How to clean blackness from a silver ring at home

Cleaning silver with stones at home is an easy task. You can return the product to its original appearance even without contacting a jeweler. It is not necessary to buy expensive products, because traditional methods Silver cleaning is no less effective.

Why do silver things turn black?

Silver is easily subject to oxidation; this feature is inherent in the metal. If the proportion of silver in the alloy is small, then the jewelry will turn black very quickly. This occurs as a result of a chemical reaction.

In addition, rings and chains, pendants and earrings made of silver turn black when exposed to moisture. Jewelry made from 925 standard is considered to be of the highest quality. They are less likely to tarnish and are more durable, so when purchasing, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the alloy.

Preparing items for cleaning

First you need to remove any dirt and grease that is present on the surface of your silver jewelry. There are several ways. You can wash rings and earrings with soap; liquid concentrate works well. Alternatively, you can use diluted dish soap or shampoo. Dirt must be removed, because this will make the cleaning process easier. It is enough to put the jewelry in the solution and then hold it there for several minutes.

It is worth going through all hard-to-reach places with a toothbrush, but you need to make sure that the bristles are soft. After the cleaning process is completed, the items should be thoroughly rinsed in clean water.

How to clean products

There are many options for how to clean silver with stones at home, using available products. It could be ammonia, in a 10% solution of which jewelry is soaked. In another case, you can soak a cotton swab in ammonia and then wipe the surface. But this method cannot be used if the jewelry is with pearls, because the color of the pearl will change. But silver with stones will be cleaned very quickly in this way.

There is another option. It involves cleaning items with a special solution that is made at home. To do this, you need to combine hydrogen peroxide and liquid soap in a container, and then add ammonia. All ingredients should be thoroughly mixed.

The soaking time must be selected individually for each decoration, because the degree of contamination may vary. After using the solution, items should be rinsed and then thoroughly wiped with a soft cloth.

Every housewife has citric acid. With its help, the dark plaque will come off very quickly. Take an enamel bowl, place copper wire in it and add citric acid. For 1 liter of water you need to take 200 g of acid. Place the dish on the stove, lower the rings into it, and boil it for a quarter of an hour. Rinse items and wipe dry.

Clean items with baking soda, 2 tbsp. l. pour into 0.5 liters of water. Place the solution on fire. When the water boils, place a piece of foil and decorations in the container. It only takes a few minutes to see great results.

There is another solution option. In 1 liter of water you need to mix soda, salt and dishwashing detergent, taking 1 tbsp of each ingredient. l. Place the silver in the solution and boil for 30 minutes.

Before and after cleaning

You can remove blackness from things by applying a paste on them, it is made from soda. Clean with a soft cloth until the jewelry returns to its shine. In places that are difficult to reach, you can clean them with a toothbrush.

Potato decoction has proven itself to be excellent; it will help restore shine to even very dull objects. Place a piece of foil in the remaining water after boiling the potatoes. Dip the silver and pearls into the water and hold for 10 minutes. In addition to potato broth, you can use the water in which the eggs were boiled.

Excellent for cleaning metal toothpaste and tooth powder. But this method cannot be used for products with patterns or stones. If you want to quickly rid silver items of plaque, buy special napkins. They are available for sale in jewelry stores.

Any silver product, be it a chain or a ring, can lose its natural shine and even turn black over time. This happens due to the fact that upon contact with air, silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide. As a result of this, the well-known plaque and blackness appear on the products, which can ruin any decoration. That is why silver items require careful storage and special care. What to do if your favorite ring has lost its shine and chic? Let's look at several ways to clean silver items at home.

Methods for cleaning silver at home

1) Tooth powder: You can clean an unusual silver ring with a stone using a toothbrush and powder. In case of sufficiently severe contamination, a mixture of soda, ammonia, and toothpaste will help. Mix everything thoroughly and dip the product into it. Clean with your hands or with a toothbrush.

2) Wash the jewelry in soapy water to degrease it. Then wipe with a swab soaked in a solution of sodium thiosulfate. Finally, rinse and dry the product with a soft cloth.

