How to restore the shine of silver at home? - ServiceYard - the comfort of your home is in your hands.

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Published: 07/11/2020

Reading time: 10 min

1 Why does silver change color?
2 Video material
3 How to polish silver at home?
4 How to polish silver?
5 How to save silver items with stones?
6 Polishing silver at home:
7 Polishing silver with special means
8 Add shine
9 Recipe for cleaning at home:
10 Tips for caring for silver
11 Method 1 - using ammonia
12 Method 2 - using potatoes
13 Method 3 - soda solution
14 Method 4 - table vinegar
15 Method 5 - with table salt
16 Method 6 - toothpaste:
17 Cleaning silverware

Why does silver change color?

You've probably wondered: why does the silver on a chain darken, turn yellow, and how can you make it shine? Cutlery especially quickly changes color. There are several main reasons:

high humidity in the room where the products are stored;
daily contact with the skin of your body;
connection with various cosmetics;
contact with ingredients containing sulfur: onions, salt, egg yolk, household gas, rubber products, some cleaning products.

You definitely need to find out the reason why you often have to solve the problem of how to restore the shine of silver at home. Otherwise, the further you go, the more often specific care and cleaning will be required for all products made from this alloy.

How to save silver items with stones?

When cleaning silver with stones, you need to be extremely careful, because using chemical solutions can damage the stone itself.

Important! If you have the following stones on your jewelry: pearls, coral, amber, then give such jewelry to specialists for cleaning.

If you decide to polish your silver yourself, then spare no expense. Purchase special solutions, cleaning pastes and impregnated wipes for polishing at a jewelry store.

Important! Perform all actions according to the instructions. These materials not only remove darkened stains, but also give your jewelry a mirror shine for a long time.

And of course, there is a recipe that you can use at home to renew, polish your jewelry and restore its shine to silver.

How to clean after tarnishing?

Once your silver has already tarnished, you can use jewelry polishing pastes to remove the black coating. Another choice is to use a silver polishing cloth. Cleaning with silver polishing cloths will allow you to clean it without scratching the metal itself.

You can also take your silver jewelry to a jewelry store to have your silver jewelry professionally cleaned.

If you prefer to clean your silver jewelry at home, you can use the following silver cleaning method:

take a glass bowl;
pour some hot water;
add one or two tablespoons of salt and baking soda;
place your silver items in the container and leave them there for about five minutes;
Once the tarnish has disappeared, rinse your jewelry with water and dry it using a soft cloth.

If the silver is very dirty or tarnished, you can use aluminum foil to get rid of dark spots:

Simply line the bottom of a glass bowl with aluminum foil;
place the decorations on top of the foil and fill them with moderately hot - not boiling - water;
add a few tablespoons of baking soda to the water and stir until it dissolves;
soak the items for approximately 20 - 30 minutes;
then rinse well and dry them with a soft towel.

This method eliminates dullness and restores radiance and shine.

Some people use toothpaste or powder to clean their silver. However, there is a danger that the toothpaste may be too abrasive and scratch your jewelry. This is usually affected by the softness of the silver alloy and the type of paste or powder used. Some brands are more abrasive than others.

Polishing silver at home:

Polishing with dishwashing detergent:

Pour warm water into a plastic bowl.
Add detergent and stir.
Immerse the silver for 15-20 minutes.
We take out each product separately.
Rinse first in warm water, then in cold water.
Place on a clean towel or microfiber cloth and wipe.

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Important! Check that there is no water left on the item.

Buff off any remaining plaque using a small piece of microfiber cloth.

Important! This method is perfect for polishing cutlery.

Polishing silver with special means

In the store you can purchase special products for polishing silver jewelry. They are made in the form of a spray and paste.

Important! The spray is best used for regular polishing. Paste - for very faded and voluminous jewelry.

Application of spray and paste:

Apply the spray (shake the bottle first) or paste onto a rag.
Rub the decoration and leave for 1-2 minutes.
Take another piece of fabric and rub - pay special attention to areas with strong darkening.
Rinse in warm, then in cold water, while removing any remaining polish.
Wipe thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.

How to polish silver?

Under the influence of air, silver becomes covered with a thin film, which prevents your jewelry and tableware from sparkling. With the help of our tips, you will quickly cope with the task - you can polish silver at home to a mirror shine.

Polishing silver at home:

Polishing with dishwashing detergent:

Pour warm water into a plastic bowl.
Add detergent and stir.
Immerse the silver for 15-20 minutes.
We take out each product separately.
Rinse first in warm water, then in cold water.
Place on a clean towel or microfiber cloth and wipe.

