How to clean the silver chain?

Silver accessories create a sophisticated and spectacular look. However, silver is quite whimsical and easily dims, becoming dark and unattractive. Silver chains are no exception. Metal, exposed to ultraviolet light, water and sweat begins to oxidize, which leads to the formation of a film of grayish or black color. But even this can be handled by traditional methods that will help restore its original appearance to the ornament.

One of the most important causes of metal darkening is the oxidation process. Human sweat contains sulfur, interacting with which the chain darkens. Also, darkening occurs when in contact with makeup, skin care products, water and even air (due to the compounds that react with silver, mainly S and N).

Depending on the state of health or physiological characteristics of a person, the oxidation process is able to proceed more slowly or, conversely, quickly. For example, for one owner the chain will turn black already for the second or third week of socks, while for the other it will remain clean for several years.

Poor tolerant metal household chemicals, as well as contact with certain food products. Harmful long stay in an environment with high humidity. The change begins with the formation of a thin grayish film, which subsequently disappears, and the metal becomes dark in color.

An interesting fact is that, the lower the silver content in the product, the more it is subject to blackening.

Silver chains, rings, bracelets, earrings or a cross can be cleaned with your own hands with the help of available tools or give them to experts. The second option is more reliable, but requires financial costs. In addition, not all settlements have special workshops where they could carry out cleaning.

There are various chemical cleaners (powders, pastes, sprays) and napkins for cleaning any metal from the resulting scurf. When choosing them, it is worthwhile to carefully read the label, since, for example, funds intended for gold are absolutely not suitable for silver.

When buying jewelry with them, you can often purchase special care products. Their main advantage is that they do not just clean the decoration, but create a kind of protective film that prevents oxidation.

Also no less effective folk methods based on what can always be found in every home. Cleaning methods of folk remedies can be divided into:

1. dry;
2. wet;
3. mechanical.

Hydrogen peroxide is suitable exclusively for cleaning only pure silver jewelry, without any impurities or pollinated metal. Otherwise, the peroxide enters into a chemical reaction with impurities, from which difficult-to-remove stains are formed and one cannot do without the help of specialists.

Before you start the manipulation, you must conduct a kind of check. To do this, wetted with a cotton disk peroxide process the invisible place. If the area remains intact and is not damaged, then the whole product can be processed.

Several recipes based on hydrogen peroxide:

1. You can quickly clean the chain at home in this way. In a small container pour peroxide 3%. In it, we soak the chain, withstand exactly de, until the darkening becomes light. After it we get, we wash under running water and we dry;
2. Prepare a solution of 100 ml of hydrogen peroxide and wine alcohol. Put the product in the resulting cleaning solution. In the event that bracelets or chains are treated, the soaking time is not more than 20 minutes. For rings or massive earrings it takes 60 minutes. All the time for the product must be monitored so that in the event of an unexpected metal reaction, quickly remove it. After the allotted time, rinse under warm running water and polish with a flannel flap;
3. prepare a mixture of equal proportions of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and liquid soap, preferably children. Mix the mixture in 250 ml of water. Incubated for 15 minutes, after washing and drying with a cloth, wool or flannel napkin.

Vinegar 9% contains a high concentration of acid, which is capable of washing plaque from silverware. To do this, do the following: take a rag and moisten it in vinegar. It is important to work exclusively in nitrile gloves.to prevent chemical burns of the skin of the hands. And after just wipe the product. However, this method is suitable for light pollution, gray bloom or slight darkening of the chain.

Method two:

1. take a small container and pour vinegar into it;
2. incubate for 2 hours, then pull out and rinse under running water.

Citric acid (better known as lemongrass), has excellent cleansing properties and is able to cope with such contaminants as limescale or darkening of a silver product.

Wash the black chain in several ways.

Method one:

1. we take a 500 ml glass container. Pour 250 ml of water and mix 50 g of lemon in it;
2. we put the decoration and with it the copper wire;
3. we build a water bath: we pour water into a pot of the appropriate size, place the container in it and set it on fire;
4. boil for 30 minutes.

Method two:

1. take a saucepan and put a piece of foil on the bottom;
2. mix the lemon in water in the ratio of 1: 5 and pour it into the saucepan;
3. put a silver chain on the bottom;
4. set on fire and boil until the product turns bright.

Fresh lemon juice can cope well with dullness and darkening of the chain. To do this, squeeze the juice from one lemon into a glass or any other container and drop the decoration into it. Stand for 15 minutes, then rinse under running water and wipe thoroughly.

When cleaning use both ordinary table salt, and smaller sea.

Method one:

1. prepare a working solution of ½ cup of warm water + 50 ml of vinegar 9% + 30 g of fine sea salt;
2. immerse the chain and withstand about 40 minutes. If the darkening does not disappear, you can use a brush with soft bristles;
3. rinse under warm running water and dry thoroughly.

Method two:

1. we take capacity, we fill with water about a quarter;
2. we mix in water table salt, about 150–200 g. The solution should be highly concentrated;
3. put the container on the fire and bring to a boil;
4. turn off the fire and immerse the blackened product in boiling water. Hold until the water cools down;
5. After the product is removed and rinsed in clean water. Carefully wipe and polish.