3) Enough effective method– Mix equal amounts of salt and soda. Moisten with water. Place the silver jewelry in this mixture for half an hour. As a result, the silver will brighten significantly.

4) Take water and pour hydrogen peroxide into it. Add a pinch of powder. We put our product there and boil for 2-3 minutes. Rinse under running water and dry.

5) In order to restore the jewelry to its former beauty and shine, you will need a solution: 2 eggshells, 1 liter of water, a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over heat and put in silver for 10-15 seconds. At the end of the procedure, rinse thoroughly and wipe dry.

You can also use modern cleaning materials that contain abrasive substances. They provide jewelry with additional protection. But it should be remembered that prolonged use of such cleaning products can damage the product.

Rules for caring for silver items

- do not wear silver jewelry in baths, saunas and swimming pools
- store in a closed box
- if necessary, clean the product
- do not leave for a long time in high humidity areas

Proper care of your silver jewelry will help you maintain the shine and beauty of your favorite chain or ring for a long time, and will also help you reduce the use of cleaning products to a minimum.

bettty (Taya), especially for the Be Fashionable website.

Silver is a noble metal from which dishes, interior items, and jewelry are made. Its ions have disinfecting properties, which means that the use of silver cutlery has a positive effect on health. But over time, the surface of the metal changes - it becomes dull, dark deposits and stains appear on it. Let's figure out how to clean silver at home so that it takes on its original appearance.

Before we figure out how to clean silver at home, let's find out why it darkens. In the old days, it was believed that black magic was to blame. But it has now been established that metal reacts with different elements.

Reasons for darkening of silver:

Increased room humidity or contact with wet skin.
Reaction to human sweat. If there is a lot of sulfur in it, then the silver turns black quickly. The predominance of nitrogen in the secretion of the sweat glands contributes to the long-term preservation of the appearance of the metal. Pathologies, as well as taking medications, can lead to a large amount of sulfur in the discharge.
Interaction cosmetics, food products (onions, yolks, salt), household chemicals, rubber, gas.
Incorrect storage.
Low quality metal.

How to choose a cleaning method

The answer to the question of how you can clean silver at home is determined by factors such as:

product sample, composition, if we're talking about about the alloy;
presence of gilding, precious stones, enamel and other additional elements;
degree of pollution;
size.

There is an important rule: aggressive agents can only be used for simple jewelry and household items made of silver. If they have stones, enamel, gilding, or engraving, then only gentle methods are allowed. Expensive filigree jewelry made of high-quality metal is best left to professionals.

Special preparations for processing silver are sold. Popular brands are Talisman, Silbo, Aladdin, Silver Quick. They are available in the form of sprays, solutions, pastes, and wipes. Such products clean effectively and carefully, but it is important to carefully follow the instructions.

Important: Silver is a soft, ductile metal. When working with it, do not use rough cloth, hard brushes or metal scrapers.

Cleaning methods

High-quality cleaning of silver at home requires preparation. It is necessary to remove grease, dust, residues of cosmetics, products and other contaminants from the surface. To do this, prepare a warm solution of water and soap, shampoo or detergent in arbitrary proportions. The silver item must be thoroughly rinsed in the liquid. If it has indentations, it is recommended to use a soft toothbrush. At the end, you need to rinse the decoration or cutlery in clean water and let it dry.

Toothpaste and powder

You can quickly remove blackness from silver at home using tooth powder or paste. But this method is considered quite rough, so it is better not to use it for jewelry and expensive household items.

The powder should be diluted with water to a paste. There is no need to prepare the paste; it should be white without impurities and large abrasive particles. The mixture needs to be applied to a soft piece of cloth and carefully rubbed onto the silver item. You can use non-rigid toothbrush. It is important to move in one direction in a straight line. Do not press too hard on the metal, otherwise you may damage the surface.

Note: For any cleaning method, the final treatment consists of rinsing the silver item under running water, drying it and thoroughly polishing it with a soft cloth.

Soda

An affordable silver cleaner is baking soda. To process simple products, it is enough to combine the substance with water to form a paste, apply it to the surface, and after 10 minutes remove it by carefully rubbing the item with a cloth.