Important! Check that there is no water left on the item.

Buff off any remaining plaque using a small piece of microfiber cloth.

Important! This method is perfect for polishing cutlery.

Polishing silver with special means

In the store you can purchase special products for polishing silver jewelry. They are made in the form of a spray and paste.

Important! The spray is best used for regular polishing. Paste - for very faded and voluminous jewelry.

Application of spray and paste:

Apply the spray (shake the bottle first) or paste onto a rag.
Rub the decoration and leave for 1-2 minutes.
Take another piece of fabric and rub - pay special attention to areas with strong darkening.
Rinse in warm, then in cold water, while removing any remaining polish.
Wipe thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.

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Add shine

If you don't know how to make silver shine, take it to a jewelry shop. The masters will do everything using special professional tools. You can also purchase silver cleaning products in jewelry stores and restore the former shine yourself. These can be pastes, powders, foams, napkins, the composition of which will help polish silver and protect it from tarnishing.

Shiny silver ring

But even at home we have enough products at hand to help care for such products. Polishing silver at home is carried out in different ways and with available materials:

Toothpaste and brush. To add shine, apply the paste to a soft brush, wipe the item with it, and rinse with water.
Ammonia. To clean silver, use a soft but thick cloth or woolen cloth. Use it to remove plaque and rinse with water. You can add chalk to alcohol to improve the effect. This method cannot be used for products with a decorative black coating.
Salt, water and foil. For this method we need half a liter of water, two tablespoons of salt. Bring this solution to a boil. Add a few crumpled sheets of foil to it, foam it and hold the product in it for a few seconds. Do not forget to rinse the silver well after the procedure.
Baking soda. Prepare a thick solution of fifty grams of soda and two tablespoons of water. Clean the product with it, rinse and dry.
You can boil the silver in boiling water with soda for about ten minutes.
Milk. Place the silver in sour milk for a few minutes and rinse with water. You can use fresh milk with vinegar added.
Potato. Peel a few potatoes, cut into pieces, cover with warm water and place the silver in this solution for several hours. After that, rinse.
Lemon juice. To make silver shine and shine, wipe it with lemon juice, then rinse well.
Vinegar and soda. Prepare a solution using one hundred milliliters of vinegar and fifty grams of soda. Place the product in the solution for two hours.
Ash. Ash is suitable for cleaning silver spoons. Wipe the dishes and stains with it and they will disappear.

Cleaning silver in foil

After you have washed the products from various products, they need to be dried. To do this, do not rub them, just place them on a paper napkin or flannel and wait until dry.

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Be careful if jewelry is decorated with stones so as not to damage it. Jewelers know best how to polish silver with stones, so entrust this work to them. There is a way to safely clean such products. To do this, you need a few drops of ammonia, add to water with soap shavings. Bring the solution to a boil, remove heat, cool. Wipe the product with this mixture.

Cleaning silver with a toothbrush

Video on how to clean silver at home

HOW TO ADD SHINE TO SILVER: 10 EFFECTIVE WAYS Anyone who has silver jewelry or dishes made from this metal knows that it fades under the influence of time. Therefore, a fair question arises: why does this happen and how to restore the shine of silver at home? Let's look at the most effective and affordable ways to add shine to items made from silver.

Reasons for tarnishing of silver Everyone knows that this metal is capable of changing its color, becoming dark over time and losing its shine. This happens, first of all, from the high humidity in the room where it is stored. Discoloration may occur due to contact with household gas, detergents, onions, salt, rubber or egg yolks. Silver jewelry loses its shine as a result of contact with skin. Moreover, on some it may not darken for years, while on others it stops shining after just a few days of wear. There is an opinion that in this way the metal signals health problems of its owner. It has been proven that it darkens upon contact with cosmetics and substances that contain silver ions. To return the product to its original appearance and make it shiny, you need to arm yourself with theoretical knowledge of how to make silver shine at home without damaging it. How to make silver shine? Previously, to make silver shine, they used various products with abrasive (grinding) particles. However, such methods had a detrimental effect on his condition. Therefore, more and more new methods were regularly searched for on how to make silver shiny without damaging the metal.

