If you don’t wear your silver jewelry frequently, you may notice that it looks particularly discolored the next time you put it on. This happens due to a chemical reaction that gives your silver jewelry a black tarnish. Luckily, cleaning silver jewelry doesn’t require rocket science or extraordinary muscle power. You just need some time and a few supplies that you probably already have at home.
To clean silver jewelry, soak it in a mixture of dish soap and water for a few minutes. You can also use silver polish or a silver cleaning cloth to give your jewelry a nice shine. Keeping your silver jewelry in anti-tarnish bags and cleaning it regularly helps to prevent it from tarnishing.
You may need to clean your silver jewelry on a regular basis to make sure that it keeps its shine. So, let’s take a closer look at some easy cleaning methods that’ll make your jewelry sparkle. We’ll also share some tips to prevent your jewelry from getting tarnished in the first place.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry
Unlike vacuuming the floor or wiping down the countertops, cleaning your silver jewelry isn’t a task that’s typically on your to-do list. Although it’s fairly simple to accomplish, this often-neglected task is easily put off.
That’s because the silver pieces that you wear regularly — like your favorite silver earrings or that silver pendant you got for your birthday — won’t tarnish too easily. It’s the silver jewelry that you keep hidden away in a dark box that might require a more vigorous scrubbing.
Let’s look at the several ways in which you can remove tarnish from your silver jewelry and restore it to its original shine:
Using Dish Soap
Silver dulls with time, which is quite normal. To bring back the shine to your silver jewelry, you can use dish soap with water. Here’s what you need to do:
- In a bowl, mix a few drops of dish soap and warm water to make suds. Soak your jewelry in this solution for about five minutes.
- With a soft toothbrush, gently scrub away the tarnish from your silver piece.
- Rinse each jewelry piece in a bowl of clean water.
- Use a soft cloth to dry each piece of jewelry. Avoid using paper towels as they can scratch your silver jewelry.
Using Silver Polish
You can also clean your silver jewelry with silver polish that’s typically used to clean silverware and dishes. This method is ideal for jewelry pieces that have a large surface area, like a pendant or a locket, rather than chains or delicate earrings.
- Rinse each jewelry piece with warm water and apply a thin layer of silver polish (on Amazon) on one side of it with a sponge or soft cloth. Make sure the sponge is damp before you apply the polish.
- When applying polish, it’s best to work in small sections. Rub the polish onto the surface of your silver piece until the tarnish disappears.
- Turn the piece over and work on the other side.
- Rinse thoroughly with warm water and use a soft, clean cloth to dry the silver.
- Wash your hands thoroughly. (It’s best to avoid leaving the cream on your hands for too long.)
Using a Silver Cleaning Cloth
Silver cleaning cloths are soft cloths specially designed to clean silver jewelry while protecting it from scratches. Made from 100% cotton, a silver cleaning cloth (on Amazon) is typically infused with chemical cleaners so that it can be used dry, without adding any polishing cream or other product.
It’s also important to note that you can’t wash a silver cleaning cloth; doing so will remove the infused agent. You can use a single unit for a couple of months before needing a replacement.
Here’s how you can use this mess-free way to clean your silver jewelry:
- Use a silver cleaning cloth to buff your silver jewelry. It’s better to scrub back and forth instead of using a circular motion. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging.
- As you scrub, the tarnish will transfer to the silver cleaning cloth.
- Work in small sections and keep rotating the cloth as you work.
Using Vinegar
A mixture of white vinegar (on Amazon) and water can be used to remove tarnish from your silver jewelry. It’s also an excellent solution for cleaning grooves and around the gems and stones in your jewelry piece.
- Combine equal quantities of vinegar and water in a bowl.
- Dip an old toothbrush in this solution and clean the jewelry gently, focusing on the most tarnished areas.
- Be sure to clean the stones and grooves.
- Use a soft towel to dry the jewelry.