If there is a problem with how to carefully clean silver at home, it is better to use a soda solution. Algorithm of actions:

Boil 250 ml of water, add 20 g of soda to it, stir.
Place a piece of foil at the bottom of the container. If you are using an aluminum pan, you can do without this.
Place silver objects into the hot solution. Wait 15 minutes.

Citric and other acids

An effective solution for cleaning silver can be prepared with citric acid. Stages of work:

Dissolve 100 g of acid in 500 ml of water.
Place the container with the liquid in a water bath and place a piece of copper wire in it.
After the solution boils, immerse the silver in it for 15 minutes.

If the silver item is small and not very dirty, you can simply soak the material in vinegar (6%) and wipe the surface. Another option for a cleanser is a 10% solution of citric acid (10 g of powder per 100 ml of water).

Coins and other simple items that have become very dark can be cleaned with formic or sulfuric acid. Items should be boiled for several minutes in a 5% solution of one of these substances.

Important: When using various acids and substances with a strong odor, you should work with gloves in a room in which air circulates.

Ammonia

When thinking about how to quickly clean silver at home, you should resort to ammonia. Products that have slightly darkened can be simply wiped with cotton wool soaked in it. Heavily contaminated items should be placed in a 10 percent solution of ammonia for 10 minutes, then rinsed with water. You can also use the following methods:

Combine water, ammonia and tooth powder in a ratio of 5:2:1. Soak a napkin in the solution and rub the silver. Leave for 10-15 minutes.
Mix ammonia and hydrogen peroxide in equal quantities. Keep the product in the liquid for 10-15 minutes.
Pour a little ammonia into the chalk powder to form a paste. Process metal. Instead of chalk, you can use tooth powder.

Salt

Regular table salt will help give silver a shiny look:

Dissolve 25 g of salt and 10 g of cream of tartar in 0.5 liters of hot water. Immerse the products in the liquid for 10-20 minutes.
Pour 0.5 liters of water into an aluminum pan. After it boils, add 10 g of salt, soda and dish soap, stir. Place silver into the pan. Boil for 30 minutes.

Other methods

There are several other effective methods for cleaning simple silver items:

Pour Sprite, Cola, 7-Up, or other similar drink containing phosphoric acid into the pan. Immerse a silver object in the liquid. Boil for 5-7 minutes over low heat.
Prepare a solution of washing powder and water in arbitrary proportions. Dip decoration or cutlery into it. Boil for 10 minutes.
Spray the product with window cleaner. Wipe with a cloth.
Polish the contaminated item with a regular office eraser. This method is not suitable for openwork decorations.

The nuances of cleaning products with stones, gilding and other features

How to clean silver with stones without damaging it? Such products require careful handling, especially if they are inlaid with turquoise, moonstone, amber, malachite, coral, and pearls.

Dust and small dirt can be removed with regular alcohol or cologne. You should wipe the jewelry with a cotton pad soaked in the substance. Suitable for processing recesses and various decorative parts cotton swab.

You can remove plaque and stains by soaking silver objects for 15-30 minutes in a solution prepared according to one of the following recipes:

grate laundry soap, dissolve in warm water to make foam, add a few drops of ammonia;
pour a tablespoon of ammonia or vinegar into a glass of water.

The same methods are suitable for gold-plated products. After soaking, the jewelry should be rinsed with water, dried with a paper towel and rubbed with suede.

An original way to clean jewelry with stones is to use lipstick. You need to lubricate the metal surface with it, and then treat it with a flannel flap. If the silver is decorated with pearls, you need to sew a linen bag, pour a spoonful of salt into it and put the product, then wash it in warm water.

Blackened silver requires special care. Cleaning methods:

hold the decoration for 20 minutes in a solution of soap (10 g), soda (1 teaspoon) and water (500 ml);
cut raw potatoes, fill them with water and put silver in there, take them out after 3 hours.