Method three:

1. prepare the salt solution (salt), put the decoration in it;
2. stand overnight (about 12 hours), then rinse thoroughly under warm running water and polish.

Silver can be cleaned using food foil. This method is one of the most common and frequently used. This is because the foil is made of aluminum, which, in turn, interacting with the sulfurous compound of the film, is able to destroy it and remove black plaque.

Method one:

1. take a small saucepan and lay food foil at the bottom;
2. pour water, 3-4 cm enough;
3. mix in water 60 g of baking soda or citric acid;
4. put the chain, and put the container on fire;
5. wait until the water boils, and incubate for 5 minutes. The decoration should brighten, if this does not happen, boiling time can be increased.

Method two:

1. take food foil and cut a piece from it;
2. straighten it on the table and put in the middle of the chain. Sprinkle with 60 g of salt and pour a little water on top. Or you can mix the salt and water to a slurry and apply it to the product;
3. neatly fold the foil like an envelope and place it in an empty saucepan;
4. prepare a solution of 250 ml of water and household soap chips 5 g and pour into the pan, covering the envelope of foil;
5. put the container on the fire, wait until the solution boils. After removing from heat and soak in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Important: both methods affect the chain with high temperatures, so you need to remember that you first need to remove the chain from the water with a fork and put it on a plate. After waiting for it to cool completely, and rinse under running water. At the end of a flannel or woolen shred carefully wipe the chain, as if polishing it. This will give a gloss to the product.

It is also effective to combine food foil with soda or salt (abrasive). However, applying this method, remember the following:

1. salt and soda can leave small scratches on the surface of smooth products;
2. the method is great for jewelry with drawings or small decorative details;
3. if a jewel or a fionite is encrusted in the decoration, then it cannot be cleaned in such a way. However, pearls perfectly tolerate this procedure.

There are several ways to use foil and soda:

1. take the container and put a piece of food foil on the bottom. After we put the product and fill it with a layer of baking soda. Pour boiling water, alkaline reaction process will begin. As soon as it subsides, the product can be removed;
2. The second method is based on boiling. First, prepare the working solution: 500 ml of water + 60 g of soda. Cover the foil on the bottom and pour the solution, put the dishes on the fire and bring to a boil. Put the product and keep in boiling water for 5 minutes. After we get the decoration, cool and polish with a soft cloth;
3. take the container, line the foil on the bottom surface. Pour 60 g of soda and about 5 ml of liquid soap, pour all this with boiling water. Soak the chain in solution for 5 minutes. After washed in clean water and dry;
4. The method is suitable for antique or blackened silver. Stale on the bottom of the tank a piece of foil. Put the chain in the dishes. In boiling water, dissolve 30 g of salt and soda, pour the solution into the dish. After the pollution will become pliable and easily move away, you can use a soft brush.

Decoction of potatoes with foil:

1. pre-cook three potatoes;
2. we take a container made of ceramics and lay out a piece of foil on the bottom. Pour broth;
3. put the product in the broth and incubate for 15 minutes, then rinse under running water and dry.

As doctors say, prevention is the best treatment. This can be attributed, and the proper wearing, and care for jewelry as prevention from the formation of various dark pollution and plaque:

1. As already stated at the very beginning, the metal may darken from the effects of sweat and water, as well as decorative cosmetics. Therefore, before visiting the beach, swimming pool, sauna, gym, and before applying various creams and lotions to the neck area, you should remove the jewelry. Wear only after they are absorbed into the skin;
2. household chemicals are also harmful to silver, so it is better to remove the product during cleaning or washing;
3. Every day the accessory needs to be polished with a flannel flap;
4. silverware must be kept separate from all jewelery and other metals in the box, preferably with fabric trim inside;
5. every two months the chain should be cleaned for the prevention of traditional methods or specially designed chemistry;
6. at the time of treatment with pharmacological preparations, it is more expedient to refuse to wear silver items, since the preparations can change the properties of human sweat, and the darkening of the metal can occur faster;
7. The jewel can also be painted with varnish if it is not possible to care for silver daily.

When cleaning silver, some should be remembered nuances that will greatly facilitate the work and keep the metal safe and sound:

1. Before turning to a thorough cleaning, you can soak the product at the beginning in a soap solution, hold for about two hours. Then, using a soft brush, gently walk along the chain. Sometimes this is enough to return the silver to its former appearance;
2. during the work it is impossible to use rigid sponges or brushes, they can scratch and damage the metal;
3. if special cleaning agents are used for cleaning, then it is only necessary to work strictly in accordance with the instructions;
4. protective gloves made of latex or rubber should be replaced with nitrile gloves, since they do not contain sulfur, due to which the decoration will soon become dark again;
5. after each manipulation, the product must be washed under running water and thoroughly wash off all substances;
6. after contact with water, completely dry the products to prevent the formation of stains;
7. after cleaning for two or even three weeks, it is better not to wear a chain or ring so that silver can create a new protective film on the surface.

It is easy to return the original look to silver jewelry with your own hands with the help of available tools. If the decoration is very valuable, then its better to give into the hands of professionals. Also, do not forget about daily care, protection from water and regular polishing.

How to cleanse the silver chain with ammonia and detergent, see the following video.