How to remove blackness from silver at home

Reasons for darkening of silver items

Deterioration of appearance, the appearance of blackness, plaque, accumulation of dirt, sweat deposits, loss of luster are the problems faced by the owners of cutlery and jewelry made of precious metal. Complaints are often heard: the silver has darkened within a couple of weeks after the start of wearing. What is the reason?

Factors affecting the condition of silver items:

• dampness;
• Sun rays;
• sweat and sebaceous discharge from the skin;
• prolonged exposure to moisture;
• improper storage: products touch each other, scratches appear, there is no velvet bag or soft cloth for each item;
• exposure to products and chemical components during washing, washing dishes, working in a workshop, in the garden;
• contact of silver products with hand cream, body milk;
• use of abrasive agents to remove contaminants from silver;
• improper care of jewelry with a grooved surface and stones;
• contact of a noble metal with pastes and solutions containing sulfur ions.

Ready-made compositions for cleaning silver jewelry

Manufacturers offer complex mixtures to restore shine and shade to any silver accessories, including those with gilding, blackening and stones:

1. Aladdin. The composition with surfactants (surfactants) is supplemented with fragrances and natural solvents. Apply according to the instructions for jewelry with natural stones. Accessories with amber, pearls are immersed in the solution for 30 minutes, then washed, wiped dry and polished.
2. Impregnated napkins. They are different: for silver with blackening, dry cleaning (without impregnation), gilded accessories and decorated with natural stones. Before use, read the instructions, which describe in detail the technique of work.
3. Pastes. The composition contains small abrasives, components for removing darkening, stains. Dispersed mixtures do not scratch the surface of silver, but be sure to read the instructions before use.
4. Sunlight. Spray for the care of all types of metal accessories. The mixture is sprayed onto the surface, left for the specified time. Then the products are wiped with a napkin, washed and dried.

Why does silver darken

Before cleaning, you should familiarize yourself with the main reasons that lead to darkening of silver jewelry.

There are several factors that cause a dark coating to appear on the surface:

• Increased humidity level. If a jewel stays in a room with high air humidity for a long time, its color gradually darkens, and the surface becomes stained.
• Contact with cosmetics in the manufacture of which sulfur is added. When this component interacts with silver, compounds are formed that cause the silver coating to turn black.
• Sweating. When silver comes into contact with sweat, the oxidation process begins, and the color of the product becomes less bright.

Storage rules for silverware

For cutlery, boxes with departments are bought, lined with a soft cloth. Jewelry is kept in a special box. It is impossible to dump products in a heap, scratches form on them from friction. In addition, the chain is tangled, it can be broken. It is permissible to put jewelry in separate plastic bags, store in a common box.

A place for jewelry is chosen with normal humidity, away from heating appliances and direct sunlight.

Basic rules for the care of silver jewelry

Knowing how to clean a silver chain, cutlery, or gemstone jewelry will have no problem removing plaque. But it is easier to prevent color change than to deal with it.Several recommendations will help preserve the beauty of accessories:

• jewelry is removed before visiting a bath, sauna, taking a bath;
• timely clean products from dust, dirt;
• before applying creams, masks, the rings are removed;
• wear protective gloves when doing housework - rings and bracelets can be easily scratched with a knife or brush.

Silver accessories do not deliver any particular hassle. Regular cleaning from darkening, polishing products with oil or preventive treatment with lipstick will help preserve the beauty of brooches, rings and earrings for a very long time.

How can you clean homemade silver from blackness

The following silver cleaning methods are suitable for any item. But before you start cleaning, you need to prepare the silver for this. First, you need to wipe off the fat from the product. If it is not visible or the product seems to be normal to the touch, this does not mean that it is not greasy. We prepare a soapy solution, lower the product into it, hold it for a while, and then wipe it dry with a flannel cloth, or a soft brush. But that is not all. Rinse in water and then wipe dry with a paper towel. Now you can proceed directly to cleaning.

One of the common methods is brushing with tooth powder.

The process is quite simple: you need to take tooth powder and soft tissue. The cloth must be slightly moistened with water, if necessary, wring out and dipped into powder. And then we take and lightly, without pressing on the metal, three silver, until we remove the blackness. At the end of the process, we rinse the product. put on a paper napkin to dry.

Another cleaning option is using vinegar (essence will not work)

Pour vinegar into a cup. we put the products necessary for cleaning there. We select the size of the container to the size of the products so that they are completely immersed in vinegar. We leave the silver objects to lie in vinegar for two hours. Then rinse in water and dry on paper towels.