General cleaning rules

To ensure that cleaning is effective and does not cause harm to silver items, the following rules should be followed:

Wash jewelry and household items regularly before the stains become very severe.
Do not use harsh abrasives. When handling simple items, you can use a soft toothbrush. If you need to clean jewelry, it is better to use a brush with natural bristles.
925 sterling silver may only be lubricated with special means. Home methods may damage it.
Radiant metal is resistant to chemical damage, but its surface is easily scratched. It can only be cleaned with a soft cloth.
After pastes and solutions, the product should be rinsed under running water. It is especially important to do this if foil or aluminum utensils were used during the cleaning process. Otherwise, a film of aluminum sulfate may form on the surface.
The metal needs to be treated to give it shine. lemon juice and hot water.
Products can be dried on paper napkins or under a hair dryer.
Dry silver items should be polished with suede, flannel or wool.
It is better not to wear jewelry for 2-3 days after cleaning so that a protective layer forms on it.

How to properly store silver

Silver items will maintain a shiny, clean surface longer if they are properly cared for. Basic Rules:

Products should be stored in separate closed boxes (cases, caskets) in a dry place. If you plan to not use an item for a long time, you should wash it with soapy water, dry it and wrap it in flannel, foil or parchment.
During storage, silver should not come into contact with medications, food, household chemicals, plastic, or rubber.
It is recommended to remove silver jewelry before applying cosmetics, taking a shower, swimming in the bath, the sea, or visiting the pool or sauna. It is also undesirable to clean them so that detergents do not get on the chain or ring.
If the product gets wet or dirty, wipe it dry with a cloth.

Jewelry and household items made of silver proper care can please their owners for a long time and bring them benefits. If, after all, the products are covered with a dark coating, they can be easily cleaned using toothpaste, powder, ammonia, soda and other means. It is better to entrust the processing of very valuable silver items to professionals.

Silver has been known since ancient times and was of great value until they learned to smelt it artificially. Until this point, gold was valued much less, and there were very few silver deposits, even compared to gold mines. From Sanskrit, silver is translated as light, and in Ancient Rus' the name of silver was borrowed from the ancient Indian word “sarpa” - Moon and Sickle.

Like other precious metals, silver is marked with a breakdown. The number, for example, 925 means that this is exactly how much pure metal is in the product per 1000 parts of the alloy. Previously, zinc and copper were traditionally used for the alloy, but today, most self-respecting manufacturers have abandoned the use of zinc due to evidence of its harmfulness and use other safe metals.

Regardless of whether silver is high-quality or not, it darkens over time, as any metal oxidizes. Although many superstitious individuals believe that this is damage, it is only a chemical reaction with objects that surround a person in everyday life. The following factors can cause silver oxidation:

humid environment;
direct contact with cosmetics;
human sweat;
household gas and rubber;
egg yolk and onion.

Despite this, silver remains popular and can be easily polished. How to properly clean silver at home? This will be discussed in the article.

Ammonia

Effective cleaning of silver jewelry at home is done using ammonia. This remedy is considered the simplest and most affordable, which allows you to get rid of dirty deposits on silver. You will need to purchase a 10% solution. It is recommended to carry out the cleaning procedure in a small glass container where silver items are placed. After 20 minutes, the silver is thoroughly washed with warm running water and dried. This recipe is suitable for products that are not heavily oxidized or can be prevented in this way.

Ammonia and toothpaste

In this case, first clean the silver with an old toothbrush and toothpaste. After this, the products are immersed in about 15 minutes. This recipe is suitable for silver with strong oxidation, but not for jewelry with stones.

Ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and baby liquid soap

All ingredients are mixed in equal parts and diluted with a glass of water. Silver is added to the mixture for a quarter of an hour. After the metal has dried, it must be polished with a wool cloth.

Dentifrice

The silver must be wetted, but only in warm water and immersed in a container with powder for cleaning teeth. In this case, you will need to rub the products with a wool or suede cloth. At the end of cleaning, the silver is washed to remove powder and dried.

Baking soda

To clean, you will need to dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in half a liter of water, the mixture should be heated over fire. After the solution has boiled, a small piece of food foil is thrown into it and silver items are placed. After 15 minutes, you can remove the silver and rinse it with water.

Salt

Cleaning silver jewelry at home can also be done with salt. You will need 200 ml of water and one teaspoon of salt. As soon as it is well mixed, silver items can be immersed in the solution and left for several hours, at least 4. If the silver is heavily contaminated, then it can be boiled in the solution for about 15 minutes, but not jewelry with stones.

