Silver Jewelry Cleaner

I just love wearing silver jewelry. Be it a formal occasion or for everyday usage, I always prefer silver over any other metal, as far as jewelry is concerned. My preference has a lot to do with the shine, beauty and luster that only silver can add to an outfit. Maintaining and cleaning silver jewelry pieces, however, is not a joke. Although silver polish is the most wisely used method of cleaning silver jewelry, I prefer my own homemade cleaning methods. Here are three of the most effective cleaning methods, that I make use of.

Natural Cleaner

Things Required
Aluminum pan, water, baking soda, salt, piece of cloth(100% cotton).

Procedure

• Fill an aluminum pan with two cups of water and keep it for boiling.
• When the water starts boiling, remove it from the stove. Now, put the silver jewelry items that need to be cleaned in it.
• Add two teaspoons of baking soda to the water. Keep the silver items in this mixture for about twenty minutes.
• After twenty minutes, take out the jewelry piece from the water and wash it with plain water.
• Now, take a cotton cloth or a special silver jewelry cleaner cloth, that is available in the market nowadays, and very gently, rub the surface of the jewelry.
• This process would remove the tarnish from your jewelry. However, if there is still some left, repeat the whole procedure again the second time.

Homemade Cleaner

Things Required
Glass bowl, water, ammonia, horsehair silver brush, piece of cotton cloth.

Procedure

• Take the glass bowl and fill it with two cups of water. Add half cup ammonia to the water.
• Now take the horsehair silver brush, put it in the solution for ten seconds, then take it out and scrub the silver, very gently, with it.
• Put the silver jewelry pieces in the solution and leave them as it is for about twenty minutes.
• After twenty minutes, take out the pieces and wash them with plain water.
• Lastly, rub the silver pieces with the cotton cloth, very gently to remove excess water.

Cleaning with a Toothpaste

Things Required
Toothpaste (Non-gel based), toothbrush with soft bristles, cotton cloth, lukewarm water.

Procedure:

• Take the toothpaste and rub it all over the silver jewelry. Make sure to cover the nooks and corners as well.
• Keep on rubbing the surface of the jewelry for a few minutes, in circular motion, till you can see the black tarnish getting mixed with the toothpaste and giving it a black color.
• Take the toothbrush and gently scrub the jewelry surface with it. This should remove the remaining tarnish from the jewelry.
• Now, take warm water and wash off all the impurities and excess toothpaste from the jewelry surface.
• Lastly, clean the jewelry with the soft cotton cloth.

The above mentioned cleaning methods are very mild and thus, will not cause any kind of damage to the silver. Regular cleaning and removal of tarnish from the silver jewelry pieces is very essential to avoid any kind of stubborn tarnish build up. Care should be taken while storing the jewelry pieces too. Each piece of jewelry should be stored separately in an air tight plastic bag, to avoid any damage caused from rubbing against each other. Lastly, the cloth or the brush that you use for cleaning the jewelry should be ultra soft, to avoid any kind of scratches on its surface. With these precautions and regular maintenance, your silver jewelry will continue to shine forever.