How To Clean Silver: Silver is a very beautiful metal that is used to make jewelry, utensils, vases, idols, and cutlery. It is often also used to make antiques and heirlooms which must be preserved properly because they carry a family sentiment. Silver decorative pieces are often used to decorate tables and shelves. They add a very classy and elegant touch to your home.
Thus, the silver items in your house such as utensils, cutlery, even jewelry must be taken care of regularly. This is because they often become less shiny and lose their luster over a long period of time. This is a result of a chemical reaction called tarnishing.
Whenever silver is exposed to the atmosphere for a long time, it reacts with the sulfur present in the air and thus silver items get tarnished. Thus, if you want to preserve your silver items and jewelry in a good condition you must remember to clean it often and take good care of it. The good news is that cleaning silver is very easy. You can easily remove the tarnish from your jewelry and utensils by just using some products available at home. Some of the home remedies you can use to clean your silver items at home include salt, vinegar, and baking soda. Keep reading this article to find out more about cleaning, polishing, and preventing tarnish from your silver items at home.
How To Clean Silver Utensils
The best home remedy to clean silver is of course baking soda. Aluminum foil and baking soda is the best recipe to clean your luxury items with. You must remember that this aluminum foil and baking soda recipe is very useful when you are cleaning a lot of items together or large items. Thus, we recommend an aluminum soda bath to clean utensils because they are bigger and this method will clean them easily. You can also use this method to clean candlesticks, tableware, and cutlery.
How To Clean Silver Utensils Using Baking Soda
The first thing you have to do is cover the bottom of a baking pan with aluminum foil. You must keep in mind that that shiny side of the foil should face up when you cover the baking pan. Also, remember to use a large baking pan. Since metal can react with baking soda it is a good idea to use a glass or ceramic baking pan. Thus, we will be able to avoid unwanted chemical reactions.
Next, you have to fill the baking pan with water and then add baking soda to it. If you are using one gallon of water in the pan then you have to add 1.5 tablespoons or 25 grams of baking soda. Now stir this mixture well and boil it. When you have brought this mixture to a boil, take your tarnished utensils and put them in the water. Leave the utensils in the water-soda solution for about fifteen seconds. After that use kitchen tongs to take the utensils out. Finally spread some paper towels out and place the utensils on these sheets so that they cool off.
Thus, you will see that all the collected tarnish on the silver utensils is gone and they are as shiny as new. If your utensils have a lot of stubborn tarnish, simply repeat this procedure and they will become clean. If there are encrusted gemstones on any of your items, never use this recipe to clean them. The baking soda may severely damage the gems.
How To Clean Silver Antiques
Silver is often present in antiques to which people may be emotionally attached. Thus you have to be very careful while cleaning them. Because most silver items are showpieces, they have to be taken care of. You will not be able to wear the silver jewelry or put the cutlery or candlesticks on display if they are dull and tarnished.
If your antiques are silver-plated items then it can be tricky to clean them. Since antiques are very old, vigorous cleaning can harm them. Also in the case of silver-plated items, since the silver is on the surface of another metal, it can flake with regular use. If you submerge it in a liquid to clean it, it can cause further harm.
Thus, you must always test a spot on your antique with the cleaning solution. If the spot gets cleaned without any damage then only you should proceed with the rest of the cleaning procedure. If the antiques in your house have gemstones or any other embellishment, then you should not use baking soda to clean the antiques. You can just use mild soap to clean it. You may also use baby shampoo. Mix the baby shampoo with water and wipe the stones down.
When you are cleaning the nooks and crannies of the antique you may use cotton swabs or even brushes with soft bristles. When you are using a brush to clean the antiques you must remember to lightly clean the antique so that the surface does not get scratched.
How To Clean Silver Jewelry
There are some surprising home remedies that you can use to clean your silver items. Did you know that you can use Coca-Cola to clean silver jewelry? It is not only possible but a very effective method. First, pour about 500 ml of Coca-Cola into a bowl. Place all your tarnished jewelry in it and let it soak for about 10 to 15 minutes. After that throw the Coca-Cola away and gently rub the jewelry with a soft cloth.
The Coca-Cola will completely strip the silver clean. This is one of the easiest ways to clean silver since the effort required is minimal. It will be worth the time you spend.
You can also use any window cleaning solution to clean your jewelry! Just take any store-bought window cleaner and spray it into a soft cloth. It is a good idea to use a microfiber cloth. Then you have to rub the silver gently with the cloth. The change is miraculous. The jewelry is not only shinier but the color of the silver also improves a lot. It gives a great shine to the jewelry thus we will recommend it for sparkling silver.
Another home remedy you can use to clean silver is of course beer.
Pour a cup or about 250 ml of beer into a bowl. Then soak your silver jewelry in it for about five to ten minutes. Finally, take the jewelry out and rub it gently with a soft cloth. This method will remove all the tarnish and improve the color of your jewelry a lot! Using beer is definitely a very successful recipe to clean any kind of silver since the fizz removes the tarnish effectively. Thus, you will be left with gleaming jewelry that will be as good as new.
