Anyone who owns silver jewelry or cutlery knows the problem of tarnished stains on the precious metal. However, this is due to its nature - silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide from the air and therefore changes color. It is not damaged per se, but its appearance suffers from the black patina. Of course, there are plenty of products on the market specifically designed for this purpose, but you can easily clean popular silver jewelry.
If your jewelry often gets tarnished with black spots, it would be helpful for you to know howthe annoying discolorationscan be prevented as much as possible. Always store silver jewelry or cutlery in a velvet box. As an additional measure, you should thoroughly polish necklaces and earrings with a velvet cloth after wearing them. It also helps to add a piece of white chalk to the jewelry and cutlery. This absorbs the air moisture so that discoloration cannot form at all.
With aluminum foil and salt water
Objects made of silver, whether jewelry or...Cutlery, clean with aluminum foil. Place the items in a bowl, add a few pieces of aluminum foil and a teaspoonSalt. If the silver things have turned extremely black, you can wrap them in the foil. Then fill the bowl with hot water and leave for 1-2 minutes. Make sure that the exposure time is not exceeded, otherwise the surface may be attacked. Finally, rinse the items with clean water. The aluminum in the foil releases electrons and the salt in the water intensifies the process. The silver absorbs the electrons and the oxidation layer comes off. It really works – try it now!
With baking powder or baking soda
Perhaps the gentlest way to clean silver products is with baking powder or baking soda. Mix one of the two with water to make a pasta and apply to the affected piece of jewelry or cutlery. After a short exposure time, rinse with water and polish thoroughly with a lint-free cloth.
With vinegar
Vinegar and the fruit acid in general help to remove all disagreements and stains in the household or on textiles. You simply need to place the valuable silver products in a vinegar bath and let it relax for at least 1.5 hours. Then rinse well with water and dry with a hairdryer so that no water stains appear.
With lemon juice or vitamin C
Citric acid is a real helper in the household. To gently clean silver jewelry and cutlery from blackened stains, you need freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon. Take an old toothbrush, dip it in the juice and then rub gently onto the affected areas. This trick works perfectly and particularly quickly.
Bier
Although it sounds crazy, cleaning silver with beer is very effective. Prepare a beer bath for your jewelry and leave the items inside overnight. The high acid content in beer slowly but effectively dissolves the stains on the metal. After the procedure, you should carefully rinse the valuable pieces with water so that no beer smell is released.
With sour milk/yogurt
You can also use sour milk or yogurt. Place the jewelry in a bowl and add the sour milk to cover everything. Leave the milk to work for a few hours, preferably overnight. Then rinse thoroughly and polish briefly with a velvet cloth. The silver will shine like new.
With toothpaste
Toothpaste is a tried and tested home remedy that makes almost any surface shine. It contains small abrasive particles and ingredients that gently fade. This cleaning method is particularly suitable if the silver jewelry has delicate accents that have turned black. Apply the toothpaste and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Then use an old toothbrush to brush even the smallest corners until they are sparkling clean and your favorite necklace or fine cutlery will sparkle like new again.
With potatoes
You can also get your silver clean again if you rub it with a raw potato. This method is particularly intended for solid silver jewelry, especially cutlery.
With curd soap and ammonia spirit
To clean silver, you can also mix curd soap with a little ammonia and dissolve it in warm water. Then rinse with warm water and polish gently.
