Silver blackened - how to clean

How to clean silver from tarnish

We know your pain! Since you found / found this article, then you need to clear the silver from blackness. Quickly, efficiently and preferably at no extra cost at home.

To save your time, we have read a lot of publications on the Internet, selected all the technologies and active tools that will help whiten silver jewelry, consulted with jewelers, and tested each method in practice. And only after that they presented the information here.

Use on health!

Why did the silver darken

All owners of silver products over time wonder why silver darkens on the human body, and remains light in a box or other place of storage.

Many even tend to the esoteric version - bad energy, damage, curses and other psychic tales that the fair sex and not only like to believe in. Perhaps there is some truth in this. But this has not been confirmed by anyone. Therefore, do not rush to run with your blackened rings, earrings, chains, crosses to the grandmother-fortune teller. After a visit to her, the decorations will not become lighter. And your energy is also unlikely to change.

In fact, the cause of the darkened silver has a very mundane chemical explanation. There are even a few:

1. external stimuli. The main enemy of this metal is hydrogen sulfide. The interaction of silver with sulfur and its oxides causes the appearance of blackness. Unfortunately, it is impossible to protect products from the influence of hydrogen sulfide. He is everywhere. Therefore, you need to come to terms with the fact that sooner or later a coating of a blackening film is inevitable.
2. low quality metal. Low-grade silver and low-quality ligature are the first indicators of the rapid blackening of silver jewelry. And this will inevitably happen in just a few days, even without exposure to an aggressive environment.
3. reaction to body care cosmetics (soap, shower gel) and household detergents is also the reason for the loss of luster of jewelry.
4. human sweat. With abundant sub-isolation, silver reacts with it, forming sulfide. And fades over time. By the way, back to the esoteric. More precisely, to the signs of our ancestors. They said that silver darkens on a sick person or who will soon fall ill. It has been scientifically proven that with certain diseases in sweat there is an increased release of sulfur. And you already know how it works with metal.
5. subcutaneous fat. It promotes adhesion of dust, dirt, soot.
6. improper care and storage errors. The 925 metal contains copper, which tends to oxidize. This is evidenced by an unaesthetic green coating with an unpleasant odor. Such an insidious surprise awaits those who like to wear, for example, a ring for a long time. It is exposed to household chemicals, grease from dishes, food particles that get stuck near stones, etc. Even after long wear, the shine is not lost. But as soon as you take it off, leave it on the shelf for several days or weeks, and the ring will darken, turn green ... The fact is that with the constant wear of the accessory, its surface was cleaned when washing hands. But if substances remain on it after removal, they slowly come into contact with copper and silver. Therefore, before you put the jewelry “to rest”, it must be cleaned.

To prolong the “brilliant life” of jewelry, jewelers apply a thin layer of rhodium.

But do not be upset if you see the appearance of black on silver. This is an inevitable process even for the highest quality high 925 metal.

But there is also good news. Below you can find the most effective proven methods that allow you to quickly clean silver at home. And it will sparkle again!

How to clean tarnished silver

The easiest and fastest way is to go to the nearest jewelry workshop and entrust this matter to a professional. The result is 100% effective and the product is like new. But the service costs money.

The second option is to do the cleaning with your own hands at home. There are a lot of effective methods for removing blackness from silver. But first you need to prepare for the upcoming manipulation:

• study the composition of the metal. Be careful if you do not know exactly what material the decoration is made from and the composition of the impurities.
• consider inserts (some stones are very fragile), fastenings, embossed convolutions.

Please note the important rule! When cleaning silverware, avoid large temperature fluctuations. Also do not use brushes or hard cloths.

The choice of silver cleaner is up to you. You can use specialized solutions that are sold in jewelry stores. It is worth considering the degree of pollution:

1. Exiles. For removal mechanical cleaning is used. An abrasive of medium hardness is taken, which polishes the metal. Heavy artillery in the form of ammonia, ammonia, and ultrasound will also help.
2. Not strong. Even penny substances will help to cope with them, most of which you definitely have at home: soap solution, vinegar, toothpaste ...

