6 Tarnish Removal Tips
If you have beautiful silver pieces in your jewelry collection, it’s worth knowing how to clean silver. With a little routine care and tarnish prevention, your silver jewelry will stay beautiful for years to come.
Why Does Sterling Silver Tarnish?
Have you noticed the lovely white color of your silver jewelry start turning yellow? If you don’t remedy the discoloration, it will progress to light purple, followed by black and your lovely sterling silver jewelry will have lost its luster. This process is known as tarnishing.
If stored incorrectly, the chemicals in the air and the environment—including hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, salt, chlorine, and acid—can cause silver to tarnish. Sterling silver, which contains around 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper and other metals, can also be affected by humidity and perspiration. In this case, the tarnish may appear reddish in color.
How to Clean Sterling Silver
Just like any other investment, sterling silver should be cared for properly to extend its life. Many things in your daily life can tarnish your silver jewelry. Fortunately, it’s easy to remove and even prevent tarnish from silver. Here are six cleaning methods to try at home:
- Clean silver with dish soap and water: If you catch the tarnish fast enough, you should be able to remove it simply by washing your jewelry with dish soap and warm water.
- Buff silver with hand sanitizer: The antibacterial properties of hand sanitizer make it good at removing dirt, grime, and tarnish from silver. Squeeze a small amount onto a dry cloth and polish your silver to reveal a beautiful shine.
- Polish sterling silver with toothpaste: Apply toothpaste to a microfiber cloth and gently scrub the silver until the tarnish is removed. Be aware that solid-colored, tartar-control toothpaste works best. Rinse with warm water and buff dry.
- Make your silver jewelry shine with cornstarch: Create a water-cornstarch paste and apply it to your tarnished silver. Allow the paste to dry. Then, buff the silver with a damp, slightly abrasive cloth. Rinse with water and dry.
- Remove silver tarnish with aluminum foil and laundry detergent: For heavily tarnished silver, start by lining a bowl with aluminum foil. Fill the bowl with boiling water and one tablespoon of laundry detergent (baking soda also works). Add the silver jewelry to the bowl and let it sit for two to 10 minutes. Remove the silver from the water and buff it with a clean microfiber cloth.
- Remove tarnish with commercial silver polish: If you try these at-home tips without success, buy commercial silver polish and follow the instructions on the packaging.
How to Prevent Tarnish
Once your silver jewelry is sparkling clean, you want to keep it that way! To prevent tarnish, store your jewelry in an anti-tarnish bag in a cool, dark place like a drawer or a chest that is lined with tarnish resistant fabric. You can also individually wrap your pieces in silver cloth or unbleached cotton muslin and stored in reusable bags. Remove your jewelry before showering, swimming, or washing dishes, and don’t leave your silver pieces lying around in humid areas, such as the bathroom.
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