Although we already share some tricks for the care of your pieces, the pH of each person is different and on some occasions we can blacken our pieces simply by use. So in this article we are going to share up to 13 tricks to clean your jewelry. Be careful with some tricks that need heat or household cleaning products, since they could damage the gems, if your piece has settings it is better to avoid those methods. If the pieces contain organic gems (pearls), use only those tricks that can be applied locally, avoiding the corrosion of the gem.
1. CLEAN SILVER WITH HAND DISINFECTANT.
All concerned that hand sanitizer could damage our jewelry and is, nevertheless, an excellent cleaner.
With a few drops of disinfectant and a cloth, rub the gel on the jewel. You will see that it regains shine. And they will also be disinfected!
To avoid subsequent reactions, clean the piece with mild soap and water.
Attention: The disinfectant gel is a friend of silver, but an enemy of gems. Don’t use this trick with gemstone pieces.
2. CLEAN SILVER WITH TOOTH PASTE.
Put a small amount of toothpaste on a cotton towel or napkin and then rub it slowly over the metal to remove tarnish and shine.
Leave it to act for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse afterwards with cold water.
After this procedure, you will see that the silver is clean and shiny, like new.
*Caution: Some toothpastes can be too abrasive.
3. CLEAN SILVER WITH KETCHUP.
As you read, yes, a sauce that you can find in any refrigerator in the world. Put a few drops of this tomato sauce on a cloth and rub it on the jewel. If the piece is already very black you can pour the sauce directly on the piece and let the acid of the tomato and vinegar that make up the sauce act for between 15 and 20 minutes before rubbing with a cloth or a toothbrush. Finally, remove the sauce with warm water.
4. CLEAN SILVER WITH LIME / LEMON AND SOAP (OR CARBONATED WATER).
For this trick we will use a plastic container that we will fill with lemon or lime and the carbonated water. We introduce the pieces in the solution and leave the pieces until we see that the pieces have recovered their luster. Finally clean the pieces with water and neutral soap and dry with a towel, rubbing gently. Like new.
5. CLEAN SILVER WITH ALUMINUM CLOTHING AND PAPER DETERGENT.
This trick is ideal for silver jewelry with weak (yellowish) stains. Line a container with aluminum foil and fill it with hot water. Add a tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent and stir it in. Put the silver pieces inside and let them soak for a minute. Take out the pieces, rinse with warm water and dry the pieces.
6. CLEAN SILVER WITH BICARBONATE AND ALUMINUM PAPER.
One of the best known tricks to clean silver. Cover the bottom of a container with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Use ceramic or glass containers, never metal ones, to avoid unwanted chemical reactions. Fill the container with water and add baking soda. Bring the solution to a boil and place the tarnished silver inside for 15/30 seconds. If all the stains have not disappeared repeat the procedure. Never use this method with jewelry that has gemstones.
7. CLEAN SILVER WITH BICARBONATE AND VINEGAR.
Place the silver jewelry in an appropriately sized container and cover it with distilled white vinegar (cleaning vinegar). Add baking soda to bowl; the approximate proportions are 4 tablespoons of baking soda for each cup of vinegar. Leave the silver in the mixture for 1 hour if the pieces are delicate, do not take your eye off it and check that there is no unwanted reaction. Rinse with clean soapy water and dry well with a soft cloth.
8. CLEAN SILVER WITH ANTI LIME AND HOT WATER.
In a container, pour hot water and add the silver pieces (and even other metals such as brass or copper). Add a tablespoon of anti-lime gel and stir well. The hotter the water, the more effective it is, so be careful of the vapors that the solution emits. Very important to rinse well and remove the product completely.
9. CLEAN SILVER WITH GLASS CLEANER.
The glass cleaner not only cleans the glass, but also the silver! So if you want to clean your pieces with beads or glass figures, this is your trick. Spray a little on a soft cloth and rub your jewelry carefully. Use a soft toothbrush (note that there are different hardnesses of toothbrushes, to always clean the softest one) to gently rub the most difficult or intricate areas of the pieces. Then clean the piece well with another cloth with water and then dry with another cloth. If there is product left, you can accelerate the process of future oxidation, so do not forget to remove all the glass cleaner from the piece.
10. CLEAN SILVER WITH CORN MEAL.
If your pieces have lost their shine (but are not dirty), this trick will restore some of the initial shine. Prepare a thick paste of cornmeal with water and apply it on the silver piece. Let the mixture dry completely and leave a crust that surrounds the piece. Once it dries, rub it with a towel, so you will polish the surface and restore the shine to your jewelry. If you ran out of corn flour, you can substitute potassium bitartrate (cream of tartar).
11. CLEAN SILVER WITH AMMONIA.
This is a very easy way to clean silver jewelry and accessories, but also very aggressive, much better if you only use this tip in very extreme cases and without gems, always as a last option. Make the solution with 1 part ammonia and 2 parts warm water. Soak your silver items in the liquid for 10 minutes. After the time has elapsed, remove them from the solution, clean them with a soft cloth and finally, polish with a dry cotton cloth to polish the surface.
12. CLEAN SILVER WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.
Pour the hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) into a ceramic container and place your jewelry. You will start to see bubbles when the solution mixes with the silver sulfide. Remove the pieces at this point, shake them dry, and dip the jewelry back into the solution for a couple of minutes. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the safest ways to remove dirt from your jewelry, and it is not usually a problem with most mineral gems (but don’t use it on organic gems like corals or pearls). Remove, rinse the pieces with dry water your pieces.
13. CLEAN SILVER WITH TAMARIND PASTE
The acidity of tamarind paste helps remove dirt from silver items. In Spain there is no tradition of consuming this fruit, but it is easy to get in many Latin American countries, so this little trick could not be missed. Use a toothbrush (remember, the soft ones) and tamarind paste and rub your silver pieces with it. You can repeat this frequently to keep your jewelry looking shiny new. And with what you have left over … well, let’s dip!