1. Cleaning with alcohol Many people probably know how to restore the shine of silver using ammonia. To do this, just mix 2 tablespoons of alcohol with 1 liter of water. To enhance the effect of the alcohol solution, you can also add liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide. The silver is soaked in the resulting solution and left for 15-20 minutes. After this, all you have to do is wipe the products with a piece of fleecy cloth. 2. Cleansing with baking soda. The method using ordinary soda is called very effective at home. To do this, dissolve a few tablespoons of baking soda in half a liter of water. The resulting solution must be boiled, and then the silver that needs cleaning must be placed in it. At the same time as the product, you need to put a small piece of foil into the solution. After 15 minutes, your silver item will look like new. 3. Use of salt. When using this method, 1 teaspoon of regular table salt is dissolved in 1 glass of water. Silver items should be kept in this solution for at least 2-3 hours. To speed up the process, you need to boil the solution along with the product. 4. Use of citric acid. How to make silver shine with citric acid? To do this, prepare a solution of 100 g of acid and 0.5 liters of water. We lower our products here and place the container with the solution in a water bath. To maximize the effect, it is also recommended to lower a piece of copper wire into the solution. Keep the container in a water bath for 20-30 minutes. Now all that remains is to rinse the silver with clean water and enjoy its shine.

5. Using vinegar. Table vinegar helps get rid of the dark film on silver items. Heat a small amount of vinegar (do not boil), soak a piece of soft cloth in it and wipe the darkened item. 6. We use Coca-Cola. If you don't know how to add shine to a silver chain or other product made of this metal, use Coca-Cola. This method seems unusual, but it gives amazing results. It is enough to boil our item for a few minutes in a small amount of Cola to make it shine again, like new. 7. Use an eraser. There is an eraser in every schoolchild's desk. This method can be used for geometrically simple products. The eraser will not only remove dark deposits, but also polish the metal item. 8. We use lipstick. This method seems exotic, but it can be an excellent option for those who are interested in what to do to make silver shine. To do this you will need any lipstick and an old toothbrush. First, “paint” your product with lipstick and scrub it with a brush. The disadvantage of this method is that it is mechanical. However, if you use a brush with soft bristles and do not press too hard, you will not damage the product. After cleaning, rinse your silver item with warm water.

9. Clean with paste. The method is popular for its accessibility. For this you need toothpaste and a brush. As in the previous method, the product must be smeared with paste and cleaned with a brush, then rinse off the remaining paste with water. 10. We use cleaning products. Today in jewelry stores you can find a lot of special products that are intended not only for cleaning, but also for polishing jewelry, including those made of silver. Manufacturers of such products claim that they can not only remove dark plaque and other contaminants, but also create a special protective film that can protect it from further contamination. We looked at the most common and effective methods for making silver shine. But it is equally important to properly store products made from this metal. They should be kept away from sources of moisture and various volatile and chemical substances. It is also better not to keep them next to products made from other metals. The best option would be a wooden box.

Silver is a beautiful, versatile metal, and its soft luster adds subtle elegance to dishes, cutlery and jewelry. Unfortunately, silver is quite a brittle metal compared to other commonly used metals, and dark deposits, stains or scratches appear on it quite quickly. If you don't know, then when cleaning, for example, your favorite silver coins, you can damage them. But still, when cleaning silver, you don't have to be a silversmith just to give your favorite item its former shine. Below we will give you some tips so that you know how to clean silver at home

Home cleaning recipe:

Prepare a soap solution with baby soap (rub it with a knife or grater onto the shavings).
Add 5-6 drops of ammonia.
Bring the solution to a boil and remove from heat, cool.
With the resulting suspension, using a brush (you can take a used toothbrush), we treat only that part of the jewelry where there is no stone.

Important! To treat the stone and its surroundings, take a cotton swab and, with careful movements, moisten it in the solution, clean it.

Rinse under warm water and polish with a soft cloth.

Using all these simple techniques, you can give your silver jewelry its original shine and shine.

Cleaning a Silver Ring with Home Remedies

You can entrust the cleaning of your jewelry to specialists in a jewelry workshop. To remove blackness and other contaminants, they use special compounds and unique techniques. However, you can achieve the desired result at home using improvised means.

Soda

The simplest and most affordable method involves using soda. The cleaning algorithm includes several steps:

Dissolve 2 tbsp in 500 ml of water. l. soda
Place the solution on the fire and bring to a boil.
Place a silver ring and a piece of foil into boiling water.
Boil for a few minutes, then remove the jewelry and wipe it with a soft cloth.

To clean silver jewelry, use baking soda and food foil. This simple method is very effective and efficient.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste will help restore the shine and shine of the product. Cleaning efficiency is achieved due to the content of sand, chalk and other polishing particles in the composition, and they are so small that they do not scratch the surface.

To clean, simply apply the paste to a damp, soft-bristled . Work the ring from all sides, paying special attention to problem areas. After cleaning, rinse the product with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

To remove heavy stains, use a radical method: combine tooth powder and ammonia. Treat the decoration with the resulting mixture and then wash it under running water.

