Have you noticed your most dearly loved pair of silver earrings beginning to lose their shine? Or perhaps your favorite silver necklace appears to have become dull…well no need to worry. Cleaning silver doesn’t need to be intimidating nor should it cost the world.
Silver can often become tarnished over a short period of time, annoying, but that doesn’t mean you have to live your life wearing gorgeous yet dull pieces of silver. We have complied a few ways to revitalize your beloved silver jewelry, and don’t worry they’re incredibly easy to do and you can find a lot of the items you need around the house.
Why does Silver Tarnish?
Silver is an incredibly versatile and beautiful metal; however it is fragile in comparison to its other more common brothers and sisters. Tarnishing is a chemical reaction, the most common cause being air –even in an air-tight container silver can tarnish over time. It creates a dull film over the outside of the metal, and the color of this depends on the how long it is left untreated. Fortunately tarnish is not impenetrable, and the shorter the period of time, the easier it is to remove.
Some Ideas on How to Remove Tarnish
Just follow some of these simple tips to bring back the brightness to your jewelry box!
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A Salt Bath
This is great for silver that is lightly tarnished. Add 2 cups of warm water into a bowl, just enough to cover the jewelry. Stir in one tablespoon of salt and stir until dissolved, then tear a few strips of aluminum foil and pop them into the mix. Place your jewelry into the bowl for five minutes and then check to see if its shine has returned – you can repeat this process a few times to get the desired result. Finally rinse the items in warm water and dry with a soft towel.
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Lemony Goodness
A very easy to do option that still produces great results is use soda. All you have to do it leave your silver to soak for one hour in a bowl of lemon soda. Afterwards, rinse as above with warm water and dry gently.
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Paste Away
This is a good choice for silver that is affected in specific areas. Create a paste using a mix of corn starch and water. Apply the paste gently with a damp cloth to the affected area then allow to dry. Remove the paste with a towel, rinse in warm water and finally dry.
