Top Household Jewelry Cleaning Tips For Silver Jewelry

Overtime like all things, silver jewelry can become worn out as well as tarnished with a black coating because of humidity. Extra air and humidity can cause silver to lose the shiny luster it once had when you first purchased or received it as a necklace, bracelet, or ring. Instead of replacing a piece of jewelry or spending money to have to clean at a jewelry store in your city, there are plenty of different ways to save money and clean it at home.

Here are a couple of cleaning tips to get you started. If you still find it difficult to properly clean it by yourself at home, consult a cleaning professional for advice or to clean it for you instead.

Natural Ingredients from the Kitchen Pantry

Using ingredients from your kitchen pantry or ingredients that can be easily found at the store is a good way to clean your jewelry to avoid any extra costs. Here are two different methods using simple ingredients that are used every day. These cleaning methods work best for just silver jewelry so be sure to remove any plastic pieces, fake, or real gemstones before you start.

This first suggested cleaning method calls for a bowl, tin foil, baking soda, and boiled water. Line the bowl with tin foil and place the silver jewelry inside. Add the boiled water and the baking soda to soak for a minute or two. Lift the tin foil with the silver jewelry still inside and tilt it so that the water falls into the bowl. You will find that the tarnish from the jewelry has been removed and it will look better than it did before.

Another natural home remedy to clean old silver jewelry uses vinegar, plain white flour, and salt (table salt or sea salt is fine).  Begin by measuring the ingredients as follows:

• ½ cup vinegar
• ½ cup plain white flour
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Mix the three ingredients together in a bowl to make a thick paste. Taking one piece of jewelry at a time, coat it with the paste and set it aside on a clean surface such as a paper towel or plate for a few minutes. You do not have to wait too long and about ten minutes maximum should be enough for the cleaning process to successfully take place.

Afterwards rinse off the jewelry with water and set it aside on a different clean surface to naturally dry. If you wish, buff it with some olive oil or something similar to add some shine.

In general, vinegar and baking soda are two great cleaners to use at home and can be used for many other clean remedies such as countertops, tea kettles, and windows if you need any other quick cleaning to do around the home.

The following household items can also be used for silver jewelry cleaning at home as well:

• Plain white toothpaste
• Alka-Seltzer with water
• Ammonia with water
• Light-colored beer
• Club soda
• Ketchup

Before you use these at-home remedy solutions, check to make sure they will not damage any gemstones if you are unable to remove them from the silver jewelry before cleaning.

To avoid future tarnishing, keep your silver jewelry separate from other jewelry pieces in a zipped bag that will help keep air and humidity out.

Cleaning Remedies for Severe Tarnish

If you have heavily tarnished silver jewelry that has gotten to the point where natural remedies cannot clean it to look new again, consider other remedies. In a case such as this, you may have to go to the store to purchase a silver cleaner solution that comes in the form of a paste or a dip. You will also probably need to following items: an old cloth, bowl, water, old toothbrush, and rubber gloves to protect your hands from the solution. Again, if your silver jewelry has plastic designs or gemstones, be sure to remove them first before beginning this cleaning process as the solution can easily damage anything that is not silver.

Use the soft cloth to try to wipe off any tarnish with home remedies such as the vinegar and baking soda. If that does not help, put the rubber gloves on to protect your hands and place a very small amount of the silver dip solution into a bowl. Unlike putting your jewelry into the home remedy for a couple of minutes, quickly dip the tarnished jewelry into the solution. If the jewelry is left in there for too long, the chemicals can harm it.

If you use a paste instead of liquid cleaner, apply it with the soft cloth or old toothbrush using straight and not circular motions. Afterwards, remove the solution with water and wipe it with another soft cloth to dry and buff it.

Professional Cleaning

If your jewelry has become so damaged and tarnished to the point where natural home remedies and store bought silver cleaner solution are no use, you may want to consider having it professionally cleaned. Visit a local jewelry store or contact an antique seller to ask if they do any cleaning services for silver. It may cost quite a bit, but at least there will be a better chance of them being able to properly clean your jewelry.

Whatever method you choose to do, a natural home remedy or help with a silver cleaner solution, there are different ways to clean your silver jewelry. When in doubt, contact someone who has experience in cleaning tarnished jewelry. Do you have a favorite household cleaning tip for jewelry or for anything else?