Be careful when cleaning jewelry designed with porous stones; vinegar can damage this kind of jewelry.
How to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry
Sterling silver refers to silver that isn’t pure — because it contains almost 7.5% copper. Although this type of silver is stronger compared to the pure 99.9% silver, it’s more likely to tarnish.
To find out whether your jewelry is silver-plated or sterling silver, look for a mark on the clasp that says Sterling 9.25, Sterling, 925/1000, 9.25, or S/S. Jewelry pieces that don’t have these marks are more likely to be silver-plated.
If you’re unable to clean your silver jewelry with soap and water, then you can try the following DIY methods that make use of common household and pantry staples:
Baking soda
To clean sterling silver jewelry with baking soda, here’s what you need to do:
- Mix one part water and two parts baking soda to make a paste. Rub the mixture gently onto the jewelry.
- Rinse the piece once the mixture is completely dry to remove the tarnish.
- Dry with a microfiber towel or soft cloth.
You can also use cornstarch instead of baking soda.
Lemon and Olive Oil
- In a bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of olive oil and ½ cup of lemon juice.
- Dip a clean cloth in this solution and rub your silver jewelry piece gently until it sparkles.
- Rinse and dry.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
- Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with ½ cup of white vinegar.
- Allow your silver jewelry to soak in this mixture for three to four hours.
- Rinse and polish.
Toothpaste
You can also use your toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush to clean your silver jewelry and get amazing results. Be sure to check that your toothpaste isn’t a whitening formula, and avoid using this method on any silver-plated jewelry.
How to Clean Silver Chains
It’s quite easy for silver chains on bracelets and necklaces to become tarnished due to repeated contact with perfumes, lotions, and perspiration.
These pieces are quite delicate, so you need to take extra care to keep them clean. Fortunately, you can clean chains using the same method that’s used to clean silver flatware.
When sulfur atoms come into contact with silver, they create silver sulfide, which is the tarnish you see on silver. Using aluminum foil to make your silver chains sparkle is an effective method, but it can create some unpleasant smells.
For this cleaning method, you’ll need:
- A large bowl
- Pan of boiling water
- Aluminum foil
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup baking soda
Method
- Use aluminum foil to line the entire surface of a large pan or bowl.
- Fill the bowl with boiling water.
- In this bowl, add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and ¼ cup of baking soda.
- Stir to well combine. You’ll see bubbles form in the bowl.
- Place the jewelry pieces in the bowl and mix gently, making sure that the pieces don’t hit the sides of the bowl or each other.
- Allow the pieces to sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jewelry and dry with a soft cloth.
How to Prevent Silver Jewelry From Tarnishing
The key element to ensure tarnish-free silver jewelry is prevention. Although it isn’t possible to protect your jewelry pieces completely from heat, moisture, and air, you can limit exposure. Make sure you follow the tips below to keep your jewelry sparkling:
- Store all your silver jewelry properly in anti-tarnish bags (on Amazon) kept in a cool, dark place .
- Using a jewelry box lined with velvet (on Amazon) is also recommended as velvet helps absorb the moisture in the air. Velvet pouches also help protect your silver jewelry from exposure. Use them to store your favorite silver jewelry pieces.
- Humidity can speed up the tarnishing process. Placing a packet of charcoal, a piece of chalk, or even silica gel together with your jewelry helps to remove moisture. Leaving your rings, earrings, or other silver pieces in the bathroom is never a good idea.
- Remove your silver jewelry before swimming, showering, doing dishes, or even exercising.
- Put on your jewelry after you’ve applied lotions and sprayed perfumes.
- Avoid wearing silver jewelry around things that contain sulfur compounds like mayonnaise, mustard, rubber bands, and eggs.
- Wear your silver jewelry often. Silver should be worn instead of lying in a drawer or a cabinet for a long time.
- Clean your silver jewelry regularly. Even if your rings or earrings don’t look dirty, frequent cleaning will help slow down the tarnishing process.