We will analyze each of the improvised means in more detail.

Cleaning silver with ammonia

Ammonia 100% copes with the elimination of blackening. It easily dissolves oxides and sulfides on the surface of a darkened silver ring, earrings or chain and returns them to their original brilliance and color.

To clean with ammonia, you only need a jar with an airtight lid. Put the product in a container, fill until completely immersed, tightly close the lid. Cleaning lasts 5-10 minutes. To speed up the process, shake the tank. But only if there are no stones on the jewelry.

Another common is a solution of water and ammonia 1:10. We leave items in it for half an hour. It can be longer. It will not only remove the blackness from the metal, but also help to lighten the darkened stones.

Ammonia solution gently cleans blackness, dirt, grease without damaging the surface.

Cleaning silver with peroxide

You can try cleaning in two ways:

1. pure hydrogen peroxide. Effective, but not always. Depending on the amount of impurities in the metal, peroxide can oxidize or reduce the compound. Therefore, you will get either a well-bleached decoration, or with a touch and spots.
2. peroxide solution with ammonia 1:1. Leave the product in it for 20 minutes. Be sure to close the container with a lid, as the smell is not pleasant. After the time has elapsed, remove the product and rinse it with warm, clean water. Dry and buff with a soft cloth to restore shine.

Do not use the second method for cheap products in which the inserts are glued.

How to clean silver with baking soda and foil

This is the most common way. It guarantees fast and perfect results. You will need water, baking soda and foil:

1. Boil water and add soda to it with the calculation of 50 g per 1 liter of water.
2. Dip the darkened jewelry into the jar and fill them with hot solution.
3. Dip a strip of aluminum foil into the solution.
4. Leave on for 15-20 minutes.
5. Rinse under tap water and dry with a soft cloth. You can use eyeglass wipes or a natural cotton cloth.

As a final result, the blackening disappears, and the shine and beauty returns to the jewelry, as if you just bought it today.

You can also clean silver only with soda. Make a paste out of it by adding a small amount of water. Gently rub the product with it, then rinse and wipe dry.

The method of cleaning silver with soda is categorically not suitable for jewelry with stones. This is especially true of pearls, amber, diamonds, corals, turquoise.

Do not use dry baking soda. It acts as an abrasive and leave unwanted small scratches.

How to clean silver with vinegar

Good old vinegar will definitely be found at home in every housewife. You will need a 6% or 9% acetic solution. For best effect, heat to a temperature of approximately 50 C. It will take about 20 minutes to wash silver with a little contamination. For old items that have not reached the hands for a long time, it will take 2-3 hours.

After the procedure, be sure to rinse well and wipe the jewelry dry.

You can also try another manipulation. Pour 2 tbsp into a jar with decoration. l soda and pour vinegar. The mixture will bubble up vigorously. Leave for 2 hours, then rinse and dry.

How to clean silver with citric acid

Easy and reliable “lemon” cleaning procedure is suitable for moderately soiled jewelry. For this you need to prepare:

• small saucepan
• 0.5 l of pure water
• 100 g citric acid (5 tablespoons)
• soft cloth for wiping.

Pour acid into water. Dip the silver into the solution. Bring to a boil over low heat and cover with a lid. To achieve the best effect, put any copper object on the bottom of the container. Leave to boil for half an hour. Then rinse in water and polish with a cloth.

There is a chance that the blackness will not come down. This means that the pollution is old and strongly oxidized. Peroxide and ammonia will help to cope with such.

Cleaning silver with toothpaste

It is important to use the most common paste without impurities. To work, you also need a soft brush or, best of all, a cloth. Moisten it, apply a small amount of toothpaste and rub it into the darkened product. This must be done very carefully so as not to scratch the metal.

Get the best effect with the use of tooth powder. But before you use it, think twice if it's worth it. This is the most delicate cleaning option and very time consuming. It is mainly used for low-value items. Since the bad way is also a way, and some use it, we will explain how to do it.

Make a semi-liquid mass from the tooth powder. Apply it to a damp soft cloth. Wipe the product in only one direction to minimize the appearance of micro-scratches.