting with water, restores the shine to the silver pieces.

In a bowl, put 1 liter of boiling water, 3 tablespoons of salt and two more of baking soda. Add your silver objects and several small pieces of torn aluminum foil. Leave to soak for 30 minutes, rinse, wash and store the pieces as previously instructed.

Banana peel
In addition to fighting acne, blemishes and skin wrinkles, banana peel is also used to polish silverware.

Instead of using a flannel or any other fabric, polish the pieces as usual, but using the inside of the banana peel. The results are amazing!

Beer or cola (the famous one, you know?)
The last but not least of the tips is the most practical, considering that you won't need anything but beer or cola.

Place your silver objects in a tall, narrow container, filling your space with one of the indicated liquids. Even though it seems like a waste of any of the drinks, simply soaking the silver pieces in beer or cola helps (a lot) to wear away the darkened layers of the silver.

If this technique doesn't work so well, complete the procedure with one of the above suggestions for more satisfactory results.