How to clean silver jewelry

Taking care of Sterling Silver

Regular care is how you keep your silver in its optimal state. To get the best look out of your silver, here’s how to take care of it.
Silver jewelry are a staple in every woman or man jewelry box. Yet, some people often make the mistake of neglecting their sterling silver accessories, which might lead to discoloration.

Although some of this discoloration or blackening around the edges might appeal to some on their vintage jewelry, some jewelers even do the oxidation intentionally on some items, but it would not look so good on the more modern designs.

There are certain substances and chemicals that can cause sterling silver to corrode.

To avoid harming the condition of your silver, you must keep it away from some elements:

• Substances containing sulfur (latex, wool, eggs, mustard, household cleaning elements etc.)
• Direct sunlight
• Hairspray
• Lotions
• Perfumes

So, try avoid wearing jewelry when performing household chores that require using cleaning agents. This will also help prevent any scratches, dents or damage to any embedded stones.

How to clean silver

Polishing your silver is a great way of bringing its shine and glamour back, you can use a microfiber cloth, or any non abrasive material, never use tissues or paper towels to clean silver jewelry, it could leave tiny scratches on the surface.

This would only work on silver that has very limited tarnish, and that hasn’t been left for a long time without care.

For older and more tarnished silver, you could try one of the below home cleaning methods.

Baking soda and water

Combine water with baking soda and make a paste. Apply a pea-sized amount of the paste to a clean cloth and polish the silver.

If you have details such small etching or lettering on your jewelry, we suggest adding more water to make the paste thinner so it can sink deeper in the grooves. You could also use a soft brush to reach any narrow crevices.

Once done, just wash with tap water to remove any remaining paste, and it should look as good as new.

Baking soda and white vinegar

If your silver has too much oxidation and discoloration, you might need something stronger than water with the baking soda, which is vinegar.

Soak your tarnished jewelry in a solution of half a cup of white vinegar and 2 tbsp of baking soda.

Keep the items soaked for a couple of hours, it would make some fizzing noise at first which is normal. Wash them with running water afterwards and enjoy their new look!

Try a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice

Mix one teaspoon of olive oil with half a cup (120 mL) of lemon juice in a glass bowl. Dip a soft, cloth in the liquid solution and polish the silver with the cloth. Rinse the silver with clean water and dry.

Conclusion:

Silver is eternal, and unlike cheaper material it will never corrode and rust and deteriorate. So if you don’t mind the oxidized look and blackening around the edges, there is no need to clean silver at all! It is just a matter of taste, and how you like your jewelry to look.