Salt, baking soda and detergent

For one liter of water you will need a tablespoon of soda, salt and dishwashing detergent. It is better to knead in an aluminum bowl. Place the container with the solution on low heat, add decorations and boil for about 20 minutes. After this, take out the silver, dry it and wipe it with a piece of suede cloth.

Potato

This recipe can be combined with cooking. After the potatoes are cooked, the water from under them must be drained into a separate container, add a little foil and immerse the silver jewelry, boil for about 5-7 minutes. After this, the products are removed, dried and polished.

Vinegar

Cleaning silver jewelry at home will be effective if you use 9% vinegar, which is heated and the jewelry is immersed in it. After 10 minutes, the silver can be taken out, dried and wiped well with suede.

Water after boiling eggs

After the eggs are cooked, the water should not be poured out, but simply cooled. Place jewelry in warm liquid for 15 or 20 minutes. After this time, the silver jewelry is taken out, washed very well and rubbed with natural cloth.

Lemon acid

Effectively cleaning silver jewelry at home does not require much effort or expense. For example, use citric acid. To dilute the composition you will need a sachet of the product, about 0.7 liters of water and a small piece of copper wire. The entire composition is placed in a water bath. The decorations are placed in the solution and boiled for 30 minutes. After the procedure, the jewelry should be dried and polished.

Coca-Cola drink

How else is it done at home? The methods may seem strange, but they are effective. Many people have heard about the washing and cleaning properties of Coca-Cola, and its use for silver is no exception. To clean jewelry, you will need to pour the drink into a container, immerse the silver in it and put it on low heat. After 7 minutes, the jewelry must be removed and dried.

Rules for cleaning silver jewelry with stones

Cleaning items with precious or semi-precious metals and non-inlaid silver makes a big difference, especially if it is done at home. In this case, the density of the stone is very important. The higher it is, the easier it is to clean silver items.

You already know how to clean silver jewelry at home. But what if they have stones? If the product contains an emerald, aquamarine or sapphire, then you can even clean them with powder, use a toothbrush and even heat them.

Can't be cleaned washing powder and other abrasive products, products inlaid with turquoise, moonstone, opal or malachite. Even though these stones also have a high density coefficient, they may still leave scratches after aggressive cleaning.

Under no circumstances should stones such as ruby, garnet and topaz be exposed to heat. They may even change color after being immersed in hot water.

Silver items that are encrusted with glass or enameled stones are no exception. Such jewelry can also be cleaned, but only in a “soft” way. For example, a cotton swab is placed in tooth powder and the dirt is gently removed. The cotton wool can first be immersed in ammonia. Under no circumstances should you use abrasive agents or high temperatures. Such stones cannot withstand mechanical damage.

Cleaning silver with soft and porous stones

What other methods are known? How to clean silver jewelry with soft and porous stones? Such stones include mother of pearl, pearls, ivory and amber. Under no circumstances should ammonia-based cleaning agents, acidic, alkaline or abrasive substances be used.

Amber and pearls can be soaked in warm, but not hot water and wiped with a soft cloth. You can add a little to the water laundry soap. If a silver item contains corals, then it is better to clean it without touching the stone itself, since it is too sensitive to almost any influence.

How to make silver shine

In addition to the fact that you want to see your silver in perfectly clean condition, you also want it to shine.

How to make it shine at home? For polishing and obtaining highlights on products, they are used. In principle, all of the above methods of cleaning products allow you to achieve shine. But sometimes, even if all the dirt is gone, the silver seems faded. In fact, such a coating is the thinnest layer of corrosion. Therefore, to obtain shine, it is best to use special polishes. They safely remove plaque from the metal surface and give them the attractive appearance they had when they were purchased.

For polishing, it is better to use a sponge made from cellulose, as it will not scratch the silver. Some polishes come with them. The sponge is moistened with the product and the product is cleaned using back-and-forth movements, that is, up and down, but not in a circle. After polishing, the product is washed with running water and wiped dry with a clean and soft cloth.

Preventive actions

Try to always dry your silver items after swimming in a river, bath or swimming pool. It’s best to take them off before you go into a humid environment.

