Self cleaning silver at home

Products from precious metals are always relevant as decorations, whether it be jewelry, souvenir and interior products or tableware. Silver is considered the most versatile and affordable. It goes to many people, it does not look unnecessarily luxurious, even in large quantities and costs much less than other precious metals. However, silver and silver-plated jewelery are more susceptible to contamination and the formation of defects in the form of plaque, yellowing or blackening. Solve any of these problems will help professional or self-cleaning silver at home.

Over time, the appearance of silver deteriorates: it appears yellow, reddish or black bloom. Embossed and lace jewelry made of silver jewelry can lose expressiveness and shine. There are many opinions about the causes of such problems, ranging from improper care and ending with the fact that the owner of the jewelry was damaged. The last statement is the most controversial, since there are a number of real objective reasons for the contamination of silver jewelry, as those that are actively used every day, and those that are taken from the boxes only on major holidays:

• Long contact of silver products with oxygen. In the open air, the metal undergoes chemical reactions, and, as a result, a raid forms on it, which deprives the jewels of its brilliance. This is especially noticeable on silverware. Ideally, cutlery should have a "moon shining", but the after oxidation plaque makes them dull, like ordinary aluminum spoons.
• Interaction with skin secretion. The sweat and sebaceous glands on the human body work continuously, especially in those with increased activity or nervousness. In this case, the body releases a small amount of sulfur, which is sufficient for a chemical reaction with the metal. Because of her silver gets an unpleasant black patina. In order for jewelery to retain its soft radiance longer, it is necessary to remove them during sports, illnesses and stressful situations.
• Increased humidity. Especially noticeable negative effect on silver-plated products and jewelry, imitating silver. From them, the water literally washes away the silver plating.
• The influence of cosmetics. Many of the care products and types of decorative cosmetics in their composition are sulfur and substances similar to it in effects on metals. In combination with sweat and sebum, they destroy the original beauty of costume jewelry twice as fast. Chains and earrings are particularly affected.

• Contact with household chemicals. Dishwashing detergents, powders, shower gels, shampoos, soaps and other alkaline compounds cause the top layer of silver jewelry to become dirty, so it is recommended to remove jewelry before going to the shower and use rubber gloves to wash dishes.
• Storage of jewelry in the general "heap". Silver of different samples contains different additives in their composition, which also adversely affect each other. In a common jewelry box, each item must be kept in individual packaging. It is desirable that this was a bag of velvet, since there is no air exchange in the plastic bags.
• Open storage. Exposure to sunlight does not blacken silver, but it loses its shine and becomes faded.
• Sudden changes in temperature and humidity. This especially affects the rings on the hands during the cold season.
• Lack of preventive care measures. From time to time even pure silver must be rubbed with special napkins.This significantly increases their tenure in pristine condition.
• Low sample jewelry. In many ways, the occurrence of pollution is affected by the composition of the metal. The products of the highest test - 999 are the least problematic in this matter. 100% of silver on the jewelry market is almost non-existent, since the metal itself is soft, easily wrinkled, scratched, loses relief, openwork design, and with it attractiveness and jewelery value. For strength, ligature is added to silver — copper, aluminum, zinc, or nickel. The greater the percentage of impurities, the faster on the decoration appear yellowness, blackness or redness.

The red color of the product gives a large amount of copper, and yellow and black - other additives. The minimum allowable samples for table silver are 750 and 800 (a three-digit number indicates the silver content per kilogram of alloy). For jewelry silver content should be higher - from 830 to 999.

The most popular and reliable is sterling silver, from which coins were minted in England. The silver content in this alloy is 916 grams.

Various factors influence the choice of products for high-quality and safe cleaning of silverware.

Many home-made products and ready-made professional formulations are versatile and work to bring back shine, shine and original color to jewelry. However, the type and degree of contamination may be different, and in order to update the darkened silver, you will need a sparing composition and less time, and to clean the same product from the apparent blackness - a more aggressive tool and a long lasting effect. Also, in addition to dirt, troubles such as loss of gloss or scratching occur with silver. In each case, their own methods are effective:

• Blackened silver. From the black plaque, which mainly appears under the influence of hydrogen sulfide, get rid of in different ways. In the arsenal of professionals there are ultrasonic procedures, powerful steam generators and wipes with special impregnation for polishing products. Among the homemade recipes popular compositions based on soda, chalk, foil, tooth powder, liquid ammonia. Many of them involve boiling. Abrasive compounds (scratching) do a good job with heavy dirt, but you should be careful with them, because the particles of the substance can spoil the relief or delicate pattern on the jewelry.
• Rusty metal. To put in order the silver products that are affected by rust, you need to purchase a ready-made rust detergent and follow the instructions or put the product in a container with ammonia. After some time, the product can be removed, wiped with a napkin and worn.
• Red bloom. It appears in two cases: either copper was oxidized in the composition of the alloy, or plaque appeared under the influence of another metal, which was located next to silver. In order to get rid of plaque, effective professional solutions and liquids are effective. They put the product in them, periodically taking out and blotting with a napkin, or wiping with a cotton swab on top.

