Ways to clean silver jewellery

If you love your silver jewellery, the chances are you’ve spent a lot of time trying to find out how to clean them. Thankfully there are plenty of great products out there to help you do this – as well as a few “unusual” alternatives. All of the below methods can be safety used on solid silver. If you jewellery has any gemstones, enamelling or other dainty extras consult a jeweller before you attempt cleaning them.

Wonderful Ways to Clean Silver Jewellery

Liquid soap

Soap, If your jewellery is just slightly discoloured or filmy, a solution of mild dish soap or shampoo should get it back up to its former glory in no time. This method is particularly great with delicate stones/structures, which can dull and wear away with some of the harsher methods listed here.

Polishes and Plates

Traditional jewellery cleaners include polishes and plates. These are specially designed to remove dirt and marks from your jewellery and leave them looking as good as new. Make sure the products you choose are intended to clean silver jewellery and always follow the instructions to avoid damage. If your jewellery has beads, charms, jewels or embellishments then you should take extra care as metal cleaners and polishes may be too harsh for these delicate parts.

Get it cleaned professionally

While it maybe easier and cheaper to clean silver at home, there is nothing like a professional cleaning. If your jewellery is silver without any gemstones, it can safely go into an ultrasonic cleaner. If not, it can be brushed and polished by hand in a way a professional knows best. While its easier to get a silver dip done, it will not last long. Get your silver cleaned regularly (atleast once a year) if you do not want patina to accumulate.

Aluminium Foil

Here is one of the cheapest tricks of all. Aluminium tarnishes much more easily than silver does, so when you soak the two of them in water together, the aluminium will pick up the tarnish from the silver, leaving your jewellery looking bright, shiny, and good as new. To get the fastest results, line a bowl with aluminium foil (shiny side up) and place your jewellery inside the bowl with boiling water and a normal amount of laundry detergent, baking soda, or even just salt. These will act as a catalyst, speeding up the chemical reaction that removes the dark coating. Leave it to stand for a few minutes, then remove your jewellery from the bowl (carefully – you don’t want to burn yourself!) and wipe it down with a rag.

Acids in food based items

You can use ketchup, a solution of vinegar and salt or citric acid and hot water to clean your silver. Alternatively, Mix ½ cup of lemon juice with a teaspoon of olive oil. Dip a soft cloth in the mixture and buff your jewellery with it, then rinse and dry. If you use an acidic solution to clean, follow it up with soap and water. Pat dry immediately.

Alcohol

Vodka has plenty of uses around the house, so it’s hardly a surprise that a quick dip in your drink could leave your jewellery sparkling. A word of caution, though – only use vodka on plain silver jewellery as otherwise you risk damaging the finish of your jewels. Don’t drink the vodka afterwards either, if you don’t want that gunk on your jewellery then you won’t want it in your belly.

Toothpaste

Though this is my least favourite method, as you need to be really careful about the kind of toothpaste you use. Squeeze out a normal amount of toothpaste (the tartar-removing kind works best), rub it in all over the item you’re cleaning. When the toothpaste has turned black, rinse it off and dry your item with a kitchen towel or microfiber cloth. If you’re cleaning something like a chain, or your jewellery has some kind of twist in its design, you could gently rub the toothpaste away with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Wear it More Often

There’s no need to wait for someone to tell you how to clean silver before you show off your jewellery – just wearing it could work wonders.  The natural oils in your skin will “clean” your silver and help to prevent further tarnishing.

These tips are simple and very effective – the perfect way for you and your jewellery to shine on!

Tips contributed by John Brasington who is a veteran of unsavoury household arrangements and learned to clean in the trenches of student living.