How To Clean Silver Ornaments
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It is relatively easy to clean silver ornaments that have lost their shine. To restore luster to your ornaments simply follow this recipe. First, take about four tablespoons of water and mix six tablespoons of cornflour in it. When you have finished making the paste, apply it to your ornaments.
After that let the thick paste dry completely on the ornament. Finally, use a soft towel to rub off the dry mixture and polish the surface of the ornament gently. Thus this method will restore the shine of your jewelry and remove all the tarnish very easily. If you do not have enough cornflour you can even replace it with cream of tartar.
How To Clean Silver Plate
It is very important to clean your silver items regularly and not wait for them to tarnish. Thus if you are cleaning them every day it will be easy for you. For everyday cleaning just washing the utensils in soapy water will be enough to keep them shiny.
Just mix a little amount of baby shampoo or any mild dishwashing soap in warm water. Then wash the plates in this solution and gently rinse them clean. Dry them with a soft towel. You must remember to store your silver plates in a dry and cool place so that it does not get tarnished easily.
Unfortunately, if your silverware still gets tarnished then there are quite a few home remedies to help fix that. Aluminum foil and laundry detergent is one such way. This cleaning method removes tarnish very effectively. First, you have to line a bowl with aluminum foil and fill it with hot water. Then add a tablespoon or 15 ml of laundry detergent in the hot water and stir evenly.
After this, you have to take your plates and carefully drop them in this solution. Let the items soak for about a minute and take them out using kitchen tongs. Finally, rinse your plates with lukewarm water. Spread out some paper towels and place the plates on them. You may also use a soft towel to dry the plates.
How To Clean Silver at Home
A great home remedy to clean silver is ketchup. This may sound strange but ketchup is actually one of the most effective ways to remove tarnish from silver items! This method is very useful if you have less silverware to clean. If you have more items we recommend using another method because otherwise, you will run out of edible ketchup! Firstly you have to take your ketchup bottle and pour out about one tablespoon or 15 ml of ketchup. Next, use paper towels, and using some of this ketchup gently rub the utensils or idols.
If there is some old stubborn tarnish on the items then you should apply some ketchup directly on it. After applying ketchup to these areas leave the items for about 15 minutes. After that use a soft cloth and gently rub on the item. We recommend using microfiber towels. Finally, rinse the items with water. Thus you will observe that all the tarnish is removed. If your silver items such as candlesticks have details that you cannot reach with the towel, you may use cotton pads.
You can also use brushes with soft bristles to reach in between the crevices of your silverware and clean it properly. Thus your silverware will be sparkling and gleaming without any tarnish.
How To Clean Silver Dishware
A great product that you can use to clean your silver cutlery and dishware at home effectively is hand sanitizer! Hand sanitizing products are a very good option in case you need to polish your silverware quickly.
Just pour a small amount of hand sanitizer on soft paper towels and slowly rub it on the surface of the dishes. You may also use any other soft handkerchief or cloth. This will effectively remove the accumulated mat and tarnish on the dishes and make them clean and shiny again. You must remember to never use hand sanitizer if the silverware has any gems on them. This is because the sanitizer may damage the stones.
How To Clean Silver with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great way to remove the mat and tarnish from silver products. Just make a thick paste with baking soda and lukewarm water and apply it evenly all over the tarnished silver items with a damp cloth. Let the mixture dry on the silverware for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then using a soft cloth gently rub the mixture on the silverware. You must remember to not rub the items too hard because it may result in scratches on the surface of the items.
You may also use cotton swabs or brushes with soft bristles to clean the details of the items you cannot reach with a cloth. Thus rinse the items and finally dry them with a soft towel. A great trick to avoid your silver items from getting tarnished is using chalk. Keep a small piece of chalk in the box with your store silverware. Since chalk is very absorbent it will absorb moisture. You can also use silica gel instead of chalk.
How To Clean Silver Idols at Home
A lot of households have silver idols which need regular cleaning because they are exposed to air and gather tarnish. A classic and easy recipe to clean silver idols at home is by using toothpaste. You must keep in mind that the toothpaste should not be a gel and it should also not be abrasive.
First, you have to squeeze a little amount of toothpaste to a paper towel. Then rub the toothpaste gently on the silver idol. You may also use soft brushes to reach the details of the idol. Rub it well by using circular motions. This will polish the idol and also remove the tarnish from it. Thus this procedure will make your idols clean and shiny.
How To Clean Silver Cutlery
You can use white distilled vinegar and baking soda to clean your silver cutlery. You must remember to not use this recipe to clean silver antiques. This is because this may severely damage them. However, if you are cleaning sterling cutlery then this is a great method to use. It will not only clean the cutlery but also restore the shine and luster of your silver cutlery. Take a large bowl and put your silver cutlery in it. Then pour white distilled vinegar on these items.
You have to pour enough vinegar to cover all the items. Next, you have to add the final ingredient which is baking soda. For every cup or 250 ml of white vinegar, you have to add four tablespoons or 60 grams of baking soda. Stir the mixture and leave the items in the bowl for about an hour. Finally, you should rinse the cutlery with clean water and dry it with a soft microfiber cloth. Thus you will have clean and shiny cutlery that will be as good as new.