If you use rubber gloves to wash dishes, it is better to remove the rings. Remember that silver does not tolerate contact with rubber well.

Silver jewelry. Products made of beautiful noble white metal were first worn by Egyptian women over 5.5 thousand years ago, but even today, thousands of years later, they remain loved by women for their beauty and accessibility. Silver rings, chains, earrings are several times cheaper than gold ones, although appearance they are almost indistinguishable from white gold jewelry. Silver metal looks perfect with black clothes or clothes in cool colors. In a word, there is something to appreciate about bracelets and pendants made from it. But the metal has one not very pleasant feature - silver turns black over time.

How to clean silver?

I found almost a dozen tips on this topic on the Internet, including a recommendation to purchase a special cleaning product in the jewelry department. But I was only interested in available means of returning silver items to their pristine purity. I decided to try the tips on my jewelry. Fortunately, there are quite a few of them.

Cleaning silver with citric acid

Pour 150 ml of hot water into an enamel plate. I put a piece of food foil. Foil is aluminum that forms a galvanic couple with silver, and during a chemical reaction in the cleaning solution, sulfur ions that contaminate the silver item must transfer from the jewelry to clean aluminum foil. Added 1 tsp to the water. citric acid.

I dipped a silver ring into the resulting solution.

While I was reaching for the camera to capture the transformation of the ring, an almost instantaneous reaction of lemongrass with silver sulfides occurred. As a result, the ring became completely light.

I washed the ring in running water,

wiped it dry with a towel.

The only thing that bothered me was the lack of a beautiful shine on the metal. But this problem was solved with the help of a stationery eraser. But more on that later.

I note that not all silver jewelry can be cleaned with citric acid: if the insert in the ring, pendant or bracelet is amber, garnet or other natural stone, then the product may suffer from the aggressive environment of the cleaning solution. To return the decoration to its original appearance, you will have to choose a more gentle method.

Cleaning silver with baking soda solution

For the purity of the experiment, I decided to clean one earring using the method described above, and the second using a soda solution.

I poured the water, sour from citric acid, into the sink, poured 150 ml of fresh water, and added a teaspoon of soda.

The foil remained in the plate from the previous experiment. As soon as the soda solution boiled, I lowered the second earring into it.

The earring has cleared up. Having compared the result, I can say: a solution of citric acid and a soda solution are equally effective.

Cleaning silver with an eraser

An ordinary school eraser can work wonders: in the process of rubbing the eraser against the surface of a silver item, the dark coating is removed from the latter and a shine appears.

It was with the help of an eraser that we were able to return the ring, cleaned with a solution of citric acid, to the shine of a brand new piece of jewelry. The only disadvantage of the method of removing blackness from silver with an eraser is the inability to lighten hard-to-reach places.

Cleaning silver with lipstick

In every woman’s makeup bag there is a lipstick that either doesn’t match the color or has already purchased bad smell. Having found such lipstick in my place, I smeared it on my silver ring.

I rubbed the surface of the product with a clean soft cloth (a piece of cloth would be ideal) and rinsed it with warm water. The ring cleaned well, but this cleaning method is not suitable for chains, carved jewelry or items of complex shape.

Cleaning silver with a vinegar solution

When I started my experiment, I had no doubt of success: both citric acid and acetic acid have the same principle of action. But an experiment is an experiment. I poured 150 ml of water into an enamel bowl, put a piece of foil in it and added 1 tbsp. l. vinegar 9%.

I lowered the chain into acidified water and “cooked” it for two minutes. I washed the chain and wiped it dry.

All silver jewelry in the house acquired its original appearance.

To summarize, I can say: if you are thinking about the question of how to clean a silver chain, bracelet, rings or earrings without stones, then the least labor-intensive way to do this is with a citric acid solution. Citric acid does not fizz like soda and does not have the pungent odor of acetic acid. Above jewelry With natural stones you will have to puff, adding shine with an eraser or lipstick. By the way, I remembered another “old-fashioned” method of cleaning silver: jewelry is well brightened and polished using an old toothbrush and chalk (tooth powder, toothpaste).