• Yellowness. One of the most unpleasant types of pollution, because silver is starting to look like a cheap fake. Appears from iodine and chlorine (even after going to the pool). The easiest way is to "mask" the yellowness with fresh starch. Products are rubbed with raw potatoes so that the yellowness changes color, and they become almost imperceptible. It also helps soap-alcohol solution, soda, toothpaste and tooth powder.
• White bloom. Such a problem can arise both by itself and after trying to clean blackness from the jewelry. White coating is less noticeable than the color, but from the side the product looks dull, devoid of the inherent shine of silver.In this case, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide with the addition of baby shampoo, ready-made formulations and wipes impregnated with abrasive substances help well.
• Brown patina. It is usually formed on nickel silver items (imitation silver). The result of the oxidation of metals is not mechanically washed; here it is necessary to use an aluminum-salt bath with hot water. Aluminum can be used in the form of wire or foil.
• Scratches and damage. Such defects can spoil the look of a silver product, even if it has not lost its luster. Scratches on large jewelery and products with a smooth surface are especially noticeable. It is possible to return them to their previous appearance with the help of careful grinding by hand. Different abrasives are suitable for this purpose - from emery cloth with the smallest grain and silicone rings to a sewing needle. You can also get rid of scratches with the help of chalk solution, soda, GOI paste, polishing paper.

• Metal sample. Many cleaning methods in one way or another imply a mechanical effect on a silver product. It is permissible when working with silver up to 916 samples, but should be gentle (cotton disc, cotton swab, very soft toothbrush, abrasive wipes). Products of the highest standard, in which the percentage of soft metal is almost equal to 100%, are shown gentle methods. As a rule, it is immersion in solutions for a short time.
• Type of item. All silverware can be divided into jewelry, interior items and cutlery. Silverware is the strongest and cheapest in composition. It is subjected to various types of cleaning and polishing without harm to the surface of the product. Interior decorations can be made of more expensive, soft and capricious silver, but they are large, so they are easy to clean with napkins, ready-made sprays, brushes and other mechanical methods of action. Jewelry that carry more material and artistic value should be cleaned with care.

In addition to the sample, several other types of silver used in jewelry should be distinguished:

• Rodirovannoy. This is a precious metal sprayed from another precious metal of the platinum group. This coating makes silver jewelery as resistant to dirt and damage as possible. They are not suitable, and do not need home solutions and ready-made tools. It is enough as a prophylaxis to wipe them from time to time with soapy water and a special napkin for precious metals. It is especially convenient to buy ready-made wipes for wired silver if they are required for the care of wrist watches. Rhodium, like silver, is afraid of sulfur, sweat, sebum, chlorine, aggressive chemistry. The best solution is not to clean it, but to respect the decorations;
• Gold plated. Due to the gold dusting, such silver is less capricious in the care. For cleaning use natural suede, alcohol and turpentine in small quantities, a solution of vinegar in the proportion of 2 spoons per liter of water, soaking in beer, rubbing with a flannel napkin, ammonia, lipstick.
• Blackened This is the most sophisticated type of silver for decontamination. Usually blackening is applied in the form of a picture on a light background, which eventually loses its luster, acquires patina, dims. To clear it and not to spoil black drawing, it is necessary to be very accurate. It helps soap and saline and rubbing raw potatoes.

• Drip. By nature, it is not a metal, but a mineral known as marcasite. He does not tolerate contact with chemistry, alkali, alcohol. You can use only the most careful cleaning methods.
• Kubachinskoe. This is a very old silver, which was at the peak of its popularity as early as the 17th century, and it is a rarity to find it today. It has a high artistic value and is distributed mainly among interior objects. Due to its high quality, it is less prone to contamination, but is amenable to any kind of processing. It is better to use for cleaning organic matter: lemon, salt, potatoes. Suitable ammonia and soap solution.
• Sterling Universal high quality silver high sample. It is recommended to clean it with vinegar, peroxide, ammonia, napkins for jewelry.
• The presence of parts from other precious metals, jewelry The presence of parts from other precious metals, jewelry in the form of stones and pearls. When choosing a cleaning method for combined jewelry, it is important to consider the properties of other metals or precious materials.

