How to quickly clean the silver from the blackness at home with the help of improvised and special cleaners

Whether it is cutlery or jewelry, silverware has been part of our lives for a very long time. Ancient Egypt and Byzantium worshipped these beautiful objects not just for their beauty, but also for their healing properties.

When spoons of silver were applied to skin injuries, they caused quick healing of wounds and at the same time had antiseptic action. Scientists proved the ability of silver precious metal to neutralize a huge number of pathogenic microorganisms.

Jewelry made of the noble metal remains a favorite accessory today.

The qualities of silver

The metal is wonderful to work with: it is easy to process, polish, twist, cut, roll into thin plates, stretch. These parameters are unique in making jewelry masterpieces.

Silver alloy with copper is used for strength of products. The softness of the material can cause various deformations, bending, darkening, and blackening. To keep products from darkening, it is necessary to make their regular cleaning.

Tools for the care of silver

A variety of silver cleaning products are available for quick removal of patina on silver:

Silver polishing products - their mild formula will thoroughly clean, polish the piece and provide reliable protection against the appearance of plaque;
wool cleaning cloths are a simple, convenient and quality solution for the care of silver jewelry; they are good for removing plaque from objects, give luster; they help to clean blackened silver;
silver care fluid is ideal for the care of engraved and filigree jewelry; it restores the luster of the object;
a wide range of natural polishes contain antioxidants to prevent tarnish and discoloration.

If the item is particularly expensive for you, it is better to use the services of an expert approach of professionals. Different methods will be used depending on the condition of the object: ultrasound cleaning or the whole complex of actions (washing, polishing, decorative coating).

The result is a splendidly colored piece of jewelry.

How to care for silverware

Many lovers and admirers of the precious metal wonder how to properly clean silver at home. There are many ways and resources:

Ammonia alcohol - easily returns shine by removing plaque from the surface. The procedure is very simple - a cloth (preferably woolen) should be slightly wet with this agent and carefully wipe the item with it.
Cleaning of blackened objects. In this case, in ammonia add hydrogen peroxide (literally a few drops) and a little liquid soap. Place the item for 20 minutes in the resulting mixture. After the end of the procedure, wipe the product with a napkin.
Ammonia and soapy water. The jewelry should be carefully washed in a soapy solution, then rubbed with a soft cloth soaked in a water-alcohol solution (1 part of alcohol to 10 parts of water). Rinse and dry thoroughly
For silverware with gilding, simply wipe it with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to begin with. Wipe dry with a cloth.
A mixture of tooth powder and ammonia. Prepare a "mush" of these ingredients. Using a brush, gently apply it to the item. After cleaning, rinse with water.

Heads up! Ammonia must not be used when taking care of jewelry with blackening!

Recipe with foil. Put a small piece of the material in the bottom of the container, add warm water (a little) and salt (soda) in an amount of one teaspoon. Dip the decoration in the mixture, soak it for half an hour. The item will shine like new.
Another recipe for a cleaning solution. Dissolve baking soda in water. Soak a soft brush in the resulting solution and gently remove plaque. At the end of the procedure, polish with a cloth napkin.

It is recommended to finish various works on contaminated silver with a water treatment, drying and polishing (with a flannel cloth).

It is worth paying special attention to the following: it is not allowed to wash oxidized surfaces with high temperature water to avoid removing the surface coating.

It is also undesirable to clean your own jewelry where pearls or any natural stones are present. Have the necessary cleaning of such items carried out at specialist jewellery workshops.

It is advisable to wipe silver jewelry with a dry soft cloth. This will prevent the formation of plaque and dust accumulation. There is an old popular belief: "to preserve your pearls in their original state, you must wear them as often as possible.

The blackening of silver

For connoisseurs of pearls, it is useful to be aware of this particular characteristic: after a while, objects turn black, and their beautiful lustre disappears. To restore the luster of the jewelry, it is worth listening to the advice of experts and learn how to clean the silver from the blackness. But before you start the cleaning procedure, it's a good idea to find out what is causing the blackening. Factors affecting the blackening of the surface of the product are:

A high level of humidity;
prolonged contact with various cosmetics and detergents;
Human sweat.

In home conditions it is quite possible to take care of such jewelry. For these purposes, it is used:

Tooth powder.

Pour a little pigment on a damp cloth with lint. Then rub the blackened thing until the blackening completely disappears, rinse under a cold stream, wipe thoroughly with a napkin.

It is necessary to bear in mind! Do not use excessive pressure on the cleaning object, since tooth powder is abrasive, overzealousness will cause scratches on the surface.

Ammonium chloride

The silver object should be placed for 15 minutes in a solution with this preparation. Wipe with a fluffy cloth.

Using citric acid

Combine:

Water;
acid;
a small piece of copper wire.

Step-by-step procedure:

combine the components and heat in a water bath;
put the wire, boil it a little;
Leave in the solution for a quarter of an hour;
Rinse well;
Dry and rub dry.

Recommendation! It is desirable to leave things made of silver in the food foil in the event that you have to wear them not too often.

Boiling method

Prepare the following components:

10 ml of dishwashing detergent;
half a liter of cold water;
10 g each of salt (or baking soda).

Place the mixed ingredients together with the decoration in a container, put on the fire and boil for a while. The blackening will disappear, remove the remaining plaque with a rag.

Paste of ammonia and chalk

The composition perfectly cleans silver things. In this way return the original shine to the chains. The items should always be rinsed in running water.

An interesting way is to wash

The item is placed either in a pocket of clothing that can be well covered or in a separate cloth bag and washed in the standard mode. According to those who have used this method, silver is perfectly cleaned of all kinds of blackening.

Using olive oil

Openwork silver jewelry is wonderfully cleaned with a soft cloth soaked in this ingredient. After wiping the item, be sure to rinse under running water and wipe thoroughly. But this method is appropriate only at a time when the product is of a minor nature.

Vinegar

A good remedy for the appearance of blackness on silver surfaces is the usual table vinegar. To get the ideal result, pour the vinegar into a bowl and place the items so that all objects are covered with the liquid, hold them for two hours. After such a vinegar bath, the items are rinsed and wiped. In a situation where the object has a small deposit, it will be enough to moisten a napkin and remove the contamination.

Interesting remedy

On a piece of cloth you need to apply a fairly thick layer of lipstick and wipe blackened jewelry. Remove the excess lipstick from the items and rinse in plenty of water.

As you can see, cleaning silver items is not that difficult, but it still takes time. Therefore, it is better to try to prevent the appearance of blackness on expensive products.

How to do this:

Do not allow silver items to remain in a humid environment;
Keep the jewellery in its own casket;
Make sure you take off your silver jewelry whenever you come in contact with water (washing dishes, doing laundry, or taking a bath/shower);
foil will protect your jewelry from blackening, so it is a good idea to wrap your jewelry in this material.

Gold-plated silver can also be cleaned at home. One small nuance - it is necessary to observe absolutely uncomplicated rules. In what they consist:

categorically contraindicated such means as tooth powder and chalk, which can spoil the surface of the thing;
Products designed for cleaning either gold or silver items must not be used;
Minor jewellery items may contain base metal elements, in which case they should not be wet cleaned to avoid rusting;
A piece of chamois leather is able to remove insignificant dirt, as well as it can be used to polish items.

Gold-plated silver can be cleaned only after the objects have been degreased.

If you follow the rules of silver jewelry wearing, storage and care, beautiful silver items will serve for a long time, pleasing with their shine and sophistication.