The easiest way to clean silver at home is simple boiling

To do this, you will need to prepare a solution, the components for which are likely to be found in everyone. We take 500 ml of water. dissolve in it 15 g of salt, "Fairy" and soda. We put silver there and put the container with the contents on the fire. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave the water to cool. Then everything is according to the same scheme - we rinse and dry on a paper towel.

We clean with lipstick

The next method is quite original and, probably, few people have heard of it at all. Here lipstick is used for cleaning. True, the products should be smooth, this is more suitable for cutlery. A soft cloth is taken, a large amount of lipstick is applied to it and the product is wiped. If it was possible to remove the blackening, rinse and dry, if not, we repeat again.

A good option is cleaning with olive oil

Here, too, everything is quite simple. We moisten a cloth with oil and rub the product with it. At the end, rinse the silver and dry.

If you have blackened silver, then besides potatoes, you can also clean it with soap and soda, as well as an ordinary eraser.

Cleaning with soap and soda

For cleaning with soap and soda, take a container, pour 500 ml of water. Then add 10 g of baking soda and a little liquid soap. Mix well and put the product there. We leave the silver there for 15 minutes. After that, we take it out and wipe it dry with a soft napkin.

The eraser can be used to re-remove already remnants of dirt. Darkened areas are simply wiped with an eraser.

How to clean silver jewelry with stones

Before that, it was said about the cleaning of only one silver, that is, if we are talking about jewelry, then these are chains, bracelets and rings on which there are no stones.

However, many have rings with stones. Here, the cleaning is already somewhat different than simple silver.

In this case, it is recommended to use all the same special mixtures for cleaning.

But if you do not have such a mixture, you can try to make it yourself. For this you need to take 250 ml. warm water and add 20 g of grated soap and 5 drops of ammonia to it. Stir all the ingredients and put on fire. You cannot boil, you just need to heat it up. Then we take a toothbrush, dip it into a hot solution and clean the product with it. After that, we take a cotton swab, we also moisten it in a hot solution, treat areas near the stone with it.

There are different cleaning methods for each type of stone.

So, for example, to clean items with amber, they are first soaked in warm water. You can add some soap. After that, it is wiped off with a soft cloth, then rinsed in warm water and dried.

If you have jewelry with pearls, then a paste of cornstarch and water in a 1: 2 ratio is prepared to clean them. This mixture is applied with a soft brush and then scrubbed. Then the decoration is washed with water and dried.

If there is coral in the jewelry, then it must be borne in mind that this is a rather fragile stone. Basically, it is wiped with a velvet cloth. If the silver is very dirty. Before you start cleaning it, you need to isolate the stone so as not to damage it.

For some, stones such as amber or ivory carry jewelry. It is not recommended to use alkalis and acids for cleaning them. Here the jewelry is soaked in warm water with the addition of soap. Then they are wiped with a soft cloth and dried.

In order to clean malachite, opal, turquoise and moonstone, it is necessary to prepare a solution with laundry soap. Pre-jewelry is soaked in warm water for 30 minutes. Then the surface of the stone is treated to cleanliness with a soft brush dipped in soapy water.

Stones such as pomegranate, topaz and ruby ​​are cleaned with a baking soda solution. Or any cleaning products. But you cannot use hot water. Sapphire, emerald and aquamarine are cleaned with shampoo or washing powder.

The most versatile remedy is laundry soap. One of the standard soap cleaning methods is as follows. Initially, the soap is ground on a grater. Then, add a tablespoon of soap to a liter of warm water, stir. After that, we put the decoration in the ready-made solution. It lies there for an hour, after which we take it out, rinse it and wipe it dry.

Another universal remedy is chalk. It will first need to be crushed. Then add water, but just enough to get the state of the paste. The decoration is processed with this paste, after which it is rinsed and dried.

Review of popular brands

Some women successfully cope with oily bloom on cutlery using cheap "Whiteness", but then rinse forks and spoons for a long time with water to remove the unpleasant odor. In stores, expensive detergents are also sold, which contain not artificial, but natural substances.

Cif

The Dutch company has been producing household chemicals for half a century and offers a wide range of products for cleaning glass and mirror surfaces, stainless steel products. Cif cream removes grease, removes old dirt. Although it contains abrasive substances, it does not scratch. The cream is applied to the sponge and cleans the cutlery without any problems.