You can only wash products with high density stones (emeralds, sapphires, aquamarine) with any solutions, rub and soak in warm water. But You can not immerse them in hot water, if the stone is not held on the metal "paws", but on glue.

For stones that have a less dense structure and are susceptible to mechanical damage, choose sparing means and baths. These include products with turquoise, malachite and moonstone.

Some stones (garnet, ruby, topaz) lose their color due to hot water and aggressive chemicals. They are shown cold soft cleaning.

Organic elements with an increased sensitivity to alkaline and acidic solutions (pearls, coral, amber) require particularly careful treatment. At home, they can cause irreparable harm.

Sometimes pollution on silver is found shortly before an important event, then the jewelry needs to be cleaned as quickly as possible. It helps active solutions with ammonia, alcohol, boiling with copper and foil, brushing and abrasives. For slow cleaning, you can use long-lasting mild solutions and use ultrasound baths from specialists.

Silver is not the most expensive of precious metals. If the product is small and has no special material or personal value, spending big money on putting it in order is simply a pity. In this case, it is worth using simple recipes using peroxide (a bottle costs less than 20 rubles), soap and soda solutions.

A little more expensive will cost ready-made cleaning agent. It fits the case if the house has a lot of silverware and they are large.

The most expensive is the cleaning of silver from the jeweler using steam, ultrasound and special napkins. It is necessary for expensive jewelry, high-grade silver, family jewelery, jewelry with high artistic value.

Owners of silver jewelry often wonder what to prefer - home remedies for cleaning or special compositions. There is no single answer to this question. And personally made compositions, and purchased in the store have both their advantages and their disadvantages.

The advantages of household formulations include:

• Available components. Most popular recipes consist of tools that everyone has in their home, as they are necessary for medical purposes, household or personal hygiene;
• Efficiency. A drop of liquid soap, a little foil, a piece of copper or a vial of hydrogen peroxide will cost a penny, and the result is often good;
• No harm to health. There are no harmful fumes or corrosive substances in household cleaners;
• Ease of cooking;
• Interchangeability of the components of the composition;
• Quick effect.

The only disadvantage of such funds is one, but serious - an unpredictable result.Even using a means tested by someone else, it is difficult to predict whether it will give an effect and whether it will be positive. It is possible that it will be necessary to carry the completely ruined decoration to the master.

The ten most popular silver cleaners at home are mixtures using ammonia, peroxide, bleaching and alkaline products domestic and medical supplies. There are more original methods, where the main ingredient is raw onions, grated potatoes, carbonated drinks and even cigarette ash.

One of the most common, effective and fast ways. The recipe for preparing the solution is very simple - it is necessary to dilute 2 spoons of alcohol with one liter of water. Observing proportions, the volume is easy to increase or decrease. Enhance the action of hydrogen peroxide and soap, foaming substances in small quantities.

In the finished mixture of precious metal is lowered for a quarter of an hour, then spread on a felt cloth for wiping. The procedure is repeated until the desired result is achieved.

This method is suitable for objects without stones and adding other metals. Salt is diluted in proportion to 2 dessert spoons per 200 ml of liquid, and products boiled in the resulting solution for 10-15 minutes. If you want to avoid boiling, the jewelry is just soaked in water with salt.

Replacing salt with baking soda will help speed up the process. It is added to water in a ratio of 1-2 spoons per 500 ml of water. After boiling for 15 minutes, the decorations will shine like new. It is also effective when soaking, followed by wiping with a felt cloth.

Removing contamination from silver products using personal care products is permissible if they are white and do not contain abrasive particles. Such a paste in a small amount is applied on a napkin or a very soft toothbrush and light movements from the bottom up (always in one direction), process the contaminated surface.

Cleaning with tooth powder is more effective in those cases when the product needs soft polishing. In this case, the powder is diluted with warm water to the consistency of a thick paste, applied on a napkin and the problem areas are treated with it. A toothbrush is no longer needed here, as this will enhance the grinding effect.

By itself, the foil is not able to return silver to its original brilliance and purity, but in combination with other components, it works as a catalyst, triggering chemical reactions.

Most often, the foil is used for boiling. It is lined to the bottom and sides of the pot, water is poured into the pot so that it completely covers the foil, and then a choice of a small piece of copper wire or 15-20 g of baking soda is added. The mixture should be brought to a boil and place a silver product in it. Then they can be boiled for 5-15 minutes or put into the solution and not removed before cooling.