Ammonia + hydrogen peroxide

You can wash silver using ammonia and hydrogen peroxide:

Mix the main ingredients in equal proportions.
Place silver jewelry (ring, chain or earrings) into the solution and tightly close the container with a lid.
Leave the product for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water and dry.

When using this method, follow safety precautions and avoid inhaling hazardous fumes.

When using hydrogen peroxide for cleaning, be careful. This product effectively cleans the product and restores shine, but upon contact with some substances, an unexpected reaction is possible - the metal may turn black or become coated . If you are unsure of the quality of the decoration, do not use peroxide for cleaning.

Soaking or boiling cleaning is not suitable for jewelry with glued stones. In a humid environment, the glue becomes soggy and decorative elements may fall off.

Yolk

An ancient method will help restore the shine and purity of silver: soak a cotton pad in egg yolk and apply it to the ring.

Egg yolk not only effectively cleans silver from blackness and dirt, but also protects the product from darkening and the effects of oxides

Lipstick

Regular lipstick will help you polish a smooth silver ring. Decorative cosmetics contain fat and titanium dioxide, which clean dirt well and polish the surface.

To clean, apply lipstick to the ring and rub it well with a cotton pad. At the end of the process, dry the product with a soft microfiber cloth. Do not use this method for jewelry with stones or carvings. It is extremely difficult to remove particles of lipstick from the “secret” corners, as a result of which the appearance of the product will be ruined.

Lemon acid

A solution of citric acid will help clean silver: dilute 100 g of the product in 0.5 liters of water and place in a water bath. After boiling, dip the jewelry and a piece of copper wire into the solution. Boil the product for 15 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly.

Citric acid will help to carefully clean a silver ring. It removes darkening, plaque and other contaminants, restoring the product to its former shine.

Tips for caring for silver

In order to preserve the shine and beautiful appearance of the product longer, you need to know how to care for silver and how to store it correctly:

In the drawer where the silver is stored, put a few pieces of chalk, it will help maintain the shine;
in order to save the product from oxidation, line the storage box with aluminum foil;
remove jewelry before taking a bath or washing dishes;
store silver items in a dry place;
It is desirable that the products in the box do not touch each other, so use separate microfiber bags;
Products that have semi-precious inserts are best stored in boxes away from sunlight and high temperatures;
Wipe the removed jewelry with a dry, soft cloth;
Clean the products at least once a year.

Timely care of your silver will help maintain the attractive appearance of the product. It won't require much effort and won't take much time. Caring for jewelry and interior items will allow their owners to enjoy the shine, beauty, and enjoy the sophistication and attractiveness of silver for as long as possible.

Method 1 - using ammonia

To restore the shine of silver using this method, you need to prepare:

ammonia, can be bought at any pharmacy;
hydrogen peroxide;
baby soap - liquid;
microfiber cloth.

Let us describe step-by-step instructions on how to restore the shine of silver at home:

Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia in a glass of water.
Add a few drops of peroxide and baby soap.
Place the product in this solution for 15 hours.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the water consumption and consumption of an automatic washing machine

Important! If there is no very strong contamination, the time can be reduced.

Once the stains are gone, remove the silver and wipe with a microfiber cloth.

Important! This product removes black spots very well.

Method 2 - using potatoes

In this case you need:

potato decoction;
foil.

The step-by-step process will look like this:

Pour the potato broth into a separate bowl and cool.
Place a piece of foil at the bottom of the container.
Dip the silver into the cooled broth and leave for 5 minutes.
Remove the items, rinse under running water and dry with a soft cloth.

Important! The fabric should not be lint-free.

Method 6 - toothpaste:

Take toothpaste. It is important that it does not have a bleaching effect.
Apply a small amount of paste to a soft, wet cloth.
Rub the contaminated areas, moisten alternately with water and paste.

Important! Be careful; if you notice a small scratch, stop working.

Rinse the item in warm water.
Dry with a cotton cloth.

Important! Be careful when using toothpaste as it may cause small abrasions on the surface of your silver items.

Use ammonia

Contrary to popular belief, it not only brings people out of deep fainting, but also helps to remove the dark coating that has covered silver items and deprived them of their noble shine. To do this, prepare a solution consisting of soapy water and ammonia (half a teaspoon of alcohol per 1 glass of water), dip the items that need cleaning into it and wait a few minutes. Having achieved the desired result, it is necessary to remove the silver from the solution, rinse in warm water and dry thoroughly. It is worth noting that this method is not recommended for jewelry with stones, since ammonia has the ability to negatively affect them.