Topperr

The product, produced by a Spanish company, is sold in plastic bottles with a volume of 0.5 liters, distributed over the surface using a spray bottle. When using Topperr:

1. Devices made of chrome, stainless steel, aluminum are cleaned.
2. Removes dirt, scale, carbon deposits.
3. Shine appears.

The liquid does not leave streaks and scratches, copes with unpleasant odors. The product dissolves grease, removes rust.

Dr. Beckmann

Manufacturer "Doctor Beckman" presents a huge range of pastes, liquids, gels for manual and machine cleaning of cutlery, dishes, plumbing.The grease and soot remover is free from phosphates, which can cause irritation and allergies.

Sanitol

If you do not use items made of cupronickel for a long time, a plaque will form on them. Removes traces of oxidation "Santinol", which is sold in plastic bottles of 250 mg.

How to clean homemade silver easily and efficiently

In general, there are many ways to bring silver to perfect condition. However, in the opinion of many, the best of all that exists is the "brewing" of silver items. In a saucepan or other container, put, for example, spoons, knives and forks. They are filled with water, so that it covers them entirely. Soda is added to the water, in proportion - a couple of tablespoons to half a liter of water. The main thing is not to forget to put a piece of foil into the water, for example, by tearing it off from a chocolate bar or from a roll of food foil. The dimensions do not really matter.

Place the container on the stove and bring the water to a boil. In just a couple of minutes, silver items, even those covered with blackness, like soot, will start to whiten rapidly and very soon become absolutely clean. All that remains is to get them out of the water and wipe them with a towel. The whole operation will take a few minutes and it can be done in time, and sometimes it is necessary, just before the guests arrive. They will be amazed by the shiny silver dishes to the core.

There is an even easier way - the silver is simply soaked in a soda solution and then wiped with a rag.

Tartar and table salt

To prepare the cleaning composition, you need to take half
liters of water, 10 g of tartar and 25 g of coarse salt. Darkened products
soak in the solution for 20 minutes, dry and polish.

Eraser

This method is considered relevant for removing local contaminants left after the main cleaning.

It is enough to wipe the darkened areas with an eraser and the product immediately begins to acquire an attractive shine.

Phosphoric acid found in popular drinks

You can clean simple products with drinks like Cola or Sprite. Put them in liquid, boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry by spreading on a towel.

Detergent powder

Boiling in soapy water using washing powder is an equally effective method of cleaning silver.

To prepare the composition, the components are taken in arbitrary proportions. Items are placed in the mixture, boiled for 10 minutes. After that, they are washed and polished.

Wipe the jewelry with a moistened cotton pad. Use a cotton swab to clean the grooves and other decorative items.

Prevention of dirt and product care

To prevent silverware from fading and blackening for many years, it is necessary to take proper care of them. Even the most expensive and cleanest alloy will eventually lose its original luster and beauty if handled inappropriately.

Silver has two main enemies: moisture and sulfur. Both substances can easily tarnish (or even blacken) the product. Dealing with moisture is not so difficult: just wipe your cutlery dry after washing dishes and remove jewelry before taking a bath or shower. But what about sulfur? There are not so many sources of it:

• sweat;
• medicines (ointments, creams);
• household chemicals.

It is quite simple to protect silver items from them:

• Take off jewelry before going to the gym, jogging, or swimming.
• wash cutlery immediately after eating (so that the sweat from your fingers does not have time to affect the surface of the silver);
• remove jewelry before cleaning;
• do not allow medicinal products to come into contact with silver.

These simple rules will allow you to keep the shine of your products for a long time.

Video tips for cleaning silver from blackness at home

Top 3 Ways From Internet Users

If you try to divide home remedies by effectiveness, convenience and simplicity, you get the following picture.

Third place: tooth powder

You will need toothpaste, an old brush, water, and a container to mix the detergent. We combine the two ingredients, with the resulting gruel we clean the silver products. Fast and efficient. The method is good for smooth things, but poorly suited for embossed ones.

Second place: peroxide and ammonia

Mix both ingredients in a container in a one-to-one ratio. We lower the jewelry for two or three minutes into the solution. After that we take it out, rinse it with clean water and wipe it dry. Minimum time spent!

First place: foil and soda

Tear off a piece of foil, which is enough to line the "plate" at the bottom of the pan. Put decorations on top, sprinkle with soda thickly. Fill with boiling water from a kettle - the soda foams sharply, begins to fizzle. The process has begun. After a couple of minutes, we remove the products, rinse, wipe. If necessary, we polish. Perfectly clean!