This antiseptic is known for its whitening properties. It is able to return the proper "moon" shine to silver, but if used carelessly, it gives the opposite effect.

At 1 liter of water is enough to take 100 ml of hydrogen peroxide. In the resulting solution, lower the product for 15-60 minutes. The exposure time depends on the type of product. For thin chains, a quarter of an hour is enough, cutlery should be kept 3-4 times longer.

Another way to bring shine back to tarnished cutlery. In order for them to sparkle on the festive table, it is necessary to dilute two bags of citric acid at 50 grams in half a liter of water. Additionally, put a small piece of copper wire in the solution tank.

Heat this mixture is better in a water bath. When the water boils, the fire can be lowered or turned off and put dark or dim silver in hot water. Exposure time - up to 20 minutes. For maximum effect, it is recommended to wash and polish the product with a soft cloth.

For this purpose, you will need the usual vinegar (not essence!) 6 or 9%. Vinegar is a simple and effective means, because it does not even need to be diluted with other liquids. It is enough to pour half a glass or other glass container and put inside decorations that have lost their presentation. 60-80 minutes later, they will sparkle like new, especially after polishing. Vinegar should be thoroughly washed off.

In addition to these common recipes, there are more original solutions. As a rule, it is a one-component substance that is frequently used and readily available:

• Olive oil. Suitable for removing light dirt and deposits. The oil is applied to the polishing cloth and rub it well;
• Carbonated drinks. Possible cleaning "Sprite", "Fanta", "Coca-Cola." They are used in pure form for both cold soaking and boiling;
• Ashes from cigarettes. Effective way, but with a strong smell, since the entire contents of the ashtray must be poured into a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. In a hot solution, lower the silver for 10-15 minutes, then rinse well and polish;
• Sour milk Its use does not require extra effort. Jewelry is soaked in liquid for a quarter of an hour, removed and polished;

• Potatoes. Fresh potatoes give the effect of a fine abrasive substance due to the presence of a large amount of starch in the composition. Potatoes are cut into thin slices and put into a container with water, silver is lowered there for 2-4 hours. Hot water is suitable after boiling potatoes;
• Lipstick. There are legends about the effectiveness of this method, but it is important to remember that there is wax and fats in the lipstick, which can then be problematic to remove jewelry from the surface, especially textured.
• Eraser.
• Banana peel.
• Fixer for the development of photographs.

The jewelry stores offer ready-made cleaning products for silverware. They also have a number of advantages:

• Manufacturer's warranty;
• Clear and effective composition;
• Safety of use;
• Good and fast result.

Their disadvantages are higher cost than home remedies, and a limited shelf life. Also, this tool is not suitable for processing table silver, since the liquid is used in a concentrated form, and the cost of cleaning the devices will be unreasonably high.

Today, in the domestic market, jewelery cosmetics from four manufacturers are in demand:

• "Aladdin." The complete cleaning kit consists of a container with a solution, a basket, in which it is convenient to lower the jewelry into the container, and a special napkin for finishing polishing. Tara can be of different volumes, including large sizes for interior and table silver, but the price increases with the volume. The solution is not suitable for processing jewelry with fragments of organic origin (amber, coral, pearls) and enamel. The remaining products with dense stones and without stones are immersed in the solution for 10-20 seconds. With strong pollution time increases, but not more than 1.5-2 minutes.

• Silbo. Jewelry cosmetics produced in Germany has a wider product line.It includes solutions, and foams, and cleaning wipes. Besides the fact that Silbo products are less aggressively acting on silver, it additionally creates a protective film on the surface. When using liquid, decorations are placed in a strainer from the kit and lowered into the solution for up to 8 minutes. The remains are washed off under running water and rubbed over the surface with a cloth. The foam is applied directly to the polishing cloth and it is treated with a contaminated surface. After careful rubbing, the foam is left for 3-5 minutes, again wiped with a napkin, washed and polished.

• "Thurman". The principle of operation is the same as with “Aladdin”. This remedy contains acid, which is contraindicated for pearl elements, blackening and enamel.
• "Mascot". The range of this manufacturer is the widest: solutions, foams, tools for silverware, napkins. All types of cleaners contain acid, so the products are washed with soap and wiped with a cloth after use.

If only a little time is left before the guest’s visit or visit, and the festive silver turned out to be spoiled by black bloom or noticeably reddened, you can quickly and effectively clean it at home in several ways.

The fastest result gives the finished product - "Aladdin." Its duration is less than two minutes. But there is simply not enough liquid for silver tableware, and not everybody has jewelry cosmetics on hand. But baking soda and aluminum in any form can be found in any home.

Water-soda solution with the addition of aluminum copes with any contamination on silver, be it silver spoons, glasses, other devices and utensils, old silver (916, 925 or 999 samples), chains, rings, earrings or fine jewelry. It is used with caution if the silver is drip, colored or has enamel, stones, pearls as decoration. In this case it is better not to lower the jewelry into the solution, but dip a napkin into it and rub only the metal parts.

In order for silver to shine again and acquire a luxurious look, it is necessary to take a capacity of 1-2 liters (pan, ladle, bowl), cover the bottom with aluminum foil. You can use any product made of pure aluminum, just putting it in the pan, but the foil in this case is more efficient and more convenient. Then, food and water are added to the container at the rate of 1 tablespoon for every 500 ml of boiling water. It is important to pour boiling water over the soda and not to add it to the water in the tank. - so the reaction will happen faster.

In the hot water put jewelry that can be cleaned with alkaline substances. Hold time - 3-5 minutes. This is enough for a redox reaction to occur, eliminating plaque and contamination from the surface of the jewelry.

It is convenient to remove the silver from the hot water with a fork or pouring the solution through a strainer. Then the jewelry is thoroughly washed with clean cool water and the procedure is completed by rubbing it with a soft cloth. It is not recommended to use gauze, sponge or cotton fabric for this purpose.

Alkaline solutions, boiling, aggressive components are not used to restore shine to jewelry with precious stones and a mixture of metals. They are suitable jewelry cosmetics in the form of skins and napkins with special impregnation.

At home, the following actions are allowed:

• For cleaning jewelry with marcasite (drip silver). Marcasite is distinguished by its beauty and graceful appearance, but it can easily lose an attractive appearance when using any chemistry.It is permissible to clean it using a fabric with a velvety surface, renew it by means of a silvering solution. Both products can be purchased in a boutique simultaneously with jewelry.
• For jewelry with “loose” texture stones (pearls, amber, corals). Products with amber are soaked in warm water without the addition of detergents, and then rubbed with a napkin to shine. It is advisable not to wet the corals and not to treat them with any means at all, but only to rub the metal parts of the decoration in an abrasive solution with a napkin.
• Jewelry with pearls can be soaked in a warm water-soap solution and rubbed with a napkin, without touching the pearls themselves. It should dry on its own. When the surface of pearls is contaminated, they are lightly rubbed with dry potato starch.
• If silver is used instead of silver (imitation of white silver from copper and nickel alloy for tableware and inexpensive jewelry), the metal part of the jewelry can be cleaned with ammonia and peroxide, and the stone with water, soap, starch. But nickel silver belongs to cheap materials and is more often used to make silver cutlery.

Melchior imitation of precious metal and silver-plated products are distinguished into a separate group. Given that they are comparatively cheaper than real silver, care for them must be of high quality, otherwise the products will quickly lose their gloss and will start to look like penny baubles made of aluminum.

As with many ornaments, darkening is characteristic of silver-plated objects. Scrubbing black with abrasives (tooth powder and brush, soda, starch, sponge) is possible, but not recommended. The silver layer on the product has a small thickness, and the mechanical cleaning of it is thinner. The same applies to attempts to wash the product.

Silver products have a perfect appearance not from the one who properly cleans them, but from the one who properly cares for them. A number of preventive measures significantly prolong the life of silver jewelry and objects:

1. Products must be stored separately from objects with sharp edges and from each other. Ideal storage conditions - a dry place in which sunlight and oxygen do not fall. It is better to use velvet, felt or flannel fabric as a litter or individual packing.
2. Wipe them regularly with soft tissues (felt, flannel, special wipes).
3. Do not get carried away with polishing - this thinns the metal layer.
4. As rarely as possible use powdered and abrasive mixtures, they scratch the surface of the product.
5. Do not polish products with a regular sponge. Both sides leave scratches on the metal surface. They may not be visible after the first or second use, but over time they will be felt.
6. Before going to the shower, swimming pool or swimming in the sea, you must remove all silver jewelry. This rule applies to active physical exercise, when the body is intensively producing sweat and sebum containing sulfur.
7. Keep silver rings and bracelets from contact with household chemicals during washing and washing dishes, removing them or using gloves.

Visual methods of cleaning silver at home can be found in the video below.