Whether one have a few pieces of silver jewelry in their collection or have a lot, everyone probably has wondered at some point how to clean silver jewelry.
Why does silver tarnish?
Knowing what might cause silver jewelry to tarnish is the best way to deal with the tarnish. Silver is an alloyed metal, normally made of 92.5% pure silver and other metals. Silver is a popular metal because of its affordability and its versatility, but it also tarnishes because of its composition. If you’re looking at a silver piece that is darkened or appears dirty, then your silver has tarnished. Tarnish is simply the result of a chemical reaction with oxygen or sulfur particles in the air. With a few easy-to-follow tips, you can take care of your sterling
silver jewelry and make it last for years to come! It is easy to maintain your silver jewelry and keep it looking good for many years with a few easy-to-follow suggestions.
Ways to prevent tarnishing of the silver:
Wear it often: Our skin has natural oils that will help to keep silver jewelry maintain its shine. One of the easiest ways to prevent tarnish is to simply wear silver jewelry often.
Avoid contact with Perfume: Perfumes may accelerate the tarnishing. It is advisable to apply the perfume and then wear the silver.
However, there are situations where even though we love our silver jewelry, it is not possible for us to wear it daily, here are a few more ways to prevent our silver to tarnish.
Keep it in an air-tight pouch: On the occasion when one is not wearing silver jewelry, one should keep their silver in an air-tight pouch, where there is no exposure to any outside weather or chemical.
What if the silver is already tarnished?
Here's how to bring that shine of silver Jewelry back.
There are countless home methods for cleaning silver jewelry. Here are the silver cleaning methods that we often suggested.
Toothpaste: It is often suggested by our grannies to polish the silver with toothpaste, and that actually works! Toothpaste is something found at everyone's disposal, and readily available in the market. Toothpaste can be one of the solutions to our tarnishing problem. However, the toothpaste should be non-gel-based toothpaste.
Pitambari: Every Indian family is well known to pitambari, and have a packet of it in their house to clean all the pooja utensils, However, who knew it can also be used to clean the tarnish of the silver?
Baking soda and water: You can always make a paste from baking soda and water, apply a small amount onto a cloth or toothbrush and scrub gently.
White vinegar and baking soda: This gentle cleaning method is great for removing heavy tarnish. Soak your sterling silver in ½ cup of white vinegar and 2 tbsp of baking soda (combine these in the sink and prepare yourself for the fizzing and foam) for two to three hours. Rinse jewelry and pat dry. Finish with a polish: After you’ve given your jewelry a good cleaning, you can finish the
process by using a polishing cloth that’s specifically for sterling silver. You can repeat this process as often as needed. Remember, the key to keeping your silver clean is to keep up with regular cleanings to remove tarnish as it builds.
How to properly store your Jewellery
Use an air-tight container: as mentioned earlier any container can be used to store your silver, as long as it is air-tight. Zip-lock bags are great, but you can also find specialty jewelry bags for a more attractive option.
Keep in a cool, dark place: sunlight, heat, and moisture accelerate tarnishing. Be sure to keep your silver in a cool, dark place.
Store pieces individually: storing your pieces separately prevents any chance of the jewelry scratching or tangling with each other.
Consider anti-tarnish strips: you can throw in some anti-tarnish strips with your jewelry to help prevent tarnishing. Moha often provides that tiny little black strip with pieces of jewelry that will keep the silver from tarnishing.
Do not store in paper, cardboard, or cotton-filled boxes: these boxes may contain traces of sulfur which will contribute to tarnishing.