Precious shine on the advice of Olga "Cozy corner"

"Makeup" with lipstick

A few minutes before going out, have you found that your favorite ring has lost its luster and began to look less attractive? In this case, one quick way will help (it will work for any precious metal). Rub the jewelry with lipstick (its quality and shelf life do not matter!), And then polish the jewelry with a cotton pad. Unfortunately, you can only use this improvised product for smooth products, without relief.

Ammonium for self-cleaning

Figured jewelry (for example, earrings or rings with stones) can be conveniently cleaned with ammonia. Take a glass beaker or jar, pour hot water up to the middle, add one or two tablespoons of ammonia solution (ammonia). About the same amount of any detergent (preferably liquid) - for dishes or laundry. Stir. Place the decorations in a glass, cover the container and set aside for at least two hours. After that, all the products should be taken out - they shine!

Tips for cleaning jewelery with stones from Tamara

Pour a quarter glass of water (not hot, room temperature) into a glass bowl, add half a teaspoon of shampoo. Other chemicals can damage stones and should not be used. Stir, lather. Soak the products for fifteen minutes. The dirt will turn off during this time.

Next step. Take a soft toothbrush and brush over the entire surface (outside and inside) of the jewelry with gentle, light strokes. It is easier to clean small "holes" in the metal with a toothpick, on which to pre-wind a drop of cotton wool. After the procedure, rinse the jewelry in clean water, put it on a cotton cloth, lightly blot the moisture, let it dry.

Step three. To make the stones "come to life" and also shine, you need cognac. Soak a cotton swab in it and wipe the precious and semiprecious blotches well. Then the products must be polished - with a piece of soft suede or a special cleaning cloth, which is sold in jewelry stores.

We clean silver from blackness with the means from the first aid kit

Is it safe to clean silver with ammonia at home?

Since ammonia vapors have a very negative effect on the body (first of all, on the mucous membranes, respiratory organs and skin), you should be very careful in handling it: gloves, a cotton-gauze bandage moistened with water and safety glasses will protect you from discomfort and unwanted consequences. In extreme cases, you can restrict yourself to gloves alone, but then you should open the windows wide open and, after the cleaning procedure, ventilate the room for at least 15-20 minutes.

To cleanse blackened silver, you will need 5 drops of ammonia (you can increase the amount if necessary) and a glass of water. We drop ammonia into a glass of water and immerse the product there. After an hour, take out, rinse with water and let dry naturally. For extra shine, you can buff with a cloth.

Can I clean silver with ammonia?

The ammonia, familiar to us from childhood, with which, even in Soviet times, our mothers and grandmothers washed windows, is one of the most common liquids for cleaning silver.

To do this, take a container, put our silver jewelry there, fill it with 10% ammonia and leave it for 10-15 minutes. After - rinse with running water and dry.

Is it possible to clean silver from blackness at home with hydrogen peroxide?

It is strongly discouraged to purify silver of "unknown origin" in a composition with peroxide, as it reacts with impurities and leads to an even greater darkening of the metal. However, if you are confident in the quality of your jewelry, you just need to immerse it in the peroxide solution for 15 minutes, rinse and dry.

Can regular toothpaste help you clean your silver at home?

Are you surprised that toothpaste can be used to clean more than just your teeth? And why not, because our enamel is more delicate and precious than any metal! For cleaning we need: a toothbrush with soft bristles (or a cloth), toothpaste and warm water. Putting toothpaste on a toothbrush - isn't it a familiar story? - and, then we go through the decoration - purity and shine are provided!

Why does silver turn black

Silver chain and cross - how to clean them at home

To clean the chain with a cross, we will use the most common salt.

Add two tablespoons of salt to 500 ml of water and stir until completely dissolved. Then we put the container with the solution on the fire and wait until the water boils. As soon as it starts to boil, dip the silver into boiling water.

Place some foil on the bottom of the pot before pouring in the salt water. We boil the silver product for 15 minutes. Then we take it out and rinse it under cold water. It remains only to dry and enjoy the result.

Another option is to use olive oil.

The use of this tool has already been mentioned, but here they do not wipe it, but, as in the case of salt, they boil in it. Only. It will be necessary to take not any oil, but only unrefined.

So, take the oil, pour it into the pan. Moreover, the volume of oil should be such that the product placed in the pan is completely covered.

Then, the saucepan is put on fire and brought to a boil. As soon as the oil boils, we lower the chain into it. We continue to boil for another 10 minutes. After the lapse of time, we take out the product and rinse it with hot water using a toothbrush. You can use a dish detergent.

At the last stage, prepare a solution of lemon juice with water in a 1: 1 ratio and pour it into a container. We lower our product there. It should be in this solution for a couple of hours. Then we take it out and wipe it with a soft fleecy cloth.

Another unusual remedy is Coca-Cola

True, it has long been no secret that with the help of Coca-Cola pipes are cleaned, rust is removed. So why not use it for silver cleaning as well.

We take Coca-Cola, pour it into a container and put our silver. We keep in this "drink" for 15 minutes. Stir periodically throughout the entire time. After the time has elapsed, we take out the product and rinse it well with water.

What to do to prevent the metal from darkening in the future?

To prevent the decoration from darkening in the future, the following procedures should be carried out to help preserve its appearance:

• Monthly house cleaning. All silver jewelry should be cleaned at least once a month. Even if there is practically no dark plaque visible on the coating, it is still better to clean it. If you do not do preventive cleaning for a long time, the surface will become covered with dirt, dark spots and grease.
• Turning to professionals. There are specialists who are professionally engaged in cleaning jewelry. Their services are used if it is not possible to restore the silver plating on their own. Jewelers will be able to breathe new life into even those items that have not been cleaned for years.

How to clean silver at home - ways

Before using any traditional method, you need to rinse the product in running water using soap. You can also soak the metal in warm soapy water. After soaking, the product is washed and dried. Then you can start cleansing in one of the popular ways.

How to clean silver with baking soda

Dilute baking soda powder with water until a paste is obtained. Apply the product to the metal surface, remove after 10 minutes with a soft cloth.

For gentle cleansing, you can use a baking soda solution:

1. Combine 250 ml of water and 20 g of powder.
2. Boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Place foil on the bottom.
4. Put silver in a hot solution for 15 minutes.
5. Rinse thoroughly with tap water.

Cleaning with toothpaste

Apply the toothpaste to the surface with a soft cloth, rub in especially dirty areas. At the end of the procedure, rinse the product with running water. After the metal is dry, polish it with a soft dry cloth such as microfiber.

How to clean metal with tooth powder

Mix the powder with water until it becomes a paste. Apply the resulting mass to the surface with a soft cloth. Rub the product in one direction, then rinse it under the tap.

How to clean silver with vinegar

Table vinegar is effective if the stain is fresh. A 6% solution is used. It needs to be applied to the fabric and wiped off the product. At the end of the procedure, rinse the metal with water.

Purification of silver with citric acid

A 10% citric acid solution is used to purify silver. To do this, dissolve 10 g of powder in 100 ml of water. Wipe the product with the resulting composition, then rinse with water.

Also citric acid is used when boiling. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Add 100 g of acid to 500 ml of water.
2. Place a piece of copper wire in the liquid.
3. Boil the contents.
4. Place the product in the container.
5. After 15 minutes, rinse all items.
6. Dry.
7. Polish.

Purification of silver with salt

Table salt cleans silver well. Procedure:

1. Combine 500 ml of hot water with 25 g of salt and 10 g of citric acid.
2. Place the product in the solution for 10-20 minutes.
3. Rinse products.
4. Dry.
5. Polish.

How to cleanse with hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an aggressive liquid, so it is diluted with warm soapy water. In the resulting mixture, you need to place the product, after 2 minutes - get it out and rinse.

Coca cola cleansing

Pour a carbonated drink into a saucepan, put silver, boil. After a few minutes, you need to evaluate the result. Boil the cola until the silver is completely clear.

How to clean silver with olive oil

Olive oil is only suitable as a polish for silver. Therefore, it is impossible to get rid of dark spots with it. But it will turn out to give a mirror shine. To do this, a few drops of oil are applied to the microfiber and the product is wiped.

Cleaning gold plated silver

Gilded silver requires special care. It cannot be cleaned with products that contain even the smallest abrasive particles, not to mention salt and soda. For cleaning, it is better to use a microfiber cloth or a piece of suede.

Gold plated silver can be cleaned with the following products:

1. To remove stains and greasy deposits, a cloth is moistened in alcohol or vinegar solution, for the preparation of which 30 ml of 9% table vinegar are dissolved in a glass of water. After that, the thing is washed with water, wiped and polished with suede.
2. Gold-plated jewelry can be soaked in regular beer for half an hour, then rinsed with water and polished with a soft cloth.
3. Heavily soiled items are washed in a warm solution of soap, ammonia and water. To do this, take a drop of liquid detergent and a couple of drops of alcohol on a glass of water. The decoration is soaked in this product for half an hour, after which it is